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Whether you're just arriving in Taiwan or a long-time resident
being forced (for whatever reason) to seek new lodgings, finding
an apartment or house to rent can seem like a daunting experience.
Unfamiliar procedures and communication difficulties alone
can be intimidating for many foreigners. Nevertheless, with
a little basic knowledge and a few strategy tips, finding
the right place to hang your hat in this city doesn't have
to be that difficult. Read on!
Depending on who you are -- someone on business with a family,
a single English teacher or anyone else -- obviously determines
what kind of situation you're looking for.
Basic living arrangements include the option of having your
own residence or a shared residence. In the event that you
are looking to reduce costs by sharing a house or apartment,
a good way to start would be checking the various bulletin
boards around the city where people advertise for room and
house mates. These are also good locations to post your own
ads. Try checking notice areas at Taipei Language Institute
(TLI), Napoli Pub, Frog I and III pubs, and Morrison Academy.
The other obvious method is simply word-of-mouth, hanging
around foreigner watering holes and other popular spots and
just getting out and talking to people. It's certainly not
unusual to find Chinese residents who are seeking foreign
apartment-mates -- most often for the purpose of having full-time
language exchanges.
Start by checking bulletin boards and looking for departing
expatriates and other "for rent" notices. These
can be especially easy to find during the early summer when
expats are leaving and are looking for someone to take over
their leases. Another, more expensive way is to utilize a
real estate company or "house-hunter" service, which
can charge you at least one month's rent for their services.
The most difficult approach is to go out and look yourself.
This usually requires at least some basic language skills,
or a willing friend with such abilities.
The best approach is to first choose a specific part of the
city that you'd like to live in. Be aware that the closer
you are to the city's "hot spots" (Taichung Harbor
Rd., for example), the pricier housing tends to be.
Great bargains can often be found slightly further out, in
south Taichung (on the other side of the railroad tracks)
or in nearby communities and towns, like Taya (north), Taiping
(southeast), Tali (south) or Tantzu (north). All these mean
a commute of 15 to 40 minutes to downtown areas. Overall,
however, Taichung's rental rates are a great bargain that
Taipei residents can only dream about.
The next choice is what kind of residence. But, first, a quick
lesson in local terminology. Floor space is measured in "pings"
which are roughly the size of two tatami mats, or 3.5 square
meters. Be aware that an apartment's "official"
size often includes some public space (i.e. the hallway).
At the bottom of the rental range are studio apartments which
can range anywhere from a tiny five pings (enough room for
a bed, a closet and small bathroom) to at least 15 pings in
size. In recent years, it has become popular to build entire
buildings full of relatively high-end studios, targeted at
the city's host of single, young professionals. Some of these
buildings even have swimming pools and other similar facilities.
While some are furnished with a bed, TV and closet, others
are simply empty concrete boxes. Prices tend to range from
as low as NT$3,000 up to about NT$8,000 per month.
Other residence choices include a variety of apartments and
houses with anywhere from one to five or more bedrooms. Many
newer apartment complexes include basement parking, cable
TV and, sometimes, swimming pools, work-out rooms and other
additions. Prices can range from about NT$8,000 for a small,
basic apartment to NT$25,000 or more for large, fairly luxurious
apartments or houses.
A good idea is to talk to gate guards and ask them what rent
is in their building and how big it is. If you're interested
in something, they'll probably then refer you to the landlord,
giving you a phone number to call. The other way to locate
rentals is to look around, in apartment windows and on telephone
posts, for the red and yellow Chinese "for rent"
signs.
Most landlords will have year-long rental agreements which
usually require two months' rent in advance. Though most landlords
are fairly good about paying leftover utility fees or any
repairs that need to be made after you move in, it's best
to clarify these details. Also, double-check on any building
guard, management and/or parking fees that need to be paid
on a monthly basis (these are not usually included in rents)
to the door guard. These usually range from NT$1,000 to NT$2,000
per month. Frequently, one lump sum (known in Chinese as the
"guan li fei") will cover the guard, building parking
and cable TV. Hopefully, you'll find something you like without
too much trouble. And, finally, it's important to keep in
mind that currently in Taichung it's a buyers' market with
a glut of apartments. If something doesn't look that good,
don't be afraid to move on and look elsewhere. Happy hunting!
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