Wu and Kin

QUESTIONS

What people ask before wiring money to a country they don't live in yet.

Straight answers. No marketing. If you have a question we haven't covered, write Trang, who replies within 24 hours.

The trust questions

How do I know the apartment in the photos is the apartment I’ll live in?

Every apartment we list is inspected in person by Trang before it appears on the site. The same Trang, every time. She walks the apartment with a clipboard, checks 47 specific things, measures the internet speed, measures the ambient noise at 9pm, and walks the neighborhood for an hour. The five required photos on every listing (wide shot, detail, kitchen, bedroom, neighborhood) are taken at that visit. The inspection card on each listing shows her name, the date, and the results.

If when you arrive the apartment doesn’t match what we showed you, you have seven days to walk away with your full deposit returned. We’ve written this into every lease.

What if I don’t like the apartment when I arrive?

Two scenarios.

If the apartment doesn’t match the listing (wrong size, missing furniture, broken something we said worked), we own it. You can take a partial refund and stay, or take a full refund and leave. Your choice.

If the apartment matches the listing but you’ve changed your mind (sometimes preferences shift after you arrive), we can help you look at our other inventory, but at full lease terms. The brand promise is the apartment matches what we showed you. It isn’t a promise that you’ll love every apartment in every mood.

Are reviews real? Can I talk to someone who’s stayed at Wu and Kin?

Yes. If you ask, we will connect you to a past or current tenant who agreed to be a reference. Trang maintains that list. Most of them are happy to answer one or two questions over WhatsApp before you commit.

We do not have a public review system on the site. Reviews on a small platform are easily gamed in both directions, and we’d rather you talk to a real person than read a starred review.

How long has Wu and Kin been operating?

Since 2026. We launched with a small inventory in three cities. The team is small. The inventory is small. That smallness is intentional: it’s what makes the inspection model work.

The money questions

What’s actually included in the rent?

The number on the listing is the all-in price. It includes monthly rent, building service fees (if the building charges any), and basic internet. It does not include electricity and water (billed monthly at usage) or optional add-ons like weekly cleaning.

There is no broker fee. There is no platform fee. There are no hidden charges at signing. If a future page on this site or future communication contradicts that, the page is wrong.

How much do utilities cost?

For a one- or two-person apartment, expect $20-50 USD per month in combined electricity and water. Higher for larger units, higher in summer when air conditioning runs more, slightly less in cooler months.

What’s the deposit and when do I get it back?

One month’s rent, paid before move-in.

After your exit walkthrough, we return the deposit within seven days to the same account or method it came from. If we deduct anything for damage or excess cleaning, we send you receipts for every deduction. If you disagree, we’ll go through them with you.

Past tenants who got their deposit back cleanly are the source of most of our new tenants. The math on this is straightforward: we’d rather lose a small amount on a borderline deduction than lose a referral.

What’s your refund policy if I cancel before arrival?

If you cancel before signing the lease, the deposit hasn’t been collected yet, so there’s nothing to refund.

If you cancel after signing but before move-in:

  • Fourteen or more days before move-in, and we can re-rent the apartment for your dates: deposit returned minus a small relet fee.
  • Less than fourteen days, or we can’t re-rent: deposit forfeit per the lease.

If something serious happens (health emergency, visa denial, family situation), write Trang. We’ve made exceptions when the situation warranted it.

Can I pay in VND? In another currency?

The default invoice is in USD. You can pay in VND at the spot rate on the day of payment, with the rate documented on your invoice. We don’t take cash. Every payment goes through a business account and you get a receipt.

For other currencies, we accept SGD, EUR, GBP, and AUD through international wire transfer. Conversion happens at the bank rate.

What payment methods do you accept?

International wire transfer. Domestic VND bank transfer (if you’re already in Vietnam). Wise. That’s it. No credit cards, no PayPal, no crypto, no cash.

Will you help me with tạm trú (temporary residence) registration?

