Settling in
How apartments in Taiwan differ from Japan: humidity, laundry, bathrooms and power bills
Moving from Japan to Taipei means getting used to the room itself all over again. The air is humid all year, there is no bathroom dryer, many studios have no kitchen, the shower and toilet share one wet space, and nobody has heating in winter. For each one you get the reason and what to do about it, with official sources for flushing toilet paper, water heater and gas safety, how electricity is billed, and voltage for Japanese appliances.
Seal Co-living team Updated 15 min read Translated from Chinese · 中文原文
On this page
- How humid is Taipei, and how do you keep mould away?
- How is doing laundry different from Japan?
- Many rooms have no kitchen, so what if you want to cook?
- Why does the whole bathroom get wet?
- Can you flush toilet paper?
- What kinds of water heater are there, and what about gas safety?
- No heating in winter, and how are summer air conditioning bills worked out?
- Can you plug in appliances brought from Japan?
- What about garbage, cockroaches and other small things?
- What should you do in your room during an earthquake or typhoon?
- Who takes care of all this in a co-living house?
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
If you have rented in Japan, the first month in a Taipei room tends to bring the same few surprises. Laundry is still damp after two days on the line, the whole bathroom is wet after a shower, there is no stove in the room, and winter feels colder indoors than you expected. All of this is normal here, because homes in Taiwan are built around a different climate and different habits. Once you know where the differences are, you know what to ask at a viewing and how to look after the room once you move in.
| What you will run into | Check at the viewing | After you move in |
|---|---|---|
| Humid all year, mould grows easily | Is there an outside window? Do the corners and wardrobe smell musty? | Dehumidifier or the air conditioner's dry mode, and don't pack the wardrobe full |
| No bathroom dryer | Where the washing machine is, where clothes dry, whether there is a tumble dryer | Use a laundromat dryer when it rains for days |
| En-suite rooms often don't allow cooking | Is there a kitchen? Can you use a flame? | Eat out mostly, or pick a place with a shared kitchen |
| Wet-room bathroom, no bathtub | Does the bathroom have a window or an extractor fan? | Squeegee the floor and run the fan after showering |
| Water heater types vary | Gas or electric, and where it is installed | Keep a gas water heater ventilated |
| No heating in winter | Does the air conditioner also heat? | Bring a small electric heater and watch the bill |
| Different voltage | Two-hole or three-hole sockets | Read the rated voltage on the appliance |
How humid is Taipei, and how do you keep mould away?
In the Central Weather Administration's climate statistics for its Taipei station (1991–2020 averages), monthly mean relative humidity never drops below 70%. It peaks at 78.0% in February, sits at 77.4% in January, and even the driest month, July, comes in at 70.7%. The annual mean is 75.0%. Many parts of Japan get so dry in winter that people run humidifiers. Taipei's winter goes the other way, damp and chilly, and mould shows up first in wardrobes, wall corners and under mattresses.
At a viewing, start with your nose. Open the wardrobe and the bathroom door, and look for black spots on window frames, in corners and on the ceiling. A room with no outside window holds on to damp even longer.
After you move in, a dehumidifier does most of the work, and it is a very common appliance in Taiwanese homes. If the room doesn't have one, the air conditioner's dry mode will get you by. When you go out, close the bathroom door and leave the bedroom door open so the air moves. Leave some space in the wardrobe and put in moisture absorber boxes or bags, replacing them when they fill up.
Bedding needs a bit more care. In Japan people air their futons outside, but Taipei winters often bring rain for days on end and you can't. A mattress placed straight on the floor turns mouldy fast, so you need a bed frame. Air the duvet and pillow on sunny days, or run them through the large dryer at a laundromat.
How is doing laundry different from Japan?
Bathroom dryers are common in Japanese apartments, and most homes in Taiwan don't have one. The washing machine usually sits on the balcony and clothes dry there too. In a flat rented out room by room, several rooms normally share one machine. In an en-suite room with no balcony you can only dry clothes indoors, which makes the room damper still.
In winter and during the plum rain season, clothes that still smell damp after two or three days are nothing unusual. That is when coin laundromats earn their keep. Most residential streets have one within a short walk, with washing machines and large dryers that take coins.
At the viewing, ask whether the washing machine is yours alone or shared, whether it costs extra, where clothes are hung, and whether there is a dryer. You normally buy your own detergent.
Many rooms have no kitchen, so what if you want to cook?
