Guides / Finding
The 15 Most Common Mistakes When You Search for a Factory in Vietnam
October 29, 2026
The most expensive mistakes in a Vietnam factory search are made before anyone signs: a vague brief, a listing taken at face value, money paid early, papers not read. This guide lists fifteen of them, with one check that avoids each. Use it as a pre-flight list before you visit, before you pay and before you sign. Each item links to a longer guide.
The examples are general patterns, not reports of real cases. Rules change, so confirm legal points with a licensed adviser.
The fifteen at a glance
| # | Mistake | The check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Searching without a written brief | Write area, height, power, crane and date first |
| 2 | Believing the listed area | Ask for usable production area |
| 3 | Trusting a listing or a photo | Visit and verify the owner |
| 4 | Using an informal agent | Ask about registration and fees |
| 5 | Paying before checks | Pay after papers, with refund terms |
| 6 | Ignoring land use purpose | Read the land certificate |
| 7 | Ignoring fire approval | Match approved use to your process |
| 8 | Not checking for a mortgage | Ask for bank consent |
| 9 | Dealing with someone who is not the owner | Check authority to lease |
| 10 | Accepting promised power | Write kVA and date in the lease |
| 11 | Skipping the planning check | Ask about roads and land recovery |
| 12 | Not looking at the neighbours | Visit at different hours |
| 13 | Missing defects in an old building | Inspect roof, drains and structure |
| 14 | Choosing on rent alone | Compare total cost |
| 15 | Relying on verbal promises | Put every promise in writing |
Before you visit
1. Searching without a written brief
Without a brief, every unit looks acceptable and none can be compared. Write the production area, clear height, floor load, power, crane, headcount, move-in date and term before you contact anyone. Use the requirements template and the sizing guide.
2. Believing the listed area
A listing may count canopies, mezzanines, offices and shared areas. You pay rent on the area in the lease, and your machines need production floor. See gross versus usable area.
3. Trusting a listing or a photo
Photos can be old, copied or from another building. Rarely, a listing is for a unit that does not exist or is not for rent. Read about fake listings and rental scams and how to read a listing in our listing guide.
4. Using an informal agent
An agent without a registered business, without a clear fee rule or who is paid by both sides without telling you can change the advice you get. Ask the questions in unlicensed broker risks and read how a tenant-side search works.
Before you pay
5. Paying a deposit before checks
A “holding” payment feels small. If the papers then fail, getting it back is slow. Pay nothing until you have read the land and building papers, and write down the events that return the money. See reservation deposits before due diligence and the guide to letters of intent.
6. Ignoring the land use purpose
Land recorded for another purpose, such as agriculture or housing, may not legally carry a factory. Check the certificate and the planned use. The risks are in factory on wrong land use.
7. Ignoring fire approval
A building without valid fire approval for your use can stop your start-up, even with rent already running. Ask for the approval and acceptance. See factory without fire approval and the fire approval guide.
8. Not asking about a mortgage
Many buildings are mortgaged to a bank. That is normal. A lease without the bank’s knowledge or consent can be a problem if the bank enforces. Read mortgaged factory lease risk.
9. Dealing with someone who is not the owner
The person who shows you the unit may be a previous tenant, a master lessee or an agent. Each has different rights. See master lease and landlord not owner and the sublease guide.
Before you sign
10. Accepting “the power will be enough”
A landlord who says the power is fine is not promising a number and a date. Write the kVA, the delivery date and the remedy in the lease. See power promised but not delivered and the kVA guide.
11. Skipping the planning check
A good building can sit on land planned for a road or a different use. Ask the authority. Read planning risk for a factory site.
12. Not looking at the neighbours
Dust, noise, vibration, odour and fire risk from the next unit become your problem. Visit on a working day and at another hour. See bad neighbours in a park.
13. Missing defects in an old building
Leaking roofs, cracked slabs, blocked drains, termites and old roofing materials turn a low rent into repair bills. See hidden defects in old factories and agree a handover report.
14. Choosing on rent alone
The cheapest rent per m² can hide a power upgrade, a fit-out bill or a poor location. Compare total cost over the lease term. See cheap factory rent traps and the cost guide.
15. Relying on verbal promises
A promise of free repairs, a rent-free month or an extra dock is worth what is written. Put it in the lease or a signed side letter. See verbal promises and the lease.
A short routine that avoids most of them
- Write the brief.
- Shortlist three to five units and compare them on the same sheet, as in the comparison scorecard.
- Visit each. Take the checklist from ready-built factory checks.
- Ask for the papers and read them before any payment.
- Use your lawyer on the lease.
- Inspect again at handover.
Which mistakes cost the most
Some errors are small and fixable. Others can stop an entire project. The costly ones are usually land use, fire approval, power and money paid early. A wrong choice on these can delay production by months or force a move. The cheap ones, such as a poor first brief, can be fixed by repeating the search. Spend your checking time in that order.
If you have already made one
Most mistakes can be repaired if you find them early.
- Money already paid. Stop further payments. Ask for the papers you should have seen. Write to the other party, asking for the terms of refund in writing, and show it to your lawyer.
- A unit with a papers gap. Ask the landlord to close the gap in writing, with a date and a remedy. If it cannot, treat the unit as rejected.
- A lease already signed. Check whether the lease has conditions, a fire approval clause or an early exit right. Our guides on early termination and lease clauses show what to look for.
- A weak brief. Rewrite it, send it again and ask for updated offers.
Use the list inside your company
Head office usually asks why a unit was chosen. A short record of the checks, with the mistake each one avoids, helps the approval. Our guide to the approval pack for head office shows how to present the comparison, the costs and the risks in one document.
Get a shortlist
We use this list when we visit factories: papers first, then power, fire and land. Send your requirements and we will reply within 24 business hours with questions or a shortlist of up to 5 checked units. Tenants pay nothing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common mistake when renting a factory in Vietnam?
Starting to visit factories without a written brief and without checking the papers. Both lead to units that look right and then fail on power, fire approval or land use.
How can I avoid paying money to the wrong party?
Pay nothing until you have seen the land and building papers, checked who the landlord is and agreed in writing when the money comes back. Pay only to the company account named in the contract.
Is the cheapest rent a mistake?
Not always, but a rent well below similar units is a reason to look for the reason. Compare the full cost, including power upgrade, fit-out and approvals.
Do I need a lawyer for the search stage?
You need one before you sign a lease or pay a deposit. During the search, use a checklist and a written brief, and ask a lawyer about points you cannot confirm yourself.
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