Yes. For most of our units (the ones we hold the master lease on), we file tạm trú on your behalf within 12 hours of move-in. It’s part of the service.

For the rest, we provide the building’s confirmation letter and instructions, or you can pay us $30 USD to file it for you. Either way, you get a confirmation document within 24 hours of move-in. Keep it with your passport.

If you’re ever asked for proof of address by your bank, employer, or immigration, the tạm trú is the document.

Do I need a visa to live in Vietnam for six months?

You need a visa. Wu and Kin can’t issue one: that’s your responsibility, usually through a visa agent or your employer.

Common options for stays of six months and longer:

  • Work permit + Temporary Residence Card (most common for employed expats)
  • Investor visa
  • Dependent visa (if a family member has a work permit)
  • Student visa

Tourist visas typically max out at 90 days and are not a viable option for a six-month stay. If you’re not sure what visa you’ll have, sort that before signing a lease.

We have a list of visa agents we’ve worked with in each city. Ask if you want a recommendation.

Is the lease in English?

Yes. The lease is in English. If a Vietnamese version exists for tạm trú or local administrative purposes, we send you a translated copy and confirm the English version is the binding one in case of dispute.

You can read the lease before you commit. We won’t ask you to sign anything you haven’t read.

What happens if there’s a dispute?

Most disputes are small and get worked out by talking. Slow drains, deposit deductions, lease term clarifications: none of this needs a lawyer.

For serious disputes (the apartment is uninhabitable and we disagree, a major deduction the tenant contests, anything involving allegations of fraud or theft), the lease includes a clear escalation path: written notice, a 14-day cure period, then arbitration in Vietnam under Vietnamese law.

We have not been through a serious dispute and we’d rather not. The brand and the unit economics work better when neither side feels they need a lawyer.

The living-in-Vietnam questions

Will I be able to function without speaking Vietnamese?

In Saigon and Hanoi, mostly yes, especially in the neighborhoods we operate in. Most everyday transactions work in English, especially with younger workers and in expat-frequented areas. The Vietnamese you’d pick up in the first six months is greetings, numbers, food names, and “where is the bathroom.”

Đà Nẵng has less English exposure than Saigon or Hanoi. Workable, but you’ll find yourself using Google Translate more often. Most of our Đà Nẵng tenants pick up basic Vietnamese faster as a result.

How do I get around the city?

Grab (the Southeast Asian Uber) for cars and motorbikes. It works in English, accepts foreign cards, and prices are transparent. Most expats use Grab as their primary transit for the first three to six months, then either buy a motorbike or settle into walking and Grab for everything.

The metro is partially operational in HCMC (Line 1) and under construction in Hanoi. Buses exist and are cheap but harder to navigate in English. None of our apartments are placed on the assumption that you’ll use the metro.

What about banking?

You can open a Vietnamese bank account if you have a work permit or TRC. Without one, you’ll be living off international cards (Wise, Revolut, your home bank) and ATM withdrawals. Most expats do fine without a local account for the first six months.

We can pay you for any deposit refunds in your preferred currency to your preferred account. Tell us at signing.

What if I get sick?

International standard care exists in all three cities. In Saigon, FV Hospital and Family Medical Practice are common expat choices. In Hanoi, French Hospital and Family Medical Practice. In Đà Nẵng, options are more limited; serious cases may travel to Saigon.

Travel insurance covering Vietnam is strongly recommended. Some expats also get local supplementary insurance through providers like Bao Viet or Liberty. We’re not insurance brokers; ask your visa agent or HR.

Internet, phone, the basic infrastructure?

Internet is fast and cheap. Most of our apartments have 150-250 Mbps fiber. SIM cards from Viettel, Vinaphone, or Mobifone cost about $10 USD for the first month and work anywhere in the country. You can buy one at the airport on arrival.

Power outages are rare in central neighborhoods. Water outages are even rarer. Air pollution is a real issue in Hanoi during winter months (October-March) and milder in Saigon and Đà Nẵng.

