臺灣租房 Renting in Taiwan: Scam Warnings; 591 & My Sister’s Experience
🏠你如果來臺灣，住想租怎麼樣的房子呢?
If you were to live in Taiwan, what kind of place would you like to rent?
臺北信義區 Xinyi district, Taipei
I’ll walk you through the key steps of renting in Taiwan, essential vocabulary, and cultural insights to help you communicate with landlords and agents with ease.
If you're one of my students in my new course,
you probably know that my sister moved out last year.
In today's Podcast episode, my younger sister, 珍秀 ZhenHsiu,
She shared her journey with me about how she found her apartment in Taiwan, how much her rent is, how she communicated with landlords, and how to avoid scams, etc.
(Listen to the conversation 聽整段對話👇)
1. Where to Find Rentals in Taiwan
Most rental listings in Taiwan can be found on popular local platforms such as:
591房屋交易網 (591 Housing) – The go-to website for apartment rentals. Now it has APP!
Facebook Groups – Many foreigners find apartments in groups like ‘Taipei Taiwan Apartment Rentals’. (My student found apartment through this group)
Word of Mouth – Local connections and colleagues can help you find off-market deals.
Bulletin Boards – Some landlords still post rental listings on physical bulletin boards in universities or community centers.
📌 Tip: Many landlords prefer communication through LINE (Taiwan’s most-used messaging app) rather than emails or phone calls.
2. Key Rental Terms & Mandarin Phrases
When discussing rental terms, here are some must-know phrases:
3. Acting Fast: Why You Need to Decide Quickly
In Taiwan’s fast-moving rental market, hesitation can cost you a good apartment. If you find a place you like, you may need to sign the lease
簽約 immediately, or the apartment could be rented to someone else within hours.
4. Watch Out for Rental Scams
Scams exist in Taiwan’s rental market, especially in Facebook listings. Be cautious if a landlord asks you to pay a mysterious “deposit” (訂金, dìngjīn)—make sure it is legitimate! You usually don’t need to pay for 訂金 before signing contract.
✅ Safety Tip: Always ask for proof of ownership before making any payments. You can say:
請問你有房屋證明嗎？Do you have proof of ownership?
(ㄑㄧㄥˇㄨㄣˋㄋㄧˇㄧㄡˇㄈㄤˊㄨㄓㄥˋㄇㄧㄥˊㄇㄚ˙ Qǐngwèn nǐ yǒu fángwū zhèngmíng ma?) –
5. The Concept of 坪 (Píng) – Understanding Apartment Sizes
This one is important! Please note that- In Taiwan, apartment sizes are measured in 坪 (píng), where 1 坪 ≈ 3.3 square meters. If you want to ask about the size of an apartment, say:
這間房子幾坪？How many pings is this apartment?
(ㄓㄜˋㄐㄧㄢㄈㄤˊㄗ˙ ㄐㄧˇ ㄆㄧㄥˊ Zhè jiān fángzi jǐ píng?)
📌 Tip: In the full version on my Patreon, I share more in-depth explanations and insights about this topic. 🎧 Listen at 18:48 or check transcript line 155 for details!
6. What Landlords Look for in Tenants
Before renting to you, a landlord may ask about your job, habits, and background. They often prefer stable tenants who will take care of the property and pay rent on time. Some common requirements include:
✅ Proof of employment – A business card (名片, míngpiàn) or work contract may be requested.
✅ Rental history – Some landlords ask for previous rental references.
✅ Lifestyle habits – Many landlords prohibit pets (寵物, chǒngwù) and smoking ( 抽菸, chōuyān) inside apartments.
You may hear questions like:
請問你現在做什麼工作？What job do you have?
(ㄑㄧㄥˇㄨㄣˋㄋㄧˇㄒㄧㄢˋㄗㄞˋㄗㄨㄛˋㄕㄣˊㄇㄜ˙ㄍㄨㄥㄗㄨㄛˋQǐngwèn nǐ xiànzài zuò shénme gōngzuò?) –
可以跟你拿名片嗎？ Can I get your business card?
(ㄎㄜˇㄧˇㄍㄣㄋㄧˇㄋㄚˊㄇㄧㄥˊㄆㄧㄢˋㄇㄚ˙ Kěyǐ gēn nǐ ná míngpiàn ma?)
有沒有養寵物 ？ Do you have (or raise) any pets
(ㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄧㄤˇ ㄔㄨㄥˇ ㄨˋyǒu méi yǒu yǎng chǒngwù)
會不會抽菸? Do you smoke?
(ㄏㄨㄟˋㄅㄨˊㄏㄨㄟˋㄔㄡㄧㄢ Huì bú huì chōuyān?)
📌 Tip: If you’re a student or freelancer with Gold Card Visa, consider preparing a brief explanation of your financial situation to reassure potential landlords. It should be fine:)
7. Check Everything in the House in the First Week
Once you move in, be sure to inspect all appliances and furniture. Test the washing machine (洗衣機, xǐyījī), check for damages, and notify the landlord of any pre-existing issues to avoid being blamed later.
📌 Watch out for mattresses! In the podcast, my little sister shared that she got a blood stain on her mattress, but luckily, her landlord let her choose and buy a new one, covering the full cost. Not all landlords will be this generous, so be careful! (🎧 Listen HERE at 06:18; check Transcript line 68 for details)
8. Communicating with Landlords
Most rental discussions in Taiwan happen via LINE not email. Many landlords and agents prefer handling everything—from inquiries to signing lease agreements—through the app. Some agents speak some English.
📌 Personal Experience: ZhenHsiu shared that her phone was full of landlords and agents’ LINE contacts because she handled her entire rental process digitally.
Final Thoughts:
📌 不用擔心! I understand it can be overwhelming at first, but as long as you're careful, you'll eventually enjoy the result.
Last advice:
f you ever have doubts, always confirm with different Taiwanese locals before making a decision. As I always tell my students, ask me or a Taiwanese friend or language partner. If possible, ask them to go with you when checking an apartment or signing the lease (or simply showing them the house tour video). Having a local by your side can help you catch important details and avoid misunderstandings.
If your goal is to speak conversational Taiwanese Mandarin and to communicate with Taiwanese people with confidence, feel free to check out my courses.
Explore more (with the ideal learning order):
🎓 The ultimate guide to 1000 TOCFL Band A vocabulary – you'll steadily build confidence and master 1,000 essential Band A words while recognizing key characters in just four months. Join HERE.
🎓 Master Spoken Chinese: Taiwanese Mandarin conversation training – No More Freezing up in Conversation & Converse with Taiwanese People with Confidence. (beginner friendly) Join HERE.
🎓 Master Conversational Taiwanese Mandarin Course – Converse with Taiwanese People Fluently in everyday-life Situations & Navigate Taiwan with Confidence in 2025. Join HERE.
🎓Level up Complete Program (progress from A2 to B) –Comprehend Taiwanese media & Engage in deeper Conversations with Taiwanese Locals. Join HERE.
🔑 [Join Patreon] – Support me & Get full transcripts, and bonus lessons!
謝謝你們看到這邊 Thank you for reading this far!
感恩 I appreciate you.
