Finding your crib 🏠 in Taiwan 🇹🇼

Welcome to the April edition of my expat life in Asia newsletter! It’s been 1.5 years since I started spending more time in Taiwan (splitting time with Japan), and 5 months since I started actually renting a place in Taipei with a few friends. I wanted to write a guide for finding your own place in Taiwan as well. Along with that are other life tips, from shopping, to fitness classes, and financial tips for both Japan 🇯🇵 and Taiwan 🇹🇼!

Table of Contents

• TaoBao shopping update and Taiwan customs duties � …

• ClassPass is in Japan! 🏋️

• Upcoming service improvements with Sony Bank 🏦🇯� …

• JAL Pay: Another way to earn miles and save on JAL …

• Finding an apartment in Taiwan 🇹🇼🏠

TaoBao shopping update and Taiwan customs duties 🇨🇳🛍️

I wrote previously about buying things from TaoBao (a giant Chinese shopping platform), and shipping them to you directly for free in a select number of countries. I’ve noticed that the number of merchants supporting this free shipping has slowly been decreasing. There still seems to be plenty of merchants supporting free Taiwan shipping, however I’ve noticed that some items that I’ve previously bought that supported free shipping no longer do. I’ve also had a much more difficult time finding items that support free shipping to Japan.

Customs-wise, Taiwan is supposed to have a duty free limit of 2000 NTD per package. The limit is 6 tax-free packages every 6 months, no matter their value. However, if you import a number of things around the same time, even if each package is under 2000 NTD in value, the customs office reserves the right to sum up your packages and charge duties on them. The first few shipments I received without paying any duties, but every package after that I ended up paying some customs duty, even if they were spaced out by 2 weeks or so. On EZWay (article explaining EZWay), the duty value would say, for example 33 NTD, yet the delivery person would say I owed 300 NTD, and I haven’t gotten a clear explanation what the extra cost is, but it appears to be some sort of processing fee plus VAT once it is decided customs duties are owed on a package. This is adding an extra 10-20% or so to the cost of everything I buy, plus the annoyance of having to be around to pay duties to the delivery company.

There is discussion of changing the tax-free import system to prevent unfair competition and possible rerouting of Chinese goods through Taiwan to US.

ClassPass is in Japan! 🏋️

ClassPass is now in Japan! I used ClassPass quite regularly while I was in San Francisco and only stopped because moved to Tokyo, so I’m quite happy with this development. If you haven’t heard of ClassPass before, the concept is a monthly subscription giving you credits which can be used at various fitness studios and health & beauty services. Reservations are made and managed through ClassPass without having to register at business individually. This is especially useful at fitness studios where normally you are required to sign up for a membership or drop-in prices are high. Prices are reasonable, with various subscription plans (Japan pricing):

This ends up being around ~¥300 something yen per credit, with credits getting cheaper on larger plans. Here’s a quick comparison of what I paid using ClassPass versus the regular prices on a 30 monthly credit plan:

• Body massage at Riraku Massage – 14 credits (¥4,620 equivalent cost), retail price ¥9,570.

• Pore and acne care (deep pore cleansing + BBL treatment + Vitamin C treatment) – 28 credits (¥9,240 equivalent cost), retail price ¥19,000.

ClassPass basically cuts the cost in half, though the exact value you get will vary by business.

In Japan, you can start a trial for 2 weeks that gives you 30 credits for free (exact numbers and trial details vary by location). Unfortunately during the trial period if you don’t pay for a subscription, these credits cannot be freely used at all locations, mostly just fitness studios. I was unable to use the free trial credits for beauty services like massage and red light therapy. Sign up via my referral link to get 20 bonus credits on top of the free trial!

If you don’t use credits, they will rollover to the next cycle (set by your billing date, not calendar month), but it’s limited to how many credits you pay for per month, so don’t leave too many credits unused. See this article for more details. If you really need to, you can take a 1 month pause at a time, or cancel your subscription and rejoin later. I’m currently on a 1 month pause while traveling, but plan to rejoin when back in Japan as it’s a great value if you like trying out various

ClassPass is available in many major cities around the world, and you can use your credits while traveling with no restriction! I’ve never had a problem with their service and the app is fairly clear and easy to use, so I recommend giving it a try (referral link again)!