The “what if something goes wrong” questions

What if the air conditioner breaks at 11pm?

You message me on WhatsApp. I acknowledge within an hour. A technician is there the next morning, same day if it’s a heat wave and the apartment is uninhabitable, on our cost.

The aircon technician is the call we get most often. We have one we trust in each city. They show up.

What if I have a noise complaint?

You message me. I take it seriously, ask you to document time and source, and talk to the building manager. Most noise issues are resolvable within a week.

If the noise is structural (a motorbike alley, a restaurant downstairs, ongoing construction) and Trang flagged it in her inspection, the listing should have warned you. If it didn’t, that’s our error. If it did and you don’t want to live with it anymore, we can move you to another unit or release you from the lease with the deposit returned. We do not argue about noise. The math on a tenant who feels unheard is worse than the cost of an early release.

What if I lose my keys at 2am?

Call the building manager first (number in your welcome packet). If they can’t reach you, message me. We have a locksmith on call in each city. You’ll pay the locksmith’s fee but you won’t be locked out for long.

What if the wifi goes out for a day?

If the building’s internet provider has an outage we can’t resolve same-day, we set up a 4G hotspot for you to use until it’s restored. Data cost on us.

What if I get robbed?

Call the local police first (113 in Vietnam, English-speaking dispatchers in HCMC and Hanoi). Then message me. We help you with the police report (most expats appreciate having someone who speaks Vietnamese walk through the report) and contact your travel insurance if relevant.

Robbery is rare in our neighborhoods but does happen, mostly bag-snatching from motorbikes. Most expats adjust their habits in the first few weeks: phone away in the back seat, bag worn cross-body and on the inside of the sidewalk.

What if I need to leave Vietnam early?

For a real reason (visa denial, family emergency, health issue, job loss), write me. The lease has a six-month minimum and standard early-termination terms, but we’ve made exceptions when the situation warranted it. We are not in the business of trapping people in apartments.

For a “I just want to leave” reason (preferences changed, found a better deal somewhere else, met someone in another city), the lease is the lease. You can forfeit the deposit and go with 30 days notice, or honor the term and leave clean.

The “things I’m too embarrassed to ask” questions

Can I bring my pet?

Most of our apartments allow small pets (under 10kg) with an additional deposit. Some don’t. Each listing notes the pet policy. Ask before you ship the dog from London.

We do not list apartments that would be a bad home for a pet: no places without outdoor access for dogs that need it, no buildings with cats-only or dogs-only rules that we can’t make exceptions to.

Can I have someone stay with me for a few weeks?

Yes, for short stays. The lease lists the people who live at the apartment. Guests for under two weeks at a time don’t change anything. Longer than two weeks and we update the lease and possibly the rent: more wear, more utilities, often a different feel.

We don’t run a guest registration system or care about a friend visiting. We do care if “for a few weeks” turns into “permanently” without an update.

Can I host an event / dinner party?

A normal dinner party, of course. A loud party that disturbs neighbors, no. Vietnamese apartment buildings are quiet places by 10pm. The lease has standard quiet hours, and noise complaints from neighbors get handled.

If you want to host something larger (a birthday, a holiday gathering), tell me ahead of time. Usually fine, occasionally there’s a reason it isn’t.

What’s the catch?

Honest answer: Wu and Kin is small. Our inventory in each city is limited. The dates you want may not be available. The exact neighborhood you want may not have anything open. We don’t have hundreds of apartments to choose from.

If we did, we couldn’t promise the inspection mechanism. Both can’t be true. We picked the small, inspected version.

The other catch: we are not the cheapest. Apartments at our standard cost more than the cheapest equivalent on Facebook groups or Vietnamese-language listings, where the same square meters might be available for 20-30% less. We are not for you if price is the main thing. We are for you if you’ve already decided that trust is.

Still have a question?

Write Trang at [email protected]. She replies within 24 hours, often faster.