Short term rental August - book ahead or do it on arrival?

Hi,

I’ve enjoyed Taipei on a few previous business trips and now I’m planning to spend 3 months there to see more and improve my Chinese beyond basic level.

Not so keen on staying in a hotel/hostel for all that time, so I’d like to rent an apartment/studio ideally somewhere with quick access to Taipei City Hall MRT (i.e. Xinyi area) and this would be for probably early August to late October.

My question is, would I be wise to find a place to rent a few months in advance (i.e. online) and secure it that way, or would I be able to find something of reasonable quality and immediate availability during my first few days upon arrival in August?

Naturally I’d prefer to see a place for myself before committing to it, but if I arrive and there’s nothing immediately available then that’s not great…

Thanks for any advice
D.

Yes, definitely start looking a few months in advance. There’s plenty of rooms near universities where language students rent on a monthly basis. Just a matter of whether you are willing to live in those places or if you want to live on your own.

Most shared apartments will allow you to come and go, but living in a studio or living alone might result in one year leases.

Check the FB group: Rental Apartments in Taiwan https://www.facebook.com/groups/RentalApartments/?fref=nf