Moving to China for a long time (study, work) is associated with a lot of experiences. For example, one such experience is how to find suitable accommodation in China? How much will it cost to rent an apartment in China? The job you have always wanted, a new life, new experiences, study and travel – everything can remain in dreams if you have nowhere to live, even in a foreign country. Therefore, before moving to China with all the things, it is worth finding accommodation in advance. Not all companies provide it to foreign employees.
Content
- China housing: how to rent?
- Real estate in China: what are the options
- Gardena
- High-rise buildings
- Five-story buildings
- Room
- Renting an apartment in China: finding accommodation in China
- Real estate agency in China
- Beijing 北京
- Guangzhou 广州
- Manchuria 满洲里
- Shenzhen 深圳
- China housing: the procedure for registration of apartment rent in China
- conclusions
China housing: how to rent?
When negotiating with the owner about the terms of the lease and its cost, bargain. China is one big market, it is customary to bargain here, and the lack of bargaining is considered bad form. Ask for a discount – you will get it. It is necessary to reduce the cost of rent not without reason.
Always and everywhere you can find flaws – a stain on the carpet or the furniture is not suitable. And there is another option for an apartment that you like, you just can’t choose. The option suits, although there are claims, but if the price is reduced … You need to bargain from the heart. And if you know Chinese, success is guaranteed. But if you don’t know Chinese well and don’t know how to bargain, ask your colleagues or even your boss to go with you – the locals willingly provide help in this matter.
After completing the contract, you need to immediately go to the local police station to register at the new address. When you first register, you need a photo. What nuances need to be considered:
- The decision on housing must be made quickly, immediately after the inspection – there are many who want to settle.
- Before renting out, apartments in China are not cleaned, so get ready for cleaning after check-in.
- The usual quality of the repair is low, so do not trust the photos on the websites, in the catalogs of realtors, and when searching, immediately tell the agent about the desired quality of the repair.
- The problematic place of apartments is the gutters, pipes often leak.
- It is customary to pay for rent once every 3 months.
- It takes about 50 yuan a month to pay for electricity, and the lights are turned off immediately after the balance runs out.
- HOA payment (water, garbage collection, cleaning of the territory and other services) – about 350 yuan per month.
- Gas – about 40 yuan.
Real estate in China: what are the options
So what can you expect in China? You can rent:
House. Of course, this is the most expensive option, but if you are looking for a lucrative position or you have the financial ability to rent such a property in China – why not. This is a good option for those looking to do business in China. Usually, two-story houses are rented out, and no one bothers to open a shop, salon or office on the lower floor, and live on the upper floor, alone or with your family. In China, this is common, and the rental cost of 10-20 thousand yuan per month is fully justified in such cases.
An apartment. The rental price depends on the location of such housing. When determining the price, the status and size of the city, distance from the center, infrastructure facilities, etc. are taken into account. But when you move to China, an apartment with your family is the most acceptable option. Studios are often rented, but it is easy to find a two-room, three-room apartment. The