Co-living guides
Co-living in Taipei: what it is, the main types and how to compare
Co-living in Taipei means renting a room or a bed and sharing the living room, kitchen and bathrooms with housemates, usually with furniture and internet included and an operator in charge. This guide explains how it differs from other room types, hostels and monthly apartments, the kinds of co-living in Taipei with what operators state on their websites, what to compare, and who it suits.
Seal Co-living team Updated 12 min read Translated from Chinese · 中文原文
On this page
- What is co-living in Taipei?
- How does co-living differ from other rooms, hostels and monthly apartments?
- What kinds of co-living are there in Taipei?
- What should you compare between co-living houses in Taipei?
- Who is co-living for, and who is it not for?
- Where Seal Co-living sits in this picture
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Co-living is shared housing run by an operator. You rent a room or a bed, and share the living room, kitchen and bathrooms with housemates. Most co-living houses in Taipei come with furniture and internet, so you can move in with a suitcase, and many let you start with a lease of 1 month.
It suits people who have just arrived in Taipei, aren't sure how long they'll stay, and would rather skip buying furniture and negotiating a lease. If you need your own bathroom, or don't want to share any space at all, an en-suite room is the better fit.
Operators differ a lot. They differ in room types, in how fees are charged, in the shortest lease they accept, and in how much effort goes into the community. The sections below take these in order.
What is co-living in Taipei?
Taiwanese law has no category called "co-living". Legally it is in most cases a residential lease, and each resident usually signs a separate contract with the operator. Ask which kind of contract you will actually be signing before you sign. The biggest difference from an ordinary flat share is that an operator finds the housemates, sets the rules and handles repairs.
In Taipei, 共居, 共生公寓, "share house" and "co-living" mean roughly the same kind of housing, and each operator picks its own word. Don't assume anything from the name. Under the same label, one place gives everyone a private room and another puts several people in one room.
How does co-living differ from other rooms, hostels and monthly apartments?
| Type | What you rent | Shared with others | Who manages it | Lease length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room with shared bathroom (雅房) | A room | The bathroom, usually the living room and kitchen too | Mostly the landlord | Many landlords are used to signing for 1 year |
| En-suite room (套房) | A room with its own bathroom | The front door in a shared flat; nothing in a self-contained studio | Mostly the landlord | Many landlords are used to signing for 1 year |
| Co-living | A room or a bed | Living room, kitchen, bathrooms | An operator | Varies; quite a few start at 1 month |
| Hostel | A bed or a room | Depends on the hostel | A hotel business | Charged by the night |
| Monthly apartment (月租公寓) | Depends on the product | Depends on the product | Depends on the product | Charged by the month; check the contract |
A room with a shared bathroom is the closest thing to co-living, and the difference is whether anyone manages it. Who the other tenants are, who cleans the shared areas and who to call when something breaks is mostly left for tenants to sort out. Co-living hands those jobs to the operator, with furniture and internet already in place.
Hostels and co-living differ in law. Article 4 of the Rental Housing Market Development and Regulation Act says the Act does not apply to rentals for leisure or travel, or to rentals shorter than 30 days. Article 2, Subparagraph 8 of the Act for the Development of Tourism defines a hotel business as a for-profit business that charges for accommodation by the day or by the week. So only a lease of 30 days or more, taken for living, is a residential lease, and only then do protections such as the deposit cap apply.
"Monthly apartment" is a market term with no legal category behind it. Before you sign, ask whether you are getting a residential lease or an accommodation contract.
The definitions of each room type and typical rents in Taipei are covered with official data in Co-living, en-suite room, room with shared bathroom or monthly rental apartment? Comparing places to live in Taipei for foreigners, so they aren't repeated here.
What kinds of co-living are there in Taipei?
The questions below sort the operators quickly. The operators named are only examples, and the details are what each website said on 10 Oct 2026. They may change later.
Mostly private rooms, or mostly shared rooms?
This one shapes daily life the most. A private room is your own space once the door is shut, while a shared room gets you a bed.
Borderless House and Home Sweet Home Share House (甜家共生公寓) both list private rooms and shared rooms on their websites. The apartner (半伴) website says its rooms are mostly shared, with about 1 to 4 beds per room.
What living in each is like is described in Shared room or private room in Taipei co-living? What each is like and how to choose.
All-inclusive rent, or rent and utilities listed separately?
All-inclusive means water, electricity, gas and internet are counted in the monthly rent. Home Sweet Home calls this "all-inclusive rent", which also covers weekly cleaning of shared areas and basic daily supplies. Banana Coliving (香蕉同居中) describes rent, utilities and internet as a single payment. apartner's house pages say the rent already includes the utilities fee and a management fee.
The other approach adds a utilities charge on top of rent, either a flat amount or by usage. The Borderless House FAQ lists the first month's rent and utilities as separate items.