Upcoming service improvements with Sony Bank 🏦🇯🇵

I’ve been overall happy with Sony Bank as they have a relatively easy to use app and website (for Japan), have great exchange rates, and are compatible with a lot of services (unlike SBI Shinsei Bank). They are making a few useful changes starting May 6th (there will be a maintenance outage from midnight May 3rd):

• Foreign Currency Transfers Within Sony Bank

  You’ll soon be able to transfer foreign currencies (like USD-to-USD) between other accounts at Sony Bank. Most Japanese banks would require going through the foreign remittance process for this with the associated fees and procedural headaches—even internally—so this is a nice upgrade.

• Automatic Fixed Amount Transfers

  You can now schedule recurring transfers (weekly, monthly, etc.) to other banks in Japan. This is useful for bills when auto-debit isn’t an option, for example my homeowner’s association currently requires a manual furikomi bank transfer every month to pay that fee.

• a proper domain name

  Sony Bank is finally moving from moneykit.net (their original branding) to sonybank.jp, which will be much less confusing.

There are more changes—see the full list here. You can message me for a referral where you can receive either ¥2000 or ¥4000!

JAL Pay: Another way to earn miles and save on JAL purchases

If you fly JAL often or shop at their affiliated stores, it might be worth checking out JAL Pay, a prepaid payment app linked to your JAL Mileage Bank account. You earn 1 mile per ¥200 spent, and sometimes more when shopping through JAL-affiliated stores or during special promos.

➡️ List of eligible shops and bonus mile information

A couple useful blog writeups I found (in Japanese 🇯🇵):

Why I started looking into JAL Pay

On a recent JAL flight, I tried to buy duty-free items and noticed they offered 10% off if you paid with a JAL Card or JAL Pay. I had my JAL CLUB-A Card (CLUB-Aカード) in Apple Pay, but they required the physical card for the discount—no digital wallet support. That’s when I started figuring out how to quickly load JAL Pay instead.

For context, I keep my JAL Credit Card to help retain oneworld Sapphire status. Unfortunately, the shortcut from JMB Sapphire → JAL Global Club Sapphire was discontinued in 2025, but I was lucky to be grandfathered in as long as I hold the credit card.

I’ve also seen bonus mile campaigns at JAL Plaza stores and special Apple Pay promos tied to JAL Pay.

Loading JAL Pay

More details on the official page, but You can top up your JAL Pay balance via:

Credit card (Mastercard, JCB, Diners, Visa)

• No fee for Mastercard, JCB, or Diners credit cards.

• For Visa cards, there is a 2.75% fee, unless it’s a JAL or Saison branded card.

• Important: You don’t earn miles when using a JAL Card to charge JAL Pay—and other cards may not award points either, so check the details of your credit card.

Bank transfer / linked accounts

• JAL NEOBank (JALネオバンク) and SBI Sumishin Net Bank (住信SBIネット銀行) can be linked in app and support instant loading.

• Pay-easy instant transfers work with major banks like Mizuho (みずほ銀行), MUFG (三菱UFJ銀行), SMBC (三井住友銀行), and Resona (りそな銀行).

• Regular bank transfers (振込) are not instant and may take until the next business day.

Using JAL Miles

You can see the conversion chart here, but essentially for under 10,000 miles exchanged, you get ¥0.5 a mile without JAL NEOBANK, and ¥0.6 a mile with JAL NEOBANK. For 10,000 miles and over, you get a value of ¥1.1 a mile. Given that JAL miles are commonly valued at least ¥2 a mile or higher, especially when redeemed for business class, this is likely a poor redemption unless your miles are about to expire.

Courses

A small note about "courses”. You are placed in a “course” that sets daily and monthly limits for things like loading your balance and shopping usage (more info on the official page). This really only comes into play if you are trying to load or spend more than 50,000 yen a day. I believe even though it says you need to have JAL Neobank to be in the shopping course, by having a JAL credit card, you are automatically in that “shopping” course. However, I was still blocked from loading a second time after the first 50,000 yen load, but that could have been a card security thing.

Finding an apartment in Taiwan 🇹🇼🏠

Apartment hunting in Taiwan isn’t as daunting as it may seem once you are a little more familiar with the process. There are definitely a number of quirks, and some knowledge of Chinese is helpful but not strictly necessary. My guide will be Taipei focused as that’s where I’m most familiar with, but these tips should apply to most major population centers.

