How to Read a Taiwanese Rental Listing: 坪, 押二付一 and Other Terms

You don't need to read Chinese, but you do need ten words

Most Taiwanese rental listings are written in Chinese, in a compressed style full of abbreviations. Even if you use a browser translator, the output is often nonsense, because these terms are shorthand that machines don't handle well. The good news is that the same small set of terms shows up in nearly every listing. Learn these and you can scan a page in seconds and spot what matters.

Size: 坪 and why the number can mislead you

Apartment size in Taiwan is quoted in 坪 (ping). One ping is about 3.3 square meters, or roughly 35.5 square feet. A listing that says 10坪 is around 33 square meters.

Here's the catch: the ping number in a listing is not always the space you can actually use. Depending on how the listing was written, it may include shared areas of the building such as stairwells, lobbies and elevators (公設, common facilities), or a balcony (陽台) or add-on section (附屬建物). Some landlords quote the full registered figure, others the usable interior. If two listings claim the same ping but one feels cramped, that's usually why.

The practical fix is simple: ask whether the number is the interior usable space (室內坪數 or 實坪), and judge the layout by the photos and the viewing, not just the number.

Payment terms: 押二付一

You'll see this constantly. 押二付一 means "deposit of two months, pay one month." At signing you pay the first month's rent plus a two-month deposit, so three months of rent upfront in total. Variations you might see:

• 押一付一: one month's deposit plus one month's rent.
• 押二付一: the most common pattern.
• 月付 / 季付: rent paid monthly or quarterly.

Knowing this before a viewing helps you budget for the real amount you'll need on signing day, which is much more than a single month's rent. Our article on what a typical Taipei contract looks like covers the deposit in more detail.

What's included

Short phrases here can save you from surprises later:

• 含管理費: management fee is included in the rent. If it doesn't say this, assume it might be extra and ask.
• 含水費 / 含網路: water or internet included.
• 可開伙: cooking is allowed.
• 可養寵物 / 可養貓 / 可養狗: pets allowed. Absence of the phrase doesn't mean no, but it doesn't mean yes either.
• 附家具家電: furnished with furniture and appliances. The specific list matters, so ask for it.
• 可入籍: the address can be used for household registration. For a foreign resident, the related practical question is whether you can use the address for your ARC, and it's worth asking directly rather than relying on this phrase.

Building and floor

• 電梯大樓 / 華廈: a building with an elevator. 華廈 is a mid-rise, usually up to around ten floors.
• 公寓 / 無電梯: an older walk-up with no elevator.
• 3/5F or 3F/5F: you're on the 3rd floor of a 5-story building.
• 頂加 / 頂樓加蓋: a unit built as an add-on on top of the roof. These are often cheaper, but can be hotter in summer, more prone to leaks in heavy rain, and sometimes come with legal and safety questions. It's a category worth extra scrutiny.
• 邊間: a corner unit, which often means more windows and light.
• 屋齡: age of the building. Older buildings tend to be cheaper, and may have different noise and moisture profiles.

Red-flag wording

Some phrases aren't warnings on their own, but they're your cue to ask more:

• 二房東 (master tenant) or unclear ownership: the person listing may be renting the flat themselves and subletting it, rather than owning it. That's not illegal, but ask who the actual owner is and whether subletting is permitted.
• Price far below similar listings: if a photo-perfect unit is cheap, be suspicious. Our article on common scams explains why.
• No address or only a rough district: normal at first contact, but you should be given the exact address before you travel to see it.

Put it into practice

Next time you open a listing, run through it in this order:

1. Total upfront cost (rent times the payment terms, plus any management fee).

2. Ping, and whether it's usable space.

3. Building type and floor.

4. Cooking, pets, furnishing.

5. Anything unusual in the wording.

That five-step scan will filter out most of the listings that aren't right for you before you spend a day traveling to see them. If you'd rather have someone read them with you, we go through listings with our clients in English and only book viewings worth your time. our services page

More Taipei guides