Renting an apartment in Taiwan can be a confusing and frustrating experience. I strongly recommend that you take a Taiwanese friend with rental experience along with you. This can save you trouble if your landlord (房东 Fángdōng) tries to use tricky contract terms or hide issues with the apartment.
House types
整层住家 Zhěngcéng zhùjiā:
Including multiple bedrooms + bathroom + kitchen + living room + dining room
独立套房 dúlì tàofáng:
Studio Apartment: One bedroom + bathroom (+ kitchen + living room)
分租套房 fēnzū tàofáng:
Compact Studio Apartment: One bedroom + bathroom (+ kitchen)
雅房 yǎfáng:
One bedroom only. You need to share a bathroom with other roommates.
公寓 gōngyù:
Apartment (This is how the dictionary translates it, but in reality, it refers to an old, low-rise building without an elevator.)
大楼 dàlóu:
Building (This is how a dictionary would translate it, but in reality, it refers to a tall building with an elevator and shared facilities such as a swimming pool, sauna, KTV room, and more.
华厦 huáxià:
A 6-8 story building with an elevator but no shared facilities.
Note: “Shared facilities” mean that there are common areas or amenities in the building that are shared by all residents, such as a swimming pool, gym, or laundry room. These facilities may come with an additional management fee, which can be quite expensive.
Rooms & Spaces
- Basement 地下室 dìxiàshì
- Bathroom 浴室 yùshì
- Bedroom 卧室 wòshì or 房间 fángjiān
- Kitchen 厨房 chúfáng
- Living Room 客厅 kètīng
- Dinning Room 饭厅 fàntīng
- Balconies 阳台 yángtái
- Top floor 顶楼加盖 dǐnglóu jiāgài
Note: 顶楼加盖 dǐnglóu jiāgài buildings are usually cheaper, but they may not be safe because they are not built according to building codes. Most of them have tin roofs that get very hot in the summer and are loud during rainstorms. Additionally, the utilities may be more expensive because they have to be shared with the downstairs unit.
Special needs
- Cook allowed: 可开伙 Kě kāihuǒ
- Pet allowed: 可养宠物 kě yǎng chǒngwù
- Smoke allowed: 可抽烟 kě chōuyān
- Elevator: 电梯 diàntī
- Furniture: 家具 jiājù
- Frige: 冰箱 bīngxiāng
- Dryer: 烘衣机 hōngyījī
- Laundry: 洗衣机 xǐyījī
- Internet: 网络 wǎngluò（China call it 网络 Wǎngluò）
- Cable TV: 第四台 dì sì tái
- Security: 警卫 jǐngwèi
- A/C: 空调 kōngtiáo
- Short-term rent: 短期出租 duǎnqī chūzū
- Garbage clean: 垃圾处理 lājī chǔlǐ
- Parking: 停车场 Tíngchē chǎng
Problems could happen
Water leaks 漏水 Lòushuǐ:
Some rooms on the top floor in Taiwan may leak when it rains, which can be very annoying. To find out if a house leaks, a simple way is to visit it on a rainy day.
Wall cancer 壁癌 Bìái:
It means that you will see a disfigured concrete wall, which could indicate high humidity and water leakage. High humidity is conducive to mold growth, which can be harmful to your health and furniture. It also means that you need to keep the air conditioner or dehumidifier running 24 hours a day, and prepare to pay high electricity bills.
Noise 噪音 Zàoyīn:
It’s important to be cautious of your neighbors in Taiwan, as well as busy streets. Due to the high cost of land, walls between apartments are often very thin. This means that if your neighbor does things like washing their clothes at midnight, the noise may disturb you. It’s a good idea to be prepared with a pair of earplugs just in case.
Garbage 垃圾 Lājī
Unless you live in a 大楼 dàlóu, you have to take out your garbage and try to catch the yellow garbage truck by yourself.
Note: If you live in Taipei or New Taipei City, you need to buy a specific garbage bag from convenience stores to dispose of your garbage.
Fees
Rent 房租 Fángzū:
You can’t deduct your taxes. Although it is illegal in Taiwan, 80% of landlords do not report their rental income to the tax office. That is why they do not want you to claim your rent as a deduction. On the other hand, the remaining 20% of landlords do follow the law, but they usually raise the rent to cover their added taxes.
Deposit 押金 yājīn:
House deposit is usually 1-2 months’ worth of rent. This deposit will be returned to you at the end of the contract, but if you cause any damages to the apartment, the deposit will be used to cover the costs.
Water bill 水费 shuǐfèi:
You need to pay your water bill every 2 months. Sometimes it may be included in your rental fee as it is usually quite cheap.
Note: Most of the water in Taiwan should be boiled or filtered before you drink it.
Electricity bill 电费 diànfèi:
Summer rates are usually higher than winter rates in Taiwan, and there are two types of electricity meters. The first one is called a “独立电表 Dúlì diànbiǎo,” which means you will have your own electricity meter and can see exactly how much electricity you are using and how much the government is charging. Taipower will send you a bill in the mail every two months, and you won’t have to pay extra fees through your landlord. The other one is called “独立电表一度5块 Dúlì diànbiǎo yídù 5 kuà,” and with this type of meter, you will also have your own electricity meter and can see exactly how much electricity you are using. However, your landlord will charge you a higher rate of 5 NT per KWT hour. It’s not really a choice you can make, as it depends on the type of apartment you choose. So, it’s best not to argue with your landlord about it. If you don’t like the higher rate, you can choose not to rent that apartment.
Gas bill 瓦斯费 wǎsīfèi:
It’s just like the water bill, which is very cheap, so you don’t need to worry about it.
Management fee 管理费 guǎnlǐ fèi:
It depends on the size of your shared facilities and the number of guards you have. The fee is usually around 50-100 NT per ping per month. However, for some luxury apartments, it can be as high as 180 USD per month.
Internet fee 网路费 Wǎngluòfèi:
The average internet bill in Taiwan is around 500 NT per month. However, if you want to save money, you can always buy an unlimited data plan for your smartphone and use it as a hotspot for your apartment.
Agent fee 仲介费 Zhòngjiè fèi:
If you find an apartment through a real estate agent, the fee is usually equivalent to half to one month’s rent.
Others you need to know
Room size measure word – 坪 Píng:
The measure word for room size in Taiwan is “ping”. One ping is equivalent to 3.3 square meters or 35.5 square feet.
Breach the contract 违约 Wéiyuē:
To terminate your contract early, you need to inform your landlord one month in advance. In this case, the landlord will usually return 50% to 70% of your deposit. However, if you move out without informing your landlord one month in advance, your landlord will keep the entire deposit.
Fix 东西坏了 Dōngxi huàile:
Things that are broken or not functioning properly, such as the air conditioner, fridge, hot water tank, TV, washing machine, table, and chairs, are the landlord’s responsibility to repair and pay for. However, the tenant is responsible for fixing things such as a clogged toilet or a light bulb replacement.
Note: Toilets in Taiwan can easily become clogged, so it’s important to be careful what you flush. Please do not flush tampons.
Where to find a house?
- 591.com (Only Chinese language is available. Local people mostly use it since it’s cheaper.)
You can also search for Facebook groups for renting in a specific county you are interested in, especially if you are looking for a shared house. That’s where most shared houses are posted.
