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First-Time Renter's Complete Guide: 8 Steps from Search to Signing

Not sure where to begin? This guide walks you through every step: budgeting, finding listings, viewing apartments, and signing your lease, so you avoid the most common mistakes.

YC Hsiao

YC HsiaoFounder

Renting for the first time in Taipei can feel overwhelming. Most people get stuck at the very first question: where do I even look? This guide breaks the whole process into 8 clear steps so you can go from search to signed lease with confidence.

Step 1: Set Your Budget

The most common rule of thumb is: your monthly rent should not exceed one-third of your monthly income.

For example, if you earn NT$40,000/month, aim to keep rent under NT$13,000. That leaves room for utilities, internet, and daily expenses.

Don't forget to budget for:

  • Deposit: typically 1–2 months' rent
  • Moving costs: movers or van rental
  • Furniture: if the unit is unfurnished

Step 2: List Your Must-Haves

Before you start browsing, separate your absolute requirements from nice-to-haves. This keeps you focused and prevents decision fatigue.

Must-haves (examples)

  • Within 15 minutes' walk of an MRT station
  • Private bathroom
  • Pet-friendly

Nice-to-haves (examples)

  • Balcony or drying rack space
  • High floor (better light)
  • Air conditioning and washing machine included

Step 3: Choose Where to Look

The main rental search channels in Taiwan:

Listing platforms

591 and Rakuya are the most popular. Large inventory, solid search filters. But competition for desirable units is fierce: good listings in prime areas can be gone in days.

Facebook rental groups

Every city and district has local rental groups. You can sometimes find private listings not posted anywhere else, often at fair prices. The catch: you need to check manually every day or you'll miss them.

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Step 4: Filter Listings and Book Viewings

Once you have a shortlist, do a quick sanity check before booking:

  • Do the photos look honest? (Watch out for wide-angle lens tricks)
  • Is the address in your target area?
  • Is the rent in line with the market? (Suspiciously cheap is a red flag)
  • Is the landlord responsive and professional?

If a listing passes the check, book a viewing as soon as possible. Good units don't sit around.

Step 5: What to Check During the Viewing

Use the viewing to look beyond the surface. For the full walkthrough, see the apartment viewing checklist.

Infrastructure

  • Test every light switch and outlet (look for tripping issues)
  • Run the water heater (check pressure and temperature)
  • Verify that A/C and washing machine work
  • Look for mold or water stain marks on walls and ceilings

Neighbourhood

  • Noise levels, both daytime and night (ask the neighbours)
  • Nearby convenience stores, supermarkets
  • Safety at night

Questions to ask the landlord

  • How are utilities calculated? Any shared building costs?
  • Can I set up my own internet plan?
  • How does rubbish/recycling work?
  • Is there a building manager or property management?

Step 6: Negotiate the Rent

If you like the place, don't be shy about negotiating. Common leverage points:

  • Longer lease: willing to sign 1+ year? Most landlords will discuss the price.
  • Immediate move-in: if you can move in right away, you're saving the landlord from vacancy, use that.
  • Unused inclusions: if the unit comes with furniture you won't need, you can ask to remove it for a lower rate.

Be specific when negotiating. Don't say "can you go a bit cheaper?"; say: "I'd like to lock in NT$XX/month and I can sign today." For more leverage points and scripts, see How to Negotiate Rent.

Step 7: Read the Lease Carefully

The lease is your most important protection. Don't skip it just because you're in a hurry.

Key clauses to verify:

  • Start and end date of the tenancy
  • Rent amount, deposit amount, and conditions for its return
  • Early termination penalty
  • How utilities are billed
  • When and how the landlord may enter the unit (usually requires advance notice)
  • Who is responsible for repairs and damages

These clauses aren't arbitrary: Taiwan's Land Act caps the deposit at 2 months' rent, and the lease itself must follow the Ministry of Interior's standardized lease-terms regulation, which spells out what a contract must (and must not) include.

If anything is unclear, ask before you sign. Everything should be in writing. For a full checklist, see Rental Contract Must-Check Clauses.

Step 8: Do a Move-In Inspection

On the day you get the keys, walk through the unit with the landlord. Photograph any existing damage, make a written record, and have both parties sign it.

Many renters skip this step, and then have disputes over the deposit when they move out. A move-in inspection report eliminates that problem entirely.

Summary

Don't rush. The most common renter regret is signing too quickly out of urgency. Take each step deliberately, get everything in writing, and remember that a good match is worth waiting for.

Let RentOn track listings automatically so you hear about matching units the moment they're posted, and you never have to choose between a bad option and missing out.

Frequently Asked Questions

As a rule of thumb, your monthly rent shouldn't exceed one-third of your monthly income - for example, keep rent under NT$13,000 if you earn NT$40,000/month. Also budget for a deposit (typically 1-2 months' rent), moving costs, and furniture if the unit is unfurnished.

The process breaks into 8 steps: set your budget, list your must-haves, choose where to look, filter listings and book viewings, check key items during the viewing, negotiate the rent, read the lease carefully, and do a move-in inspection.

Test every light switch and outlet, run the water heater, verify the A/C and washing machine work, and look for mold or water stains. Also check noise levels and safety in the neighbourhood, and ask the landlord how utilities are billed.

Verify the start and end date of the tenancy, the rent and deposit amounts and return conditions, the early termination penalty, how utilities are billed, entry conditions for the landlord, and who is responsible for repairs and damages.

Walking through the unit with the landlord on move-in day, photographing existing damage, and having both parties sign a written record eliminates disputes over the deposit when you move out.

Let RentOn track listings for you

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