Most foreign residents rent first and buy later. Here is how leases work in Taiwan, what a landlord can and cannot ask, and how we handle it for you, from viewing to move-out inspection.
| Item | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| First month's rent | In advance, on signing |
| Deposit | Two months' rent (legal maximum) |
| Agency fee | Half a month's rent (landlord pays the other half) |
| Utilities | Electricity, water, gas, internet: on top of rent unless stated |
| Building management fee | Often included in rent for apartments; confirm in writing |
For reference, in mid-2026 a two-bedroom flat in a newer Taichung building rents for roughly NT$20,000–30,000 a month; three bedrooms in a lift building with parking runs NT$28,000–40,000. City-centre and West District prices run higher. Ask us for current listings rather than relying on averages.
Tell Wang Chi-hung your budget, move-in date and must-haves. We shortlist, arrange English viewings in one trip, negotiate the rent and terms, prepare the standard contract with a translation, and run the move-in inspection with you. After that you have a bilingual contact for the length of the lease.
If you own a home here and are leaving, or you have bought as an investment, Fusheng Property Management (富盛物業) takes the whole job: marketing, tenant screening, the lease, rent collection, repairs, inspections and the annual tax paperwork.
By law, no more than two months' rent. Two months is also the norm. It must be returned at the end of the lease minus documented damage beyond normal wear.
Yes. A passport is enough to sign a lease; some landlords ask for an employer letter or a local guarantor. You will need an ARC to register the address for tax, banking and some utilities.
Market practice in Taichung is half a month's rent from the tenant and half from the landlord for a one-year lease. Our fee is quoted before we show you anything.
Only if the lease has an early-termination clause, which the standard government contract does. Notice is usually one month and the penalty is capped at one month's rent.
Rarely. Electricity, water, gas and internet are usually on top. Watch the electricity rate: landlords may charge per unit, and the standard contract caps what they can charge at the utility's summer rate.
The national rent subsidy is for Taiwanese households. Foreign tenants are generally not eligible, though a Taiwanese spouse may apply.
General information based on the Land Act, the Rental Housing Market Development and Regulation Act, and Taichung market practice as of September 2026. Not legal or tax advice.
Most surprises for buyers and tenants from abroad come from these points. Our advisers raise them at the first meeting.
When a company rents a home from an individual landlord, it withholds 10% income tax and a 2.11% supplementary health-insurance premium from the rent. Agree in writing whether the rent is stated before or after these deductions.
If something breaks in a rental, first confirm who is responsible under the lease before you arrange or pay for the repair.
Adapted from the Chinese guides on our main site, with the same figures and legal references, rewritten for readers who are new to Taiwan.
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Give us your move-in date, budget and area, and we line up viewings for one afternoon. Most tenants sign within a week of landing.