Landlords are unwilling to rent to foreigners, how else can you find a place to live?

"Only rent to Taiwanese," "It's inconvenient for foreigners," "Landlords don't accept Southeast Asian tenants"—many foreigners have seen or heard similar statements when looking for housing in Taiwan. Landlords may worry about language barriers, shorter lease terms, residency expiration, job changes, or different living habits. Others might refuse to rent simply because of nationality, skin color, or stereotypes. If you encounter this situation, it doesn't mean you, as the tenant, did anything wrong, nor do you need to accept unreasonable conditions just to find a place to live. Understand the Landlord's Real Concerns First Some landlords are not entirely against renting to foreigners but are unsure how to verify identity, sign contracts, or handle residency address registration. When contacting them for the first time, you can proactively provide a brief explanation: · Your educational institution or place of work in Taiwan · Your expected length of stay · Whether you have a stable income · Proof of residency you can provide · Whether you can pay rent via bank transfer · Whether you have a school, employer, or contact person in Taiwan Students can prepare a certificate of enrollment, and those working can provide an employment or income statement. While these documents are not legally required for every tenant, they can sometimes alleviate a landlord's anxiety. Be mindful of privacy when providing information. Do not casually share your passport, front and back of your residence permit, bank account details, or other personal information with strangers before confirming their identity. Confirm "Foreigner-Friendly" When Searching Instead of being rejected after viewing a property, state upfront that you are a foreigner when you contact the landlord. Confirm if they are willing to sign a formal lease agreement and register your residency address. You can also prioritize looking for: · Listings that explicitly welcome foreign individuals · Housing information provided by schools or employers · Reputable agents with experience renting to foreign tenants · Housing recommendations from international student or migrant worker service organizations · Landlords whose properties friends have successfully rented Referrals through schools, companies, or trusted communities often build trust more easily than completely unknown online listings. However, even with a friend's referral, you should still view the property in person, verify the landlord's identity, and sign a complete contract. Don't Accept High-Risk Conditions Just Because Finding a Place is Difficult Just because a landlord is willing to rent to foreigners doesn't mean all their conditions are reasonable. Be vigilant in the following situations: · Refusal to provide a formal lease agreement · Not allowing residency address registration · Demanding a higher security deposit than for Taiwanese tenants · Requiring a large deposit before viewing the property · Unwillingness to show property or landlord identification · Demanding to hold your original passport or residence permit · Contract terms differing from prior verbal agreements The maximum security deposit for residential rentals in Taiwan shall not exceed two months' rent. Don't accept clearly unequal or unsafe conditions out of fear of losing a housing opportunity. If Rejected Explicitly Due to Nationality, Preserve Evidence Taiwanese law prohibits discrimination against residents based on nationality, race, skin color, class, or place of birth. However, during an actual complaint, you need to determine if the other party truly discriminated based on nationality or ethnicity. Simply being told "it's already rented" or "the landlord has other considerations" is usually difficult to prove. If the property is still advertised and the other party explicitly states "no Southeast Asians" or "only Taiwanese," you should preserve relevant evidence. You can save: · Screenshots of rental advertisements · Messages exchanged with the landlord or agent · Text messages or recordings of explicit refusal · Records showing the property is still being advertised · Proof of different terms offered to tenants of different backgrounds for the same property Save the original data; do not rely solely on retyped summaries. ⚠️ Call 1990 for Assistance ⚠️ If you are unsure whether a rejection constitutes discrimination or don't know which authority to contact, you can call the 24/7 hotline for foreign residents in Taiwan, 1990. 1990 provides multilingual living information and can help identify the appropriate government agency to contact. If the case involves discrimination based on nationality, race, or place of birth, you can also inquire about the National Immigration Agency's discrimination complaint procedures. While a complaint may not immediately result in securing housing, you can simultaneously look for other options through your school, employer, agents, or local housing services while you are still searching. If you are using an agent, clearly state your budget, work location, lease term, and documentation status, and ask the agent to only provide listings from landlords willing to rent legally to foreigners. If an agent demeans you based on nationality, skin color, or Southeast Asian identity, or demands unreasonable extra fees, save the messages and receipts, and report it to the agent's company or the relevant supervisory authority. Do not accept requests like "foreigners have to pay more" that are not included in the formal fee statement. Not Finding a Place is Not a Personal Failing Foreigners facing rental rejections sometimes stem from landlords' lack of understanding of regulations, and other times from long-standing prejudices. Preparing complete documentation and clearly stating your housing needs might reduce some doubts, but it doesn't mean tenants are obligated to prove they are more trustworthy than Taiwanese citizens. When encountering explicit discrimination, leave the unfriendly listing, preserve evidence, and seek assistance. Finding a landlord willing to sign a formal contract and respect your identity and rights is more important than settling for a place with inherently unequal conditions.