Most people pour their energy into searching, viewing, and signing, then lose part of the deposit at the final stage: moving out. A single nail hole, one unexplained utility bill, or a "you did that scratch, right?" can cost you thousands.
Move-out is the mirror image of the move-in handover: at move-in you build a record of the unit's condition, and at move-out you use that same record to prove what wasn't your doing. This guide breaks move-out into a full flow, from how much notice to give through to the deposit landing back in your account, and uses the statutes to clarify the lines where renters most often lose out.
Disclaimer: This article is a plain-language summary of the law, not legal advice. Circumstances vary, and for an actual dispute over your rights you should consult a lawyer, a licensed land agent (地政士), or your local government's free legal consultation service. The regulations here were verified on 24 August 2026; laws change, so check the responsible agency's current announcements before relying on any of this. Statutory quotations below are English translations of the Chinese text for readability; the authoritative version is the Chinese original.
1. First, which are you: letting it expire, or terminating early?
This is the first fork at move-out, and the two paths have completely different notice rules. Many disputes come from confusing them.
Letting the lease expire (leaving when the term ends)
The term in your contract is up and you're not renewing. Here there is no statutory notice period, but there's a trap to avoid.
Under Civil Code Article 451 (translation):
Where, after the expiry of the lease term, the tenant continues to use and benefit from the leased property and the landlord does not promptly express objection, the lease is deemed to continue for an indefinite period.
In plain terms: if the term ends and you keep living there while the landlord doesn't promptly object, the lease is "deemed" to continue as an open-ended one. That complicates both later termination and deposit return. So once the term ends and you're sure you're not renewing, actually move out, return the unit, and complete the handover within the period rather than staying on.
Although the law doesn't require notice to let a lease expire, in practice it's still wise to tell the landlord in advance (many leases also include a clause about signaling renewal intent) so both sides can arrange the handover and re-listing.
Terminating early (leaving before the term ends)
This path splits again:
Case A: you meet a statutory ground. Under Article 11 of the Rental Housing Market Development and Regulation Act, a tenant may terminate early without penalty in certain situations, including a long-term medical need arising from illness or accident; the unit being unfit to live in and needing repairs the landlord won't make after being given notice; part of the unit being destroyed through no fault of yours so the rest is hard to keep living in; or a third party asserting rights over the unit so you can't use it as agreed. In these cases you must give 30 days' written notice with supporting evidence before terminating.
Case B: no statutory ground, you just want to leave early. Then whether you can terminate and any penalty depend on how your lease is written, not on Article 11. The Ministry of the Interior's standard contract typically allows either side to terminate early with one month's notice and caps the penalty at one month's rent. Check this clause when you sign; see our rental contract checklist.
| Let it expire | Early, statutory ground | Early, no statutory ground | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basis | Civil Code Arts. 450, 451 | Rental Housing Act Art. 11 | Lease terms (standard-contract norm) |
| Notice | None statutory; give per lease | 30 days' written + evidence | Per lease; norm is 1 month |
| Penalty | None | None | Per lease; norm caps at 1 month's rent |
2. Three to four weeks out: timing and written notice
Once you've decided to leave, the earlier you start, the smoother it goes.
- Give written notice per your lease's notice period. LINE or email is fine; the point is a timestamped record of what was said. Verbal notice can't be proven in a dispute.
- Arrange a handover time, ideally with both parties present. Doing the handover together, confirming on the spot, and settling the deposit there is the least dispute-prone approach.
- Dig out your move-in day photos and inventory. This is the baseline for the move-out handover; without it, move-out becomes one word against another. If you never did a move-in handover, photographing the current state now still beats nothing.
- Start cleaning and restoring. Nail holes you drilled, hooks you stuck on, modifications you made, patch and restore what you should (the legal line is in the next section).
3. How far must you restore the unit? (the legal line)
This is where move-out most often turns into an argument, and where many renters quietly lose money. Know the line, and you'll know what to do and what you can firmly decline.
The duty to return is in Civil Code Article 455 (translation): "After the lease relationship ends, the tenant shall return the leased property..." (the remainder concerns productive property and doesn't apply to ordinary housing).
But fair wear and tear is not your responsibility, under the proviso to Civil Code Article 432, paragraph 2 (translation):
Where the tenant, in breach of the preceding obligation, causes damage or loss to the leased property, the tenant is liable for damages. However, this does not apply to changes or damage arising from use and benefit in the agreed manner, or in the manner determined by the nature of the property.
In plain terms: changes or damage from normal residential use don't make you liable. Together with the Ministry of the Interior's standard contract, the landlord also may not require you to return the unit in "like-new" condition.
| Fair wear and tear (no liability, no restoration) | Damage beyond normal use (your responsibility) |
|---|---|
| Yellowed walls, naturally peeling paint | Nail holes you drilled, large gouges |
| Normal floor wear from walking | Severe scratches or dents from dragging heavy items |
| Light use marks on furniture and fittings | Clear intentional damage, burn marks |
| Naturally yellowed bathroom silicone | Modifications or add-ons you didn't restore |
| Bulbs and consumables wearing out | Lost keys, remotes, or equipment parts |
The test is: would this happen just from living there normally, or only from abnormal use? The former is depreciation the landlord was always going to bear; only the latter is on you.
4. Move-out day: the item-by-item handover
The core action is one sentence: bring out your move-in photos and inventory, and compare item by item.
Indoors
- Walls and ceiling: compare against move-in photos; confirm no new holes, stains, or clear damage. For anything present at move-in, show the landlord the photo.
