I’m new here. I am moving to Taipei next year for my further studies and I’m currently looking for a fully-furnished apartment to rent, long term lease (around 10 months). I might be posting on the wrong forum but I think I have a better chance of getting replies and ideas from fellow animal lovers and animal welfare advocates here than in the Apartment For Rent forum.
I’ve been looking around different websites for an apartment that allows pets but so far, none of them do. Hopefully a few people here can help me out.
Here are my criteria:
My number 1 criteria - PETS ALLOWED
Preferably walking distance from NTU/NTNU. If not, at most only one bus/MRT ride away from the apartment to the school.
Unit to include internet connection.
Unit to have good natural lighting (preferably big windows).
Unit amenities to include kitchen, living space, TV with cable, laundry machine and dryer.
Building to include 24 hour security.
All my dogs are housebroken, and I can say I’m very good at it. Takes me only 3 weeks max to housebreak them. I also clean up after them, spot-free! And, I don’t feel comfortable sleeping and eating with stinky animals so I’m used to regularly giving them baths so the house is always stank-free. So to my future landlords, don’t worry, I will be taking care of everything.
It would be also great to be part of a community that welcomes animals as I know I can easily walk them around the area.
Any ideas are welcome to reply to this thread. Or if any of you have an offer, kindly email me at ml00148@yahoo.com.
OK, I gather you read Chinese, correct? Now: how many dogs and what size are we talking about?
A few points to consider:
The areas around NTU/NTNU are a bit pricey -Daan distruct is considered high end well, because of the schools and colleges that are around it. hence, rent is steep. Space is too valuabvle, hence accomodations would be more cramped. The closer you get to NTU/NTNU, the smaller they get.
Luckily, there is a wide riverside park to walk the dogs, the college campus at NTU is great place to take pets -as long as they do not chase the resident ducks- and you can also take your pets on the metro -as long as they fit in a container. Smaller parks are harder to find and neighborhood streets are a peril for humans, not to say dogs.
If you check a reputable local website, like http://www.591.com.tw you will see that they have the option to narrow the criteria to look for a place. For example, homes can be a 公寓 or gongwu, which is an older, traditionally 4/5/6 story place with no elevator, no guard. These are usually reserved for us, people with pets. The older and most disheaveled. What you are describing in your post is a 電梯大樓 an apartment building, modern, with elevator, guard, garbage collection service, the works. These are harder to get in, more expensive. It is not impossible though for someone with pets to find an apartment to live. Bit trickier, that’s all.
There is also an option whether they allow pets or not, cooking or not, furnished/unfurnished, with cable, Internet, etc. You choose and mix/match.
You can also sign into www.tmm.org.tw they are also quite helpful.
Apologies, I live a bit far according to your criteria -about 10 to 15 minutes from NTU, and several metro stops- and my area is not too pet friendly so I cannot reccommend a suitable place nearby. However, if you have any questions, we’re here all week…
Hi there, are you moving to Taipei from elsewhere in Taiwan? Or are you importing them from outside Taiwan? If the latter, please familiarize yourself with the requirements for import. The process from Canada or the USA takes 6 months. You first thing you need to do is get your pets’ rabies titer. Also, budget 20,000 ntd per pet for the 3 week quarantine in Taipei.
Hi guys, I’m sorry I forgot to mention. I won’t be importing my pets to Taiwan, my family will take care of them while I’m away for a few months. I’m an animal rights advocate and I normally foster a pet or two from shelters. Depending on my room’s size, I can choose to foster smaller-sized animals if my place is small, I have no preference on which type of animal, I just love them all. I also do all the housebreaking and basic obedience training so that I won’t be having problems when they’re with me or when I’m away.
Thank you for the tips, Icon! I will definitely look up those websites you’ve mentioned.
I hope more people can refer me to a good place as well. These will be very helpful to the future pets I’ll be fostering.
Seems the university you need is in Daan District. I made some screenshots to help you search for apartments there.
The key is to choose Taipei and Daan District. Then scroll down a little and chose "可以養物“
Then， the price is obviously a good way to search too Size of apartments is in pings. It’s smaller than square meter, but always forget how much exactly it is. Generally, I would not suggest smaller than 10, especially with pets. I feel comfy at my apartment with 30 pings.
Hi mukashi! Thank you for the links! I did a brief search but couldn’t find any that suits my requirements. I was actually also considering talking to some landlords who initially don’t allow pets that they may eventually approve once they see that I’m actually neat and so are the animals that are under my care. I am also willing to shell out extra fee for the hassle. But I still will continue to look.
To the readers, please feel free to PM me if:
You can refer me to a good pet-friendly neighborhood,
Pet-friendly apartment in Daan district or a bus/MRT ride away from NTU/NTNU,
An apartment for rent in the Daan district that doesn’t allow pets but can be renegotiated for an extra fee.
I am excited to be in Taiwan to learn Chinese and help out in the community.
[quote]Hi mukashi! Thank you for the links! I did a brief search but couldn’t find any that suits my requirements. I was actually also considering talking to some landlords who initially don’t allow pets that they may eventually approve once they see that I’m actually neat and so are the animals that are under my care. I am also willing to shell out extra fee for the hassle. But I still will continue to look.
[/quote]
I would definetively advise against this. For starters, you would forfeit your deposit -usually two months, no small cash- and even if you are willing to do so, the landlord would be able to have you kicked out of the apartment for breaking the contract rules.
