Moving to Taipei in Winter: How the Rental Market Shifts From November to Lunar New Year

If you're moving to Taipei in winter, the calendar gives you one of the best windows of the year and one hard deadline. November, December and the first half of January are calm, friendly months to rent: the student rush is long over and landlords with empty units are glad to hear from you. The deadline is Lunar New Year, which runs February 4 to 10, 2027. One catch: landlords are most eager to sign in the weeks before the holiday, but that's also when the fewest listings are available. Our advice: land in December or early January (mid-January at the latest), start viewing in your first week, be ready to decide quickly, and aim to sign by around January 22. If you can't make that, arrive after the holiday and plan for a busier market.

This article is about the November to February stretch specifically: what happens to the market month by month, what closes over the holiday, and how to time your landing, your lease and your paperwork. For the whole-year picture, including the summer peak and Ghost Month, read our guide to the best time to rent an apartment in Taipei.

The winter dates that matter

These are the official 2027 dates from the government calendar published by the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (行政院人事行政總處), as reported by ETtoday when it was released in May 2026, plus the end-of-2026 holiday reported by NOWnews. The official version is on the DGPA's calendar page.

• Date: December 25 to 27, 2026 | What it is: Constitution Day long weekend (Dec 25 is a public holiday again) | Effect on renting: Offices closed Friday; viewings still possible on the weekend
• Date: January 1 to 3, 2027 | What it is: New Year long weekend | Effect on renting: Short pause
• Date: February 4 to 10, 2027 | What it is: Lunar New Year (New Year's Day itself is Saturday, February 6) | Effect on renting: Market close to closed
• Date: February 22, 2027 | What it is: NTU and NTNU spring semester starts (NTU calendar) | Effect on renting: Student demand peaks in the weeks before
• Date: February 27 to March 1, 2027 | What it is: 228 Peace Memorial Day long weekend | Effect on renting: Another short pause during the busy restart

Christmas Day happens to fall on Constitution Day, so it's a day off in 2026, but Christmas itself isn't a big holiday in Taiwan. Lunar New Year is the one that shapes everything.

Moving to Taipei in winter: the market month by month

November: the calmest month of the year. Units that didn't rent in the September rush are still sitting empty, and their owners would rather fill them now than wait until after the holiday. Fewer people are viewing the same apartment, so you have time to compare two or three places and ask for small concessions, like a repair before move-in or a slightly later start date. If you can choose your arrival month, this is it.

December: still quiet, a little shorter. The market stays calm through December. Things slow briefly around Christmas and New Year, but neither holiday shuts much down. Viewings in December are easy to arrange.

January 1 to about 20: motivated landlords, fewer listings. Landlords know that a unit empty at Lunar New Year usually stays empty until well after it, so many want it filled first. At the same time, the supply of available units starts to shrink: tenants who wanted to move before the holiday are taking the remaining ones, and fewer new listings appear until after the break. So you'll find landlords ready to sign, but less to choose from than in November. Start viewing as soon as you land, and don't wait for a better option to show up next week.

January 21 to February 3: busiest, with the fewest listings. The two weeks before the holiday are the hardest part of winter. Landlords are keen to sign before the break, and tenants are rushing to move, but this is also when the number of available listings is at its lowest. Moving companies get booked up, and decisions get rushed. Hotel rates also rise around the holiday: the statistics agency DGBAS noted that hotel prices, taxi fares and household services climb around Lunar New Year (Commercial Times, February 2026). If you land in this window, expect a short list: either be ready to decide at the first viewing that meets your must-haves, or plan to sign after the break.

February 4 to 10: the holiday week. Close to nothing happens. Many landlords travel to their hometowns, agents close, and viewings are hard to arrange. Don't plan a search for this week.

February 11 to early March: the restart. Pent-up searches restart all at once. Students arrive for the February 22 semester, and some local workers change jobs after collecting their year-end bonus: in January 2025, Taiwan's biggest job site counted about 22,000 job ads marked "start after the New Year" (104 Job Bank). It's not the August madness, but good units go quickly. Expect to view fast and decide fast.

Renting in Taipei before Lunar New Year: a plan that works

Here's the order we'd follow if you're aiming to be settled before the holiday:

1. Land in December or early January, mid-January at the latest, with one to two weeks booked in a short-term place near the areas you like. Our guide to where to stay your first two weeks compares the options. If your short stay overlaps the holiday, book it early.

2. View in your first week, and be ready to decide fast. With fewer listings in January, a good unit may not wait for a second look. Have your documents, budget ceiling and must-haves ready, so you can decide at a viewing. Our list of what to bring to your first viewing helps.

3. Aim to sign by around January 22. That leaves time for the deposit, key handover, internet setup and the move before everything closes.

4. Book your mover as soon as you sign. TRA Live's guide to moving apartments in Taipei suggests booking earlier than usual before Lunar New Year.

5. Check the move-in date in writing. If the landlord is leaving for the holiday, agree when and how you get the keys.

If you land on or after January 20 and nothing fits in the first few days, don't force it. Extend your short stay, enjoy the holiday, and restart on February 11 with your shortlist ready.