Even the smallest single apartment in Japan usually has a one-burner stove and a sink. Rented en-suite rooms in Taiwan often have no kitchen, and some leases state that you may not use a flame in the room. The reason lies in how people live. Eating out is easy here, with lunchbox shops, noodle shops, breakfast shops and convenience stores everywhere, and plenty of people eat all their weekday meals outside.
So treat "can I cook?" as a search condition from the start. If you want to cook, ask directly at the viewing whether there is a kitchen, whether you can use a gas stove or only an induction hob, and whether the fridge is yours or shared. Flats rented out room by room and co-living houses are more likely to have a shared kitchen you can cook in. We compare the housing types in Co-living, en-suite room, room with shared bathroom or monthly rental apartment? Comparing places to live in Taipei for foreigners. For how much to budget for eating out and for cooking, see Living in Taipei in 2026: how much does it cost per month?.
Why does the whole bathroom get wet?
A Japanese bathroom has a washing area and a bathtub, and the toilet is usually in a separate room. In a rented room in Taiwan you will often find the toilet, washbasin and shower all in one space, with no bathtub and no partition between the shower and the toilet. Locally this layout is called "乾濕不分離", meaning the wet and dry areas are not separated. After a shower, the floor, the toilet seat and the basin are all wet.
A little work after each shower takes care of it. Get a pair of bathroom slippers and a squeegee, push the water towards the drain when you finish, and keep the extractor fan running. If there is no fan, open the window. Don't leave towels to dry in the bathroom. Hang them somewhere with moving air.
If you like a soak, be aware that rented rooms with a bathtub are not common. Filter for one when you search, or head to a hot spring now and then.
Can you flush toilet paper?
Yes. The Environmental Management Administration under the Ministry of Environment is clear on this. Toilet paper for bathroom use that meets national standard CNS1091 is made of short fibres that break apart in water, so it can go straight down the toilet. Look for "可丟馬桶" (flushable), the Standard Mark or the Eco Label on the packaging.
What you must not flush are facial tissues, paper towels, hand-drying paper and wet wipes, because they don't break down easily in water. Sanitary pads, hair, food waste and cigarette butts go in the bin as well. Pocket packs of tissues count as facial tissue, so don't flush them when you use a toilet outside.
You will still see plenty of toilets with a bin beside them or a sign saying "衛生紙請丟垃圾桶" (put toilet paper in the bin). The administration says that even in older buildings toilet paper can be flushed, as long as the drain pipes are cleaned regularly and nothing else is thrown in. Still, the owner knows the pipes of a home best. Where your landlord or manager clearly tells you not to flush paper, follow the house rule.
What kinds of water heater are there, and what about gas safety?
Homes in Taiwan mostly use gas water heaters or electric ones. Gas gives hot water the moment you turn the tap, at a steady flow. Some electric heaters are the storage type, which heats a tank of water and keeps it, so you have to switch it on early and wait. When several people shower in a row, the later ones may get lukewarm water. At the viewing, ask which type it is and where the switch is.
With a gas water heater, ventilation matters most. According to the National Fire Agency, most carbon monoxide poisoning at home comes from a gas water heater that was installed incorrectly in a poorly ventilated space. Carbon monoxide has no colour and no smell, and people often breathe it in without noticing.
The agency sorts water heaters into several types. An outdoor type has to be installed outside where air moves freely, such as on an exterior wall or an open balcony. In a room, bathroom, kitchen or a balcony that has been closed in with windows, a forced-exhaust type is required so the fumes are sent outside. Of the agency's "five musts" for water heaters, the one that matters most to tenants is keeping the area ventilated. That means no added windows, doors or rain covers around the heater, and no large loads of laundry blocking the airflow. Taipei winters are cold and damp, so people shut the balcony windows tight and fill the balcony with washing, and that is exactly the most dangerous combination.
At the viewing, walk over and look at the water heater. If it sits indoors or on a balcony that can be closed, ask the landlord which type it is. After you move in, open the window on the heater's side while you shower.
If you get a headache, nausea or dizziness while gas equipment is running, think of carbon monoxide poisoning. The agency's advice is to stop using the gas equipment at once and open the doors and windows that lead outside. If you feel very unwell, get out into fresh air first, then call 119.
No heating in winter, and how are summer air conditioning bills worked out?
