如果你要在國外長期租房，最好選擇Airbnb。以下是老張的親身經歷。他獨自一人來到烏克蘭，一直都是透過Airbnb預訂住宿。主要是因為可以看到房東的評論和房屋的狀況。他在那裡住一年多，都沒有遇到什麼問題。但由於簽證文件的需要，他需要一份租賃合同。

由於簽證文件的處理時間很緊迫，許多房東會對外國人刁難，要麼拒絕出租，要麼要求簽訂長期合約和支付更高的押金。幸運的是，一名房地產經紀人找到一個可租用的地方。所以，老張立即簽署合同。每月租金為12,000烏克蘭格里夫納（約新台幣10,320元），至少需要一個月的押金。水電費和網絡費另行支付。

搬進去後，他遇到很多問題。房東沒有提供任何廚具或寢具，他只能睡在一張又大又舊又破的沙發上，沒有床單或棉被。他得自己準備鍋子、碗筷來做飯。不像大多數的Airbnb房東那樣，這裡沒有熨斗或暖爐。這些老舊的房子都依賴政府提供的暖氣，通常是每年的10月到3月。但房東這裡沒有提供電暖爐。到4月初，室內溫度降到攝氏7度左右。老張常常早上被凍醒，只能去浴缸裡泡熱水澡，否則就會因為太冷而無法入睡。直到4月底天氣轉暖後，情況才稍微好轉。房東因為躲避兵役而躲到距離基輔400公里的小城鎮。老張在一開始發生上述事情時一直跟房東溝通，卻沒有得到任何回應，透過仲介，仲介翻臉不認人，不斷遭到對方羞辱怒罵，還一直恐嚇老張，像惡霸般警告老張別再跟房東反映沒瓦斯、沒暖氣、水槽不通等問題，否則別想拿回押金9千。老張心想，天啊！這麼友善的國家竟也讓他遇到這樣的事，真讓他痛心疾首，難過不已。

老張最初打算為履行合同精神，至少簽署半年的合同並至少住三個月。然而，到4月底，雖然氣溫回暖，但瓦斯突然停供，導致他超過兩周無法洗澡或做飯。因此，他告訴仲介要解除合同。一搬進去就沒瓦斯沒暖氣，水槽也不通，床很破爛又髒，睡了身體很癢，連沙發也破舊不堪。反應房東沒處理，反應給當初介紹的仲介，竟直接對他咆哮，不知道為什麼會遇到這麼惡劣的房東跟仲介，請大家來這租房千萬小心! 如果老張一直住在Airbnb，就不需要預付任何押金，所有費用都包含水電費，房東也會提供暖爐和空調，房子有任何問題，房東都會及時處理或自己隨時搬走。老張不禁感嘆被律師騙，他根本不需要申請簽證或準備租賃合同，後續一連串的問題根本不會發生。

If you're planning to rent long-term accommodation abroad, it's best to choose Airbnb. Here's Mr. Zhang's personal experience. He traveled alone to Ukraine and always booked his accommodation through Airbnb. The main reason was being able to see reviews of the hosts and the condition of the accommodations. He lived there for over a year without encountering any issues. However, due to the need for visa documents, he required a lease agreement. So, he found a house through a local contact.

Due to the urgent processing time for visa documents, many landlords tend to make things difficult for foreigners, either refusing to rent, demanding signing long-term contracts, or paying higher deposits. Fortunately, a real estate agent found a place available for rent. So, Mr. Zhang immediately signed the contract. The monthly rent was 12,000 Ukrainian Hryvnia (approximately 10,320 New Taiwan Dollars), with at least one month's deposit required. Utility bills and internet fees were paid separately.

After moving in, he encountered many problems. The landlord didn't provide any kitchen utensils or bedding, so he had to sleep on a large, old, and broken sofa without sheets or blankets. He had to prepare pots, pans, and utensils to cook by himself. Unlike most Airbnb hosts, there was no iron or heater available. These old houses relied on government-provided heating, usually from October to March. However, the landlord didn't provide an electric heater. By early April, the indoor temperature dropped to around 7 degrees Celsius. Mr. Zhang often woke up freezing in the morning and had to take hot baths to warm up, or else he couldn't fall asleep due to the cold. It wasn't until the end of April when the weather warmed up that the situation slightly improved. The landlord had fled 400 kilometers away to a small town near Kyiv to avoid military service. Initially, Mr. Zhang tried to communicate with the landlord about the issues but received no response. Through the intermediary, instead of help, he faced verbal abuse and was informed that the deposit wouldn't be refunded.

Feeling cheated, Mr. Zhang realized he didn't need to apply for a visa or prepare a lease agreement. The subsequent series of problems wouldn't have occurred if he had stayed with Airbnb. There would be no need to pay any deposit upfront, as all costs, including utilities, would be included. The landlord would also provide heaters and air conditioning, and any issues with the house would be promptly addressed or he could move out anytime. Mr. Zhang couldn't help but lament being deceived by the lawyer. He didn't need to apply for a visa or prepare a lease agreement in the first place, and the subsequent chain of problems wouldn't have happened.

照片:DALLE3