Lunar New Year closures in Taiwan: what shuts and what stays open

Closed or very limited during the official holiday (February 4 to 10, 2027):

• Government offices, including National Immigration Agency service stations. If you need an ARC appointment, an address update or any other paperwork, do it before February 4. The Ministry of the Interior's 1996 hotline has stayed open through past holidays (UDN), but it can't process documents.
• Bank branches. Use ATMs and cards for the week.
• Many landlords and agents. Even ones who stay in Taipei usually don't do viewings.
• Small family businesses. Breakfast shops, local restaurants, laundries and repair shops often close for several days, some until the fifth day of the new year (初五, February 10, 2027).
• Moving companies, or available only at holiday prices.

Usually open:

• Convenience stores, around the clock.
• The MRT, buses and the airport trains.
• Big chain supermarkets and many malls, sometimes with shorter hours on New Year's Eve.
• Hospital emergency rooms. Most small clinics close, so fill any prescriptions before the break.

Taxis add a surcharge over the holiday; TRA Live's Taoyuan airport guide has the details if you're landing that week.

Paperwork timing: your ARC and the holiday

If you arrive on a resident visa, you have to apply for your ARC within 30 days, counted from the day after you arrive, and the application needs an address you're allowed to register. Our explainer on the path from visa to ARC covers the details. If you land in early or mid-January, the holiday week can eat into that window, so treat early February as your real deadline: sign a lease that allows ARC registration and file before February 4.

The same applies if you're moving between apartments in Taipei: you have to update your ARC address within 15 days of moving, so a late-January move means visiting the immigration office before the break. Our guide to Taiwan rental fine print explains what to check in the lease so the address registration goes smoothly.

Choose your lease end date on purpose

Most Taipei leases run 12 months, so the month you sign is usually the month you'll move again. That's a hidden advantage of a winter move: a lease signed in November or December ends in November or December, one of the calmest times to look again.

If you sign in late January, ask the landlord whether the end date can land outside the holiday weeks, for example at the end of December or in March. Many landlords will agree if you ask at signing. Our guide on what happens when your lease ends covers notice periods and getting your deposit back.

Arriving in a Taipei winter: what to expect

Taipei's winter isn't cold by northern standards, but it's damp and grey, and apartments have no heating. Pack a warm layer for indoors, and plan to buy a dehumidifier and a heater or electric blanket in your first week. TRA Live explains the setup that works in staying warm in a Taipei apartment and in its mold and humidity guide.

At a winter viewing, check a few things you'd miss in summer: whether the air conditioners have a heating mode, whether the windows close tightly, and where the gas water heater sits. Winter is carbon monoxide season in Taiwan, because people close every window. Our guide to the gas water heater in a Taiwan apartment shows what to look for.

Landing in late November or December also means spending your first holidays away from home. If you miss a familiar meal, full disclosure: this one is ours. Hotdogray, the hot dog kitchen inside our darts bar AI DARTS (No. 1, Alley 15, Lane 345, Section 4, Ren'ai Road, near Zhongxiao Dunhua), makes American-style chili dogs from an American friend's family recipe, and plenty of expats come in for the chili around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Serving hours vary, so check its LINE before you go.

How TRA times your winter search

Timing around Lunar New Year is exactly where an in-person search pays off. With TRA:

• We plan around your dates in the consultation. We go through your budget, area and needs, look at when you land, and tell you honestly whether signing before the holiday is realistic or whether you're better off starting right after it.
• We line up listings and view them with you once you're in Taipei, handling all landlord communication and negotiation in Chinese on the spot. In the rushed weeks before the holiday, that speed is what gets you the unit.
• We go through the contract clause by clause before you sign, including the move-in date, key handover, ARC address registration and the lease end date, then help you finalize the deposit and signing.

Once the in-person search starts, finding the right place typically takes anywhere from 3 to 5 days up to about 1 to 2 weeks, which is why we suggest landing in early January if you want to be settled before the holiday. With fewer listings in January, that buffer matters. You pay a deposit when we start and the balance once you've found your home; we quote individually. See how our service works or tell us when you land.

Our pick

Arrive in November if you can, and start viewing in your first week: it's the calmest market of the year. December is nearly as good. Early January still works, but listings get thinner each week, so arrive ready to decide quickly. If you're landing after about January 20, don't race the holiday: extend your short stay, and start viewing on February 11, a few days before the spring semester rush. Whatever month you land, get your ARC and any immigration paperwork done before February 4.

FAQ

Is winter a good time to move to Taipei?

For renting, yes. November and December are among the calmest months of the year, with less competition and landlords who are keen to fill empty units before Lunar New Year. In January, listings thin out as the holiday approaches, so start early. The weather is damp and cool rather than cold.

When is Lunar New Year 2027 in Taiwan?

The official holiday runs from February 4 to February 10, 2027. Lunar New Year's Day is Saturday, February 6.

Can I find an apartment in Taipei during Lunar New Year?

Not during the holiday week itself. Many landlords and agents are away and viewings are hard to arrange. The two weeks before it are the busiest, with the fewest listings. Sign before about January 22, or start again from February 11.

Is the immigration office open during Lunar New Year?

No. Government offices, including National Immigration Agency service stations, close for the official holiday. File your ARC application or address update before February 4, 2027.

Is it busy to rent in Taipei after Lunar New Year?

Busier than winter. Students arrive for the semester starting February 22, 2027, and some local workers change jobs after the holiday, so expect more competition in the second half of February.

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