The monthly mean temperature at the Taipei station is 16.4°C in January and 29.9°C in July (Central Weather Administration, 1991–2020 averages). Those numbers don't look cold, but homes in Taiwan usually have no heating and the humidity is high, so indoors it feels colder than the thermometer says. Some air conditioners heat as well as cool and some only cool, so ask at the viewing. In rooms without heating, most people get through winter with a small electric heater, an electric blanket and thicker loungewear. Keep the heater away from bedding and drying clothes.
In summer the question turns to the air conditioning bill. Taipower's residential rates are progressive, so the more you use, the more each kWh costs, across 6 tiers. Monthly use up to 120 kWh is billed at NT$1.78 per kWh, and the top tier starts at 1001 kWh. June 1 to September 30 each year counts as the "summer months", when unit prices from the second tier up are higher than in the rest of the year. The top tier costs NT$8.86 per kWh in summer and NT$7.03 otherwise (Taipower website, checked on 10 Oct 2026; rates are revised from time to time, so Taipower's latest notice applies).
Renters more often meet a landlord who sets a per-kWh price of their own. The Ministry of the Interior's mandatory provisions for residential leases cover this. Where electricity is charged by the kWh, the price per kWh may not exceed the "average price per kWh for the current period" shown on that home's electricity bill. Where it is not charged by usage, the total the landlord collects for each period may not exceed the total on the bill either. When the tenant pays for electricity, the landlord must provide the billing information, and the tenant may also ask Taipower for it directly. Before you sign, read the box on how electricity is charged, and if the number looks off, ask to see the bill and compare.
Can you plug in appliances brought from Japan?
Start with the numbers. Taiwan's Tourism Administration says the country uses 110 volts at 60 hertz. Many buildings also have 220-volt sockets for air conditioners, and ordinary sockets come in two-hole and three-hole versions. The Japan National Tourism Organization says Japan uses 100 volts nationwide, at 50 hertz in the east and 60 hertz in the west.
The voltage is slightly different, so "the plug fits" is not enough to go on. Turn the appliance or its power adapter over and read the rated voltage. Phone and laptop chargers are mostly marked "100–240V", and 110 volts falls inside that range. For appliances marked 100V only, especially ones that produce heat such as hair dryers, rice cookers and electric heaters, Taiwan's voltage is above the rated value. Check the manual or ask the manufacturer whether it can be used, and if you are unsure, buy one in Taiwan. Don't plug ordinary appliances into the 220-volt socket meant for the air conditioner.
What about garbage, cockroaches and other small things?
In Taipei you can't leave garbage downstairs. You wait for the garbage truck and hand it over yourself, and general waste has to go in official bags. The details are in How do you take out the garbage in Taipei? Truck times, official bags, recycling and food waste.
The climate is warm and damp, so cockroaches are common in Taiwan and turn up now and then in even the cleanest home. The basics are to leave them no food and no water. Keep food in sealed containers or the fridge, don't let garbage or food waste sit overnight, and keep the sink and drains clean. You can cover the drains too. Pharmacies and supermarkets sell bait, which goes under the sink and behind the fridge. If there are really a lot of them, tell your landlord or manager.
What should you do in your room during an earthquake or typhoon?
Neither is new to people from Japan, and the advice is much the same. The National Fire Agency's earthquake drill is "drop, cover, hold on". If a table is nearby, get under it and hold a leg. If you are in bed, turn face down and protect your head and neck with a pillow. If you are in the bathroom, don't rush out, because the wet floor is slippery and you are more likely to get hurt. If you are cooking and the flame is within reach, turn it off, and if it isn't, take cover first.
Before a typhoon, the agency recommends checking doors and windows, bringing in or securing flowerpots and anything hanging on the balcony, and preparing three or four days of food and drinking water along with a torch, batteries and a fully charged phone. Stay indoors while the typhoon passes. In a power cut, use a torch first and avoid candles. Where to find warnings and work and school closure notices is covered in Your first month in Taipei: the order and deadlines for your ARC, phone, bank account and health insurance.
Who takes care of all this in a co-living house?
Take ours as an example. For Seal Co-living houses, the equipment listed on our website is an air conditioner, bed frame, mattress, wardrobe, desk and chair in every room, and in the shared spaces a kitchen you can cook in, a fridge, washing machines, a water heater and a laundry balcony, running on piped natural gas. Houshanpi House and CityHall House also have a tumble dryer. Water, electricity, gas, internet and shared supplies such as toilet paper, dish soap and garbage bags are all covered by the monthly utilities fee of NT$1,000, so there are no bills to split with housemates. The minimum lease is 30 days, so a one-month stay works too, and each house's equipment is on the house list.