- Floor: confirm no scratches, dents, or breakage beyond normal use.
- Doors and windows: locks, handles, screens, glass all sound; opening and closing smooth.
- Bathroom: toilet, taps, showerhead, drainage all working; no new damage.
- Kitchen: counter, stove, sink, range hood consistent with move-in.
Equipment and furniture
- Air conditioner, water heater, appliances: power each on and confirm it works.
- Furniture: compare against the move-in inventory for count and condition.
- Keys and accessories: return all keys, access cards, and remotes; check the count against the move-in record.
Meter readings and settlement
- Record the final electricity, water, and gas meter readings as the basis for the final bill. Photograph them.
- These readings determine which day your utilities are paid through, so confirm them with the landlord on the spot.
Sign the move-out handover record
Write the results into a move-out handover record: date, both names, the address, condition notes (what's fair wear versus what needs handling), the three final meter readings, the number of keys returned, and how the deposit is settled, signed by both parties, one copy each. This document is your strongest evidence in a deposit dispute.
5. Settling charges (per your contract)
Move-out usually means settling a few charges. These are mostly contractual matters rather than standalone legal duties, but they affect how much deposit comes back:
- Final utilities: settle electricity, water, and gas to the move-out date based on the meter readings.
- Management fees, internet, cable and other recurring charges in your name: settle, or cancel and transfer.
- Under Article 7, paragraph 2 of the Rental Housing Act, the landlord may offset these "debts arising from the lease" against the deposit first, then return the balance.
For a fuller picture of the costs across a tenancy, see Taiwan rental costs explained.
6. Deposit return: timing, amount, and what can be withheld
This is the finish line, and the part whose rules are most worth memorizing.
When is it due?
Under Article 7, paragraph 2 of the Rental Housing Market Development and Regulation Act (translation):
The landlord shall, when the lease has been extinguished, the tenant has returned the rental housing, and the debts arising from the lease contract have been settled, return the deposit, or the balance of the deposit after offsetting debts.
So the duty to return arises when the lease ends, you hand back the unit, and outstanding charges are settled are all complete. Neither the statute nor the Ministry of the Interior's standard lease fixes a day count (the standard lease frames it as return-on-event, when the unit is returned and debts settled); in practice it's commonly handled within about two weeks of the handover. Best of all is confirming everything at handover and getting it back on the spot.
What can and can't be withheld
- Can: damage beyond normal use (the right column in section 3) and unpaid utilities and management fees.
- Can't: fair wear and tear (the left column in section 3).
The landlord may offset your outstanding debts against the deposit first, then return the remainder, but every deduction should have a stated reason and, ideally, a matching photo or receipt. The deposit amount itself is also capped: by law it may not exceed two months' rent, and the full rules are in our Taiwan rental security deposit guide.
What if the landlord drags out the return?
First, make a clear written request (LINE or email) asking for a return date, and keep the record. If a reasonable period passes (commonly 14 to 30 days) with no return and no reasonable stated deductions, you can apply for rental dispute mediation or file a small-claims suit. Your written records and the move-out handover record are the key evidence here.
7. Don't forget the loose ends
- Household registration: if you registered your household (戶籍) at the unit, move it out at the end (most leases require moving it out when the term ends). This is a contractual and administrative matter, handled per your lease.
- Update your address: change your address with banks, government offices, online shopping, and subscriptions, and set up mail forwarding so important letters don't go to the old place.
- Confirm the deposit landed: if returned by transfer, confirm the amount arrived correctly.
- Keep every record: the handover record, meter photos, receipts, and chat logs with the landlord, at least until the deposit is fully returned and there's no remaining dispute.
Move-out checklist at a glance
Before you leave, tick each item:
- Confirm whether you're letting it expire or terminating early, and give notice under the matching rule
- Give written notice (LINE/email) with a timestamped record
- Arrange a handover time with both parties present
- Dig out move-in photos and the inventory
- Patch and restore holes and modifications you made (fair wear excepted)
- On move-out day, compare item by item: indoors, equipment, furniture, keys
- Record the three final meter readings and photograph them
- Sign the move-out handover record, one copy each
- Settle utilities, management fees, and other charges
- Confirm the deposit amount and return timing
- Move out household registration (if applicable); update your address
- Confirm the deposit landed; keep all records
The bottom line
- First separate "letting it expire" (no statutory notice, but watch Civil Code Article 451's deemed-continuation trap) from "terminating early" (statutory ground = 30 days' written; otherwise per your lease)
- Restoration has a limit: under Civil Code Article 432, fair wear and tear isn't your liability, and the landlord can't demand like-new condition
- The most important move-out day action is comparing item by item against your move-in photos, then signing a handover record
- Under Article 7 of the Rental Housing Act, the deposit is returned when the lease ends, the unit is handed back, and charges are settled, and only damage beyond normal use and unpaid charges may be withheld
The first and last steps of renting are really the same thing: keep clear records. Do the move-in handover well and you'll have something to compare against at move-out; sign the move-out record well and you'll get your deposit back.
About this verification: The regulatory content was verified on 24 August 2026 against the Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Civil Code Articles 432, 451, and 455; Rental Housing Market Development and Regulation Act Articles 7, 10, and 11) and the Ministry of the Interior's standard residential lease. Regulations change, so rely on the responsible agency's current announcements, and consult a professional on any specific dispute.
Rather than scrambling at move-out, keep good records from the moment you start searching. Next time you're looking, let RentOn push matching new listings straight to your LINE, so you start out on the front foot.