Neither way is always cheaper. When you compare, add up everything you pay each month and look at the total.
From 1 month, or a lease of 1 year?
Most of the websites we read give a minimum of 1 month: Borderless House, Home Sweet Home, Banana Coliving and Taiwan Share House all do. If you only plan to live in Taipei for a month, these are the places to look at first. Borderless House adds that contracts are usually signed for 1 year, and that you give notice 30 days before moving out. Home Sweet Home gives a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 1 year.
Some house pages give a minimum lease longer than 1 month. Houses of the same operator, and even different sections of the same page, may say different things, so go by what the operator tells you directly.
Monthly rent on a short lease is usually higher than on a long one. How stays of 1 to 6 months are priced, and other places to look, are covered in Short-term rental in Taipei from 30 days: renting for one to six months, and the total cost.
Built around community, or around practicality?
Some operators' websites put particular emphasis on social exchange. Borderless House says 50% of its tenants are Taiwanese, that it has 16 houses and 168 rooms in Taipei, and that it also operates in Japan and Korea. Taiwan Share House is aimed at international students, exchange students and Mandarin learners. Banana Coliving says it has 10 locations in Taipei and 1 in Tainan, holds regular housemate events and offers an English-friendly environment.
Other operators put more weight on location, facilities and clear fees. These have fewer events. Housemates lead their own lives and run into each other in the living room now and then.
If you want language practice and friends quickly, look at the first group. If you want quiet evenings after work, ask each operator how often events are held and what the quiet hours are.
What should you compare between co-living houses in Taipei?
Put the places you're considering into a single table, and decide once you can fill in every cell.
| Item | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Minimum lease | How many months at least, and whether a short lease costs more per month |
| Room type | Private or shared, and how many people the shared room holds when full |
| Monthly cost | Whether rent includes water, electricity, gas and internet; if charged separately, flat amount or by usage |
| Deposit | How many months. Article 7 of the Act says it may not exceed 2 months of rent in total |
| One-off fees | Any handling fee, admin fee, bedding fee or cleaning fee at move-in |
| Location | The nearest MRT station, the walk in minutes, and whether your commute needs a transfer |
| Contract language | Chinese only, or also English or another language |
| Moving out | How much notice, how early move-out is charged, and when the deposit comes back |
| Shared spaces and cleaning | Professional cleaners or a rota among residents, and who takes out the rubbish |
The cleaning row is often skipped, yet operators handle it very differently. Home Sweet Home says cleaners clean the shared areas once a week, and Banana Coliving says dedicated staff do the cleaning. Other operators say cleaning and taking out the rubbish are shared among the housemates.
The deposit has a legal cap, and you can refuse a request above it. Guarantors and contract clauses are explained in Renting in Taiwan without a guarantor: how to read a Chinese lease clause by clause.
This table only lists the items. How to ask each one, and which documents the other side should show you, is set out point by point in Choosing a Share House in Taipei: 10 Things to Check Before You Move In. If you have no idea about location yet, read Where to live in Taipei: choosing an area by commute, MRT line and night-time safety first.
Who is co-living for, and who is it not for?
It tends to suit people like these. You've just arrived in Taipei, know nobody yet and can't say how long you'll stay. You're here for a term of language classes, a semester on exchange or an internship of a few months, and don't want to buy a bed and a desk for that. Or your job has just moved to Taipei and you want somewhere to land while you look for a long-term place.
The cases where it doesn't fit should be said plainly too.
- You must have your own bathroom. In most co-living houses the bathrooms are shared.
- You work from home with online meetings all day, but can only afford a shared room.
- Your partner or friends often stay over. Some co-living houses don't allow overnight guests, so read each operator's house rules before you move in.
- You have a pet, or a lot of furniture and luggage.
- You have high standards for noise and tidiness and don't want to negotiate with housemates.
Co-living has more rules than renting an en-suite room on your own, and that is the price of living with other people. For getting along with housemates in the first week, see Getting the hang of co-living for the first time: getting along with housemates, shared spaces, and your first-week checklist.
Where Seal Co-living sits in this picture
We are one of the co-living operators in Taipei. By the categories above, Seal Co-living is mostly shared rooms, lists rent and the utilities fee separately, and starts at 1 month, which puts us nearer the practical end.
Our rooms are mainly shared rooms for 2 to 6 people. Only some houses have private rooms, and all bathrooms are shared. The minimum lease is 30 days, and we only sign residential leases.
