1. Taiwanese friends are preferred, with experience in dealing with landlords. The landlord is trying to deceive you or hide problems with the apartment, which can save you some trouble. If the landlord violates your privacy rights or does not repair/replace equipment as described in the contract, please discuss these issues before signing the contract, and ask a Chinese-speaking friend to help you understand the prospective landlord.
2. Beware of mildew: Taiwan is a hot and humid place, which means it is perfect for the growth of hydrangeas. Many older apartments may have emblem on the ceiling or walls. To fix this, keep windows open, keep your air conditioner running, or use a dehumidifier.
3. Beware of wall cancer (wall cancer), which means you see deformed concrete walls (looks like tumors on the wall), which could mean high humidity, water leaks, or just an old apartment.
4. Note that no one in Taiwan does not have carpet: basically all Taiwanese apartments have tile or wood floors, and carpet is usually only for rich people who can keep the air conditioner running all the time.
5. Furniture: Many rental apartments in Taiwan are furnished, if you don’t plan to stay in Taiwan for too long, this is a good option for you.
6. Appliances: Like furniture, some apartments in Taiwan also have appliances, which means if something breaks, you may have to pay? Or wait for the landlord to replace it. Most furnished apartments only have beds, dressers, washing machines, water heaters, gas stoves and air conditioners. Many don’t have a stove and don’t expect to see an oven.
7. Beware of bugs: Taiwan is a tropical/subtropical island, so you are likely to encounter bugs such as ants, cockroaches and mosquitoes in your home, you can solve this problem by deworming your house every few months. If you see Taiwanese geckos, you know they are your friends and they are eating bugs.
8. No Parking: Many older apartment buildings have no parking at all, and parking for locomotives is limited. If you live in the center of a big city, there may not be free parking on the street.
9. Water pressure: Higher apartments in an apartment complex have less water pressure and lower apartments have higher water pressure, but toilets on lower floors are more prone to problems.
10. Beware of dirty tap water: Most water in Taiwan should be boiled or filtered before drinking.
11. Taiwanese buildings do not have internal heating: This is because winters in Taiwan are shorter and usually not below freezing. But from December to March, Taiwan is really cold and you can go out and buy cheap heaters.
12. Beware of buildings without elevators: Many older apartments below seven floors do not have elevators. Shipping large packages may also cost more if your building does not have an elevator.
13. Management fee: Some of the better apartment complexes will have guards at the entrance of the building and must pay a monthly fee. The benefit of having a guard is that, in addition to security, they can receive packages when you’re not at home and sometimes help remove litter.
14. Beware of the Hazards of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Due to the widespread use of natural gas water heaters, carbon monoxide poisoning is a common problem in Taiwan, make sure to place the water heater in an open area, preferably outdoors. If not, it should have an exhaust pipe that connects to the outside.
15. Beware of floods: Taiwan has multiple typhoons, and the main damage they cause is flooding, usually in low-lying areas where the second floor is prone to flooding.
16. Beware of air pollution: Many places in Taiwan have poor air quality, and if you live above the second floor, you can eliminate most of the PM 2.5 that enters the house. Alternatively, you can consider purchasing an air purifier.
17. No separate meter: This means that everyone in the building is using a sub-meter, which is usually charged at a higher rate, if fixed at a certain price, which means the landlord has the potential to make more money in the process .
18. Use a separate meter: Taipower will send you a bill every two months by mail without having to pay extra through the landlord, which will save you money.
19. Choose your future neighbors carefully: Beware of neighbors who collect trash/recycling items. If you live on the same floor as many people, there are thin walls between the two, which means you’ll hear a lot of noise. Also in Taiwan, don’t expect your neighbors to bring you a plate of cookies. Neighbors usually rarely talk to each other.
20. Rent may not be tax deductible: Most individual landlords do not report their rental income to the tax office, and if you ask for consent to report rental expenses, they may raise your rent to pay their surcharge.
21. Agency Fees: If you hire an agent or broker to find a home, then you know that you have to pay them an additional service fee when you successfully rent.
22. Balcony: Without a balcony to dry your clothes, having a washing machine in your bathroom will mean it will break down faster, and having a dryer will make your house even more humid.
23. Trash: You must take out your own trash. Garbage trucks usually come out at night. Kitchen waste and general waste are separated, and special plastic bags provided by the city must be used. If you don’t want to empty the waste every day, you can consider storing the kitchen waste in the refrigerator to prevent it from stinking or rotting.
24. Repairman/Plumber (Plumber): If your apartment equipment breaks down, tell the landlord to fix it or agree to send the worker yourself. Things that are often damaged are water heaters, washing machines and air conditioners. If the landlord provides the equipment, the contract will state that they cover the cost of repairs.
25. Some landlords won’t rent to foreigners: There are some landlords who will hang up on you because they know renting to foreigners will have tax filing issues, which may not be legal, but it’s not your problem.
26. Watch out for false advertising: Fake home ads are everywhere, and without photos of the interior, there could be a problem. Landlords are required by law to let you know in advance if someone dies or is killed in the property, but they may try to hide this information