You can try to justify it all you like but this thread is not about any kind of malice to foreigners. I haven’t lived here for years with my head up my arse, I see people moan about his or her work and a see more people content with it. I have lived in a few countries and I would say this is one of the better ones. I’m not shielded or wrapped in bubbles, I just don’t automatically assume something is bad because i’m an immigrant.
Playing the race card when it’s not the problem just takes away it’s power, people get sick of just another foreigner moaning when it has nothing to do with the issue.
Fight the battles that are needed, this isn’t one of them.
This is not about playing the “race card”. This is about a culture that exists here that is racist. Is everyone like this? Of course not and it is getting better. The younger generations are rejecting it but there are still very entrenched elements in Taiwanese society/culture that aren’t budging. I don’t think you’ve paid much attention to these things and that’s fine I guess because it doesn’t affect you. That’s the Taiwanese way.
In Taiwan, fees for brokering are usually charged for services such as exposure to various marketing channels, assistance in matchmaking and other services, and have been charged at the first signing. When renewing the contract, since the agency does not need to post advertisements or assist in viewing, there is no need to pay agency service fees. Of course, they could request any service fees, and customers can agree to pay the fee if they think it is reasonable for the service they received.
If they are redrafting, presenting and witnessing a contract they are entitled to compensation for supplying a service. Its always up to the client to refuse the service.
you say the same thing in other words. If you think it is worth to pay 0,5 month rent for a copy of the old contract with new dates with agency’s signature, nothing is illegal, though it is not standard.
You make it sound so simple, but are missing the point, an agent won’t just do this work for free they are not a charity, they have legal a responsibly especially with any dispute over the contract.
The client is the landlord not the tenant, the client has the option of changing the term of the contract, or dropping the agent completely.
The tenant can accept the terms of the contract, discuss changes or options with the landlord or move out.
If there is an extension caveat in the contract then the terms of the extension should be laid out there, if no caveat in place then it can be classed as a new contract.
It’s not fair to expect someone to keep doing a job maybe for another 5 years without compensation just because you paid them once.
The Agents client is the landlord, the OP is a tenant of the landlord.
This is true if the agent is acting as a property manager, not if they are acting as a broker.
As a broker the fee is negotiated between the parties involved, the landlord can choose to pay the full or part of the fee or none, the agent can waver full, part of the fee or decline the work, the tenet can choose to accept or decline.
What normally happens in practice, is unless the agent is acting as a property manager, or there has been problems, the second contract is normally sorted out directly between the tenant and landlord so no fee is involved.
op said they communicate through the agent. in that case, the landload could have a management contract with the agent, but instead or additionally to pay for the renewal is not unusual.