Moreover, for instance, if the partment is furnished, it will be difficult for them to rent it to someone with pets, in spite of all you say about smell, cleanliness, etc. They do not care. Some people here have strange ideas about animals. If they say no, it is no. Yesteday I was scolded because my dog pissed on a lampost next to a garbage pile. Pee makes the place stink, they say. Please notice this week we’ve had torrential rains all day.
It’s not really strange from the point of view of a landlord. I think most dog owners become desensitized to the smell of their animals. You can can often detect if someone is a smoker or a dog owner before they even open their front door. Sorry, but dogs stink no matter how much you shampoo them.
Personally I think it’s outrageous that dog owners treat parks (where children often play) as animal lavatories. I believe your dog should shit on your property - but admittedly, I have strange ideas.
True, but unbathed/unkempt pets stink more. And the stink plus any howling/barking will put you in bad terms with neighbors/apartment owners, no matter how clean you may be/how noisy the neighbors are.
I agree with you that as the landlord is the owner, he/she sets the rules. What I am warning about our well-intentioned OP is that he/she may not be able to reason her way into the landlord’s heart by stating how clean and unbotrussive the pet is. Some people fear cats as the devil. Some people abhor pets of any kind. Hence, it is not about cleanliness/smell, but prejudice against animals of any kind. In any case, as you say, their house, their rules.
Oh, shit you must pick up, I agree. Parks are not pet commodes, we all agree. Pick after your dog if/when dog poops signs abound in all parks to remind owners and sometimes even doggie poop bags are provided. That may owners are lazy and just set off their dogs loose and do not pick after them that irks me no way. Many diseases are spread that way. In my case, I just find it a bit weird that someone gets all worked up because of a few droplets of a Maltese -it’s not a Great Dane peeing a liter- on an already dirty -with heaven knows how many pee and sput and YDWN- lamp pole that is surrounded by puddles of dirty water and will be washed down by the incoming, imminent rain. As a matter of fact, the doggie peed into the puddle, not the light pole itself -couldn’t reach that far. If he’s afraid it will attract other doggies, well, that depends on the rain.
Wished we all had a lawn for our dogs to pee/poop at heart’s content. Alas, that is not the situation in most cases here in Taiwan. Best we can do is newspapers at home.
I beg to differ but normally, dogs of smaller sizes tend to smell less than large breed dogs, this is based on experience and observation of other people’s dogs. I have 6 dogs at home, 3 large breeds and 3 toy breeds. The toy breeds don’t smell, so I can leave them around when my Amah is visiting while I have to lock up the large ones because of their smell, probably pheromones, and not really because they didn’t bathe.
Hi Icon, I was thinking of talking to landlords BEFORE the deposit and before signing contracts, just to get their permission/approval to avoid any nuisance and forfeiture of agreement.
But it would also be best if you guys could recommend a few buildings or neighborhood that allow pets. I can narrow my search from there.
It is too individualized -meanig up tothe landlord. Some buildings do not allow children nor pets but those arerare and not aimed at students to be.
Taiwan is not as zoned as the US. A palace may be next to a middle classs buidling. Apartments vary a lot. As to pet friendly hood, maybe Tianmu, which is far from NTU/NTNU.
I beg to differ but normally, dogs of smaller sizes tend to smell less than large breed dogs, this is based on experience and observation of other people’s dogs. I have 6 dogs at home, 3 large breeds and 3 toy breeds. The toy breeds don’t smell, so I can leave them around when my Amah is visiting while I have to lock up the large ones because of their smell, probably pheromones, and not really because they didn’t bathe.
Hi Icon, I was thinking of talking to landlords BEFORE the deposit and before signing contracts, just to get their permission/approval to avoid any nuisance and forfeiture of agreement.
But it would also be best if you guys could recommend a few buildings or neighborhood that allow pets. I can narrow my search from there. [/quote]
Mlee, look, the basic recommendation in apartment hunting is DO NOT rent from abroad. Come here, stay a week in a hostel while checking out the places in the area of your choice. What you see/experience will define your choice. So, come here with a list of appointments to make/tyo have but please avoid any commitments from abroad. Once you are here, we can take you hunting -before Lunar New Year is a good time, as people like to change places/clena up and throw good furniture out/pretty up old places. hence, more and better availability. Do not dispair.
BTW, remember standard contract is one year, with two month deposit. You say you’ll be stayuing 10 months? Might get tricky about that deposit if you leave earlier. Keep an eye on that.
well, talking to landlord before hand… I would not suggest that… landlord tend to “no problem” any question first, make you sign Chinese contract, and then when you tell them that you had their verbal agreement they will just say you’ve misunderstood and please refer to contract (my case, tho not about pets but the deposit).
Then, some “pets not allowed” is not the landlord but the building idea, so you might not be able to talk them out of it.
And yes, don’t agree to anything from abroad. Come here first, stay in a hostel for a while and have this 1st week very active apartment search.
Hi Battery9, I’ve tried 591 but the available ones do not suit my preferences. I will continue to monitor the website though since it is easier to focus on pet-friendly apartments for rent.
Hi Icon and mukashi, thanks for the tips, well-noted. Will definitely look for places while abroad and confirm with them after I’ve seen the place during my 1-2 week visit in Taiwan. My friend from China is a professional translator (Eng-Chi/Chi-Eng) so she can help me with the contracts and insert clauses regarding allowable pets and lease tenure prior to signing agreements. I’m also not a big fan of verbal agreements, I know how sneaky people can be when they see an opportunity in their favor.
Size of apartments is in pings. It’s smaller than square meter, but always forget how much exactly it is. Generally, I would not suggest smaller than 10, especially with pets. I feel comfy at my apartment with 30 pings.