I'm going on an exchange to Taiwan this fall, and am going to study at NTU.
There are very affordable dorm rooms on campus, which I have applied to, but there is no guarantee of getting a room.
Therefore I am looking into alternative solutions if necessary.
Ideally I'd like a solo studio apartment somewhere near NTU (or quickly accessible using public transit), but I am also willing to share an apartment.
My budget is realistically maximum 25000 NTD/month, but I may be able to stretch it to 30000/month if necessary.
I am aware of the Facebook groups and have joined a large number of them. I will definitely keep an eye out there.
I tried going on 591.com.tw, but since I don't yet read or speak any Mandarin I wasn't able to figure it out.
Do the members of this community have any general advice about renting or living in Taipei, or specific tips for places to look?
I'm interested in any and all information about this! :)
Hey man. We welcome you to Taiwan.
Housing is quite expensive near NTU but you should be able to find a small place with 25-30k.
You're going to need to use 591 if you're going to find housing. I recommend downloading Microsoft Edge browser since it has a built in Translator and is quite good. If all else fails, install Google translate on your phone and point it at your laptop screen to do quick translates. You will quickly know where each section means and then stop using the translator.
All the housing prices are negotiable. Do not let them say otherwise. Do not pay full price.
Thanks a lot for the tips, I will definitely try using 591 with Edge and see what I find :) How much lower than the list price do you think the rent could be negotiated to?
And another question, if you don't mind. I have come across a few different companies which seem to specialize in acting as a middle man/real estate agent between landlords and non-Taiwanese tenants. Do you have any experience or knowledge of this type of organization? If so, do you know if they are generally worthwhile or should I not bother?
I would say a safe bet is 10%, but honestly, it depends on how long the market it has been on. Another indicator on how much you can negotiate the price is how many duplicates you see on 591. I find that when they have a bunch of duplicates, they are slightly easier to negotiate. The reason they have duplicates is because a landlord is not tied to 1 agent like it is in the USA. So sometimes you will find 5-15 listing for the same place on 591, usually with different photos.
Unlike the USA, rentals are also treated like real estate sales so if you have a middleman, then you will need to pay that middleman. The positive thing about the middleman is that this person works for you and for duration of the rental. This middleman works for you and helps you communicate between you and the homeowner if there are problems. I have been here for a few years and used a middleman and honestly, I haven't needed that service.
That's both very useful info, and an interesting difference from how things work where I live. Thanks again, I have a better idea of how to navigate the rental market now 😁