For someone new to Taiwan finding a good place to live can seem like a daunting task. It need not be too difficult. The supply of rental accommodation in Taiwan is quite good. As long as you spend a little time looking around you should find something that suits you.

Generally there are two types of lease arrangement. The first is renting directly from a landlord and signing a contract. The second is sharing a room in an apartment. In this case you might being paying rent to the leaseholder or be a joint signatory on the lease.

Most landlords ask for two months rent as a deposit and for the rent to be paid one month in advance. This means before you move in you will have to pay three months rent which can be quite a lot of money. If you arrange the rental through a real estate agent you will need to pay half a month's rent to the agent as a commission.

Utility bills may or may not be included in the rent. It is best to be clear about this before you move in. Another expense to be aware of is the fee for the security guard or a building fee for the lift and maintenance.

Furniture is another important thing to think about. Apartments may be furnished or unfurnished. Generally you can expect to pay a little more for a furnished apartment. If you need to buy furniture in Taipei visit Xiamen Street (near Guting MRT Station). There are many shops there selling second-hand furniture and they can also arrange delivery. Another good source of second-hand furniture is the classified ads at tealit.com and Taiwanted .

These websites are also the best sources (in English) for finding a place to stay. Another new website is RoomsDB.net which has a bilingual interface.

If you can read Chinese or have a friend who can help you then look over the public noticeboards that are commonly found near parks and other places. These ads are usually placed by landlords, although some are from real estate agents. Notice boards at universities are also good places to look. For notices in English check  the language centers at universities and cafes and restaurants around Shi-Da and NTU. 

The last question many people ask is how much does it cost to rent an apartment? It is impossible to say. Prices vary according to a number of factors. You will obviously pay a premium for a good location or a modern building. I can only suggest looking at several different apartments to try and get a feel for where the market is at and what you can expect to rent for your budget.

Update: Another organisation that helps people find accommodation in Taipei is the Tsuei Ma Ma Foundation for housing and community service. Their website (in Chinese, Japanese and English) is http://www.tmm.org.tw/tindex.html.  (added 6 June 2007)