Here are some other useful articles to read about finding an apartment:

The most used platform is 591, which has the widest range of listings—from budget studios to sleek new high-rises. The platform is primarily geared toward locals, so while the selection is huge, the types of apartments and service may not always align with what expats are used to. Listings can be bare-bones, communication is usually in Chinese, and agents may assume you’re familiar with local rental norms. That said, it’s still the best place to get a feel for the market and spot deals. When you message through 591, you’re almost always contacting an agent, not the landlord directly.

If you’re looking for a more foreigner-friendly experience, UR House is an agency that focuses on higher-end rentals and provides full English service. They do charge a premium—in addition to the typical half a month’s rent agent fee charged initially, they also charge this fee again for each lease renewal—but they’re also quite responsive and can help with anything that comes up during your lease. I’ve worked with a great English-speaking agent in Taipei if you’re looking for a referral. There are some apartments that are UR House exclusive and also apartments you can find on other platforms that UR House agents won’t handle.

There are some other platforms, such as Zuyou and HouseFun you can check out, though I haven’t used them myself. Typically on all these platforms you will search by city, then district, then any additional filters like MRT station, size, price, number of rooms, etc.

In general to message agents and landlords, you should get the LINE app as that’s how the majority of people communicate in Taiwan.

Facebook groups and other social networks are also a useful resource, especially for Taipei. These tend to lean more toward short-term or shared housing options and cater to expats. Deals on these can sometimes be less formal, and it's good to be cautious about potential scams or landlords who aren't fully aware of regulations (though many are perfectly fine). A few active groups I used:

• Taipei Apartment Rentals

• Rental Apartments Taiwan

• Taiwan Apartments and Roommates

• Taipei Rooms and Apartments

• Taipei Apartment Rentals (duplicate group)

The main things I look for are:

• General neighborhood first if you care about convenience and the character of where you live. You’d be searching by this anyways, so it’s good to decide which ones you are interested in first.

• Number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and size. Fortunately unlike Japan, multiple bathrooms are not uncommon.

• What year the building was built and if the unit had any recent renovations. Super old buildings, even if the interior was recently renovated, may have other issues such as water leakage, old plumbing, poor insulation, earthquake safety etc.

• Price, including Management Fees (管理費 - guǎnlǐ fèi): Many modern buildings (especially those with elevators, 24/7 security, or communal trash areas) charge a monthly management fee on top of your rent. This fee covers the upkeep of common areas and amenities. Ask if this fee is included in the listed rent (rare) or is separate, and clarify the exact amount.

• What floor the unit is on. The ground floor may be subject to flooding and lower floors may have less light. Higher floors mean better air and less street noise. The higher up you go, the less pests there are, such as cockroaches and other bugs. Mosquitos generally don’t fly above the fourth floor. However, the higher the floor, the more you will feel earthquakes (and if the elevator goes out, you’re going to be doing a lot of walking).

• For light, which direction the windows are facing. South facing is best, but east-facing can work if you don’t mind light early in the morning, or west-facing for light in the afternoon.

• If the building has an elevator. Elevators are not necessarily standard, so you should check if there’s an elevator if you are in a higher floor and want to avoid walking up/down many flights of stairs.

• Whether the unit is furnished or not. Furnished apartments (especially washer and fridge) are common and usually don’t cost much extra. If there’s furniture you don’t want, you can often ask the landlord to remove it.

• Whether or not the building has 24/7 security (24小時管理員 - 24 xiǎoshí guǎnlǐyuán). Safety isn’t big concern in Taiwan, so that’s not really what they are for. Security is helpful for receiving packages or passing along keys to visitors (or letting you in if you forget your keys…). Without it, deliveries may need to go to a nearby convenience store. Taiwan doesn’t often have in-building package lockers like Japan.

• Whether trash pickup or trash collection rooms are included. These aren’t always standard, so If not, you’ll need to buy the official designated trash bags for your city and catch the trash truck at specific times (run down when you hear Fur Elise!) or pay someone separately to come by and pick up trash.

• If internet or other utilities are included. They often aren’t for actual leases and you have to set up and pay for that separately, but sometimes they are (or at least you don’t need to set it up yourself)!

