Conflict with landlord, landlord gave me wrong information

Hi, I would like to ask a question about my landlord. I recently was looking for a room, once I found one suitable for me and landlord said that it’s a quiet place, I decided to rent it. Though it’s much smaller place than I lived before, I was thinking that now I’m overloaded with work n a place where I can just sleep well should be enough for me. So once I paid deposit, signed contract and moved to the room the first night appeared to be not quiet at all as said by landlord. It happened that there are 10 ppl total living on two floors in this place and the main door for all these ppl is right next to my room. The door and door frame sizes do not fit, so when ppl close/open the door, it makes very lots of noise, especially some ppl can’t close it at one time, and they need to close it 2-3 times making loud sounds each time. Right next to the door there are stairs to the second floor, where people walk all night long, and I can be waken up by those going up and down in flipflops @ 2am, high heels @ 4 am, etc. This is what happens every night - starting from 1.30 am till 6 am several times they move in and out every night, open/close door several times and wake me up several times per night. 3 nights I spent here and couldn’t sleep well even once time, so feel very bad now. The thought that I still need to stay here for 1 year makes me upset
Especially my work is related to data analysis and I can’t get good results there without good sleep and clear rested mind.
Wonder is you have any suggestions on what’s possible do in this situation?

Cut your losses and move.

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Next time, ask the phone number of previous person who lived at the place.

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If the landlord won’t refund your deposit, and you want to fight, talk to the Tsui Mama Foundation.

It’s been claimed that the average landlord is a tax evader and therefore easily frightened.

Next time, raising your budget may help. If you found the place at a website catering to foreigners, you can probably get something better for the same price if you use a website not intended for foreigners, if you can read Chinese.

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Thanks for your replies guys.
1 - Not sure if they can share previous person’s tel no, giving me any reason for their sake. But good advice, will try next time.
2 - I found it on Taiwanese website 591 so should be reasonably priced. Thanks for the advice about taxes & Tsui Mama foundation, have heard of it before in this regard n even sent email to it already. Will see what they reply. I paid 2 months deposit already, so kind of depend of it.

stay there for 2 months while looking for another place. Pay no more rent until the landlord ‘fixes’ the noise.

then move out. No money lost…

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fair enough the landlord didn’t fully tell you about the negatives but if its a shared place surely you would be able to see that the room was next to the front door? you have to be pretty picky about choosing an apartment here.

Tsui Mama Foundation appeared to be very good - they called me the same day and explained in English that landlord needs to fix problems otherwise I have a right to move out and he should return my deposit. They even offered me their assistance in talking to landlord and advised local institutions where I can go to claim if needed.
To BHL4 - I have a long experience of renting in Taiwan, n it’s hard to foresee these kinds of details. Before I shared place with other 4 ppl for 3 years n there were no problems, they just didn’t go in and out all night and it was very quiet. Also, most places for rent in Taiwan are so bad, that use a chance once see something appropriate. It is hard to be picky here.

disagree, you just have to pay more money and spend a long time to search for an apartment.

but hey, the only problems i’ve had with my place is one broken light.

The problem is that one person’s quiet is another person’s noisy. I’m not saying the place isn’t noisy – but it would be almost impossible to “prove” it to anyone’s satisfaction.

So your options basically are to get your deposit back or not. Staying there, the conditions are not going to change. Or at least it’s extremely unlikely. If just fixing the door issue would actually address the noise, then maaaaaaybe. Big maybe.

I would politely communicate a Horrible Family Emergency to the landlord, one that unfortunately necessitates your immediate departure for your home country, you being an only child and your elderly relative being in extremis, and all. You totally understand the incredible inconvenience that would cause but filial duty, etc. etc. and oh yes, the deposit money will be going directly to Dear Relative’s medical expenses or the air ticket, of course.

If there is resistance, I would also say, “Oh, and I need to file my taxes for departure, so if you could just give me receipts so that I can claim the rent there…or, oh, goodness, I could certainly not do so but that will affect my refund so if you could be so kind as to return my entire deposit…”

There’s probably a magic number of decibels in a WHO recommendation or legal precedent somewhere. But you’re right, you would still need to prove it, not just claim your phone app repeatedly measured it correctly in the middle of the night with no witnesses.

Whatever the reason, you’re probably stuck with it until contract finishes. You could try to work something out with landlord.

“high heels @ 4 am…” I would be awake too…

Earplugs?