What the website doesn't state, we won't promise here. That covers whether there is a dehumidifier, whether the bathroom has a tub, whether the air conditioner heats, whether bedding is provided, and how garbage and recycling are divided up. These differ from house to house, so please confirm them when you book a viewing. Bathrooms and washing machines are shared with housemates. The unwritten rules for using them are in Getting the hang of co-living for the first time: getting along with housemates, shared spaces, and your first-week checklist, and Choosing a Share House in Taipei: 10 Things to Check Before You Move In has a full list of questions to ask at a viewing. Most of our rooms are shared rooms. What that is like, and how to choose between a shared and a private room, is in Shared room or private room in Taipei co-living? What each is like and how to choose.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to buy a dehumidifier for a room in Taiwan?
It depends on the room. With an outside window and good airflow, the air conditioner's dry mode plus moisture absorbers is usually enough. In a room with no window, or one where the wardrobe sits against an outside wall, a dehumidifier makes a big difference. You can live there for a week or two, see how the wardrobe and corners look, and decide then.
What if clothes just won't dry?
Take them to a coin laundromat and use the dryer. Drying indoors through days of rain only makes the room damper. If there is a gas water heater on the balcony, don't shut the windows tight or fill the space with washing. The National Fire Agency warns that large loads of laundry block ventilation.
Is it reasonable for a landlord to charge more for electricity than Taipower does?
In a residential lease that charges by the kWh, the price per kWh may not exceed the average price per kWh for the current period on that home's electricity bill. This is one of the Ministry of the Interior's mandatory provisions. You can ask the landlord for the billing information, or ask Taipower yourself about the electricity charges during your lease.
Can a Japanese hair dryer be used in Taiwan?
Taiwan's voltage is 110 volts and Japan's is 100 volts. For a hair dryer marked 100V only, check the manual or ask the manufacturer. For a model marked 100–240V, 110 volts is within range.
Sources
(All sources below were retrieved on 2026-10-10)
- Central Weather Administration, climate statistics, monthly means (Taipei station): https://www.cwa.gov.tw/V8/C/C/Statistics/monthlymean.html
- Environmental Management Administration, Ministry of Environment, "Flush toilet paper without worry" (Chinese page): https://www.ema.gov.tw/policies/issues/8800.html
- Environmental Management Administration, guidelines for promoting flushing toilet paper (PDF, in Chinese): https://service.ema.gov.tw/File/Get/ema/zh-tw/aljCMtE4HqFs8mV
- National Fire Agency disaster prevention site, "How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning": https://www.tfdp.com.tw/cht/index.php?code=list&flag=detail&ids=64&article_id=198
- National Fire Agency disaster prevention site, "Gas water heaters and where they are installed": https://www.tfdp.com.tw/cht/index.php?code=list&flag=detail&ids=64&article_id=199
- National Fire Agency disaster prevention site, "What to do about carbon monoxide poisoning": https://www.tfdp.com.tw/cht/index.php?code=list&flag=detail&ids=64&article_id=200
- Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) FAQ, "How is the electricity bill calculated?": https://www.taipower.com.tw/2289/2558/2705/22997/normalPost
- Ministry of the Interior, Mandatory and Prohibitory Provisions of Standard Form Contracts for Residential Leases (住宅租賃定型化契約應記載及不得記載事項): https://glrs.moi.gov.tw/LawContent.aspx?id=GL000907
- Tourism Administration, Useful Tips (Electricity): https://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002064
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Japan Electrical Outlet: https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/plug-and-electricity/
- National Fire Agency disaster prevention site, "What to do at home during an earthquake": https://www.tfdp.com.tw/cht/index.php?code=list&flag=detail&ids=52&article_id=118
- National Fire Agency disaster prevention site, "What to prepare before a typhoon": https://www.tfdp.com.tw/cht/index.php?code=list&flag=detail&ids=57&article_id=165
- National Fire Agency disaster prevention site, "Things to note when a typhoon arrives": https://www.tfdp.com.tw/cht/index.php?code=list&flag=detail&ids=58&article_id=189
- Seal Co-living house pages (in-room and shared equipment, what the utilities fee covers)