• Whether the unit comes with a washer or a dryer. Dryers aren’t common; line-drying is the norm, even in newer apartments.

• If you cook, whether the stove is gas, electric, or induction. Also if a the unit comes with a dishwasher (fairly uncommon).

A few tips:

• Always insist on viewing an apartment before putting down a deposit. While not widely prevalent, there are a number of scams going around, even on 591.

• Lease terms are usually 1 year or more. Six-month leases exist but are rare. For anything shorter, Facebook groups and AirBnBs are your best bet—though the latter can be pricey. Many AirBnBs are not licensed though and may be technically illegal, so your host may urge you to keep things discreet.

• Go over the details of your lease carefully. Many landlords use a standard government lease template, which outlines common terms and tenant/landlord rights, though specific clauses can still vary or be negotiated. There’s usually standard clauses about a 2 month deposit, and a 1 month penalty if you break your lease early.

• The agent fee is typically half a month’s rent. Along with the deposit and initial month rent, you are usually paying at least 3.5 months of rent upfront. I noted above as well, but UR House also charges the agent fee on renewals, but you can set the contract length for a renewal longer if you are happy with your place.

• Negotiate the price. Whether something’s broken or the place isn’t in high demand, there’s usually room to bring the rent down a bit. Ask your agent what they think—most will be honest with you about what’s realistic.

• Landlords prioritize stability. Landlords prioritize stability and reliable tenants, often viewing the property as a long-term investment rather than focusing solely on maximizing short-term rental income as yields generally aren’t that high. They may ask about your job or how you’re connected to any roommates. Landlords or agents may ask for proof of your status or ability to pay, such as your ARC (Alien Resident Certificate), work contract, a bank statement, or enrollment letter if you're a student.

• Renting as a foreigner. While some landlords prefer renting to locals, it’s usually not personal—it’s about reducing uncertainty. Many are open to foreigners, especially if you show that you’re stable and responsive. Having a Taiwanese friend help with communication can make things easier, both during the application and after you’ve moved in. A good agent can also help with that.

• Regarding roommates: sharing with others is generally fine in Taiwan, but leases usually go under one person’s name. If someone in your group has Taiwanese citizenship or permanent residency, it’s often smoother to put the lease in their name—landlords tend to feel more comfortable renting to locals, especially for longer leases.

• Listed apartment sizes include common areas. Actual usable space may be 10–25% smaller than what’s advertised. Some sites will show both gross size (including some portion of common areas) as well as net size (actual usable area for the unit). Taiwan most commonly uses 坪 (píng) to measure area, although square meters is common as well. 1 坪 (píng) is equal to roughly ~3.3 square meters, or ~35.6 square feet.

• The mattresses that come with furnished apartments tend to be hard by western standards. You may want to replace them with your own or get a mattress topper.

• My friend gave me the tip of bringing cash to viewings, and if you think the apartment is acceptable, giving the cash deposit right away, and then later if negotiations fall through, you can get it back. I did not end up doing this, but it could be a way to secure your spot for popular listings.

Here’s a guide on neighborhoods in Taipei. The most popular neighborhoods in central Taipei for expats are typically Ximen, Da'an, Zhongshan, Songshan, Xinyi, Datong, and Zhongzheng districts. Some people also like Neihu District as it’s considered more residential but it’s further out. Beitou and Shilin Districts are also adjacent and well known as well. Each of these have their own characteristics and charms, so you can do research to see which neighborhoods suit you. I’m personally in Zhongshan District and love it for how central, convenient, and active it is, while having a lot of charm and more local places to go. Being in Central Taipei comes with convenience but also the associated higher prices. There are definitely a number of people who live outside of Central Taipei, like in Tamsui, Xindian, or even out in New Taipei City. You definitely don’t have to restrict yourself to Taipei either, I know friends living in Taichung or Kaohsiung who are having a great time.

I hope these tips help you find your dream place in Taiwan! I’m really enjoying the lifestyle out here! Having a real apartment on lock makes it really feel like I have a homebase, vs. temporary rentals or crashing with friends.

Conclusions

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article and picked up some useful tips! My plan is to spend 2 more weeks in Taiwan, then flee for the summer back to Japan (along with some traveling). You can always reach out at [email protected] for comments or questions! You can also support this publication by becoming a paid subscriber or a Patreon!