Here is how the fees work. Monthly rent starts at NT$8,000 (≈ US$250) per bed, which is the price on the longest lease tier; on the shortest lease tier it starts at NT$9,000 (≈ US$280). A flat utilities fee of NT$1,000 a month covers water, electricity, gas, internet and shared supplies. The deposit is 1 month of rent, and a one-time move-in fee of NT$1,500 is paid when you move in. Monthly rent is tiered by lease length:
| Lease length | Monthly rent per bed |
|---|---|
| 30 days to under 6 months | Base price + NT$1,000 |
| 6 to under 12 months | Base price + NT$500 |
| 12 months or longer | Base price |
The houses are in Xinyi, Nangang and Zhongzheng Districts. The nearest MRT station to each is listed below.
- CityHall House · Xinyi District · about 2 min walk to Taipei City Hall Station · from NT$9,500 (≈ US$295) per bed per month · 4-bed room
- Songlong House · Xinyi District · about 4 min walk to Songshan Station · from NT$8,300 (≈ US$260) per bed per month · Twin room, 3-bed room, and 4-bed room
- Guangci House · Xinyi District · about 6 min walk to Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station · from NT$9,000 (≈ US$280) per bed per month · Twin room, 3-bed room, and 4-bed room
- Houshanpi House · Nangang District · about 6 min walk to Houshanpi Station · from NT$8,000 (≈ US$250) per bed per month · Single room, Twin room, 3-bed room, and 4-bed room
- Kunyang House · Nangang District · about 2 min walk to Kunyang Station · from NT$8,000 (≈ US$250) per bed per month · Single room, 3-bed room, and 4-bed room
- Songshan House · Nangang District · about 4 min walk to Houshanpi Station · from NT$8,800 (≈ US$275) per bed per month · Single room, Twin room, and 3-bed room
- Gongguan House · Zhongzheng District · about 3 min walk to Gongguan Station · from NT$8,300 (≈ US$260) per bed per month · Single room, 3-bed room, 4-bed room, and 6-bed room
Whether you need a guarantor, whether the contract comes in other languages, how cleaning of shared spaces is divided and how early move-out is charged are things to ask us first.
Who we suit and who we don't is written up separately in Why choose Seal Co-living: transparent pricing, a 30-day minimum lease, fully furnished rooms, and a housemate community. Room photos and the price of every room are on the house list.
Frequently asked questions
How much is co-living in Taipei per month?
It varies widely with room type, location and whether rent includes utilities and internet. For other operators' prices, please check their own websites. At Seal Co-living, monthly rent starts at NT$8,000 (≈ US$250) per bed plus a utilities fee of NT$1,000 a month; on the shortest lease tier, rent starts at NT$9,000 (≈ US$280).
Can foreigners live in co-living houses in Taipei?
Yes. The Borderless House and Home Sweet Home websites are available in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean, and Banana Coliving and Taiwan Share House have English versions. Seal Co-living's website is also in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean, and we can reply to enquiries in those four languages. The documents needed for signing differ by operator, so ask when you book. Each operator also has its own eligibility rules, so check its website before you apply. If you have rented in Korea before, start with How renting in Taiwan differs from Korea: deposits, leases, room types and power bills.
What is the shortest stay for co-living in Taipei?
Most operator websites we read say from 1 month, and individual houses may ask for longer. For a stay of only days or weeks, look for a hostel or a hotel. Seal Co-living's minimum lease is 30 days.
Do you need a guarantor for co-living?
Taiwanese regulations don't require a guarantor for renting, so each operator decides. For whether Seal Co-living needs one, please ask us first.
Can I view a room before I arrive in Taipei?
Seal Co-living offers video viewings. Send 「看房」 (Chinese for "viewing") to our official LINE account (add us on LINE), or fill in the online booking form. For whether other operators offer online viewings, see their websites.
How do I choose between a shared room and a private room?
If you're out most of the day and come back mainly to sleep, a shared room usually works. If you take meetings in your room, keep very different hours from other people or sleep lightly, go straight for a private room. The details are in Shared room or private room in Taipei co-living? What each is like and how to choose.
Sources
(All sources below were checked on 10 Oct 2026.)
- Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Rental Housing Market Development and Regulation Act: https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0060125
- Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Act for the Development of Tourism: https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=K0110001
- Borderless House Taiwan website: https://www.borderless-house.com/tw/ , FAQ: https://www.borderless-house.com/help/
- Home Sweet Home Share House (甜家共生公寓) website: https://hshsharehouse.com/ , FAQ: https://hshsharehouse.com/questions/
- Banana Coliving (香蕉同居中) website: https://www.bananacoliving.com/
- apartner (半伴) website: https://apartner.tw/ , Houshanpi house page: https://apartner.tw/apartner/houshanpi/
- Taiwan Share House website: https://taiwansharehouse.com/tw/
- Seal Co-living room types, fees and house locations: our house list and each house page
Approximate conversions use the Bank of Taiwan rate on 14 Oct 2026. You pay in Taiwan dollars.
