The guy whose room I’m interested in said that I needed to pay a “broker fee” (one time only) on top of the monthly payment written on the page.
Am I being swindled or is this how it is in Taiwan (and legal)?
Is the guy a broker or the landlord?
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i dont think 591 has a broker fee but landlords usually demand a deposit.
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I think it depends on the property/ad. You can choose to view only properties without a broker’s fee, I believe.
I haven’t paid one (and wouldn’t pay one, unless in exceptional circumstances), personally - it would pretty much be a deal breaker for me, since I’d feel like I’m being ripped off to pay half a month’s rent for the work involved. Some of the ads I’ve seen requiring broker’s fees have been just laughable (e.g., three upside-down 300x200 photos from 2009).
the only scenario i could see me paying a middleman an extra fee is if i hired him directly to find me an apartment. no way i would pay anyone extra just because they published an advertisement on 591 or in the papers. it’s their job and their salary is included in the transaction fees.
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591 doesn’t charge you a fee. But each property listed for rent will indicate whether it’s an agent showing the place and they require a fee if you sign a lease with the landlord (in most cases half a month’s rent, but you can negotiate this, I have done it before), or if the landlord is renting the property out themselves and it does not involve an agent or lease signing fee.
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Ya property specific like kk said. I had to pay a fee from the guys who showed me my apartment. Had nothing to do with 591 though. By the way there is a way to translate 591 into English (so many people I talk to says it is only in chinese)
I feel like landlords might be more willing to drop the asking price since less people are moving due to covid, just my hunch I really have no idea.
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If you use the Chrome browser, it should auto-translate unless you set it not to.
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Probably this “guy” is the broker and you’ll meet the landlord later. Brokers usually list apartments and deal with prospective renters. You wouldn’t be talking to the landlord if there was a broker involved.