I am wondering what are the differences between renting apartment through agent vs directly from owner in Taiwan. I understand the agent will take 50% of a month’s rent. But, is there any other major differences?
frm the landlord’s perspective or from the tenant’s?
From the tenant.
You’re going to save that agent fee by going directly through the owner, which is why I always to prefer to go directly through owner if I can.
The only advantage I can think of for going through an agent is that they may help get things fixed more quickly when something breaks if the landlord lives out of town or frequently travels.
For me that’s not a big enough advantage to pay the extra money. All the owners I’ve rented from directly have been quick and responsive to get things fixed.
Sometimes it’s also 0% or 100%, depending on the owner. I think it’s a good value if the agent provides ongoing service like a property manage does, but I don’t think many of them do. Even if they don’t, it’s a good value if they get you the place you want at the price you’re willing to pay. Just do the sums when you’re looking at the monthly rent and add another 4-5% for the first year.
To me agents are basically scalpers. They add cost to renting of a property while providing exactly ZERO services. This is why some landlords will specifically say no agents (because agents will try to contact them so they can collect fees).
This was my concern too. If I directly rent from the owner and the owner is not quick at solving issues, it could be a real pain.
I had bad luck with agents. One company the agent insulted me on the phone and every apartment she recommended had been available on 591 for several months (nobody wanted them)
Another one took several months to respond, by then it was too late. This was another large agency.
There was a 591 apartment with an independent agent that I wanted to look at, but the agent never seemed to have time
In the end I rented directly from a landlord who lives not far away. No major problems but he always responds and takes care of quickly when I ask. I’m a good tenant, he’s a good landlord
I think it depends on who you get, either way. At least with an agent you get a second roll of the dice
I suggest you look on 591 for the apartment that you like and go from there. Or, try to find an agent who is highly recommended, but then your options for apartments will be a lot lower
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agents can save you some legwork, but generally speaking they dont provide additional value to the tenants. For the landlord they are avgreat help, since the agent helps screening the tenant and they only have to show up to sign the contract.
My agent helped me out a lot with appliance issues in my rented apartment, helped me get them fixed in a day. Some landlords will prefer an agent to be as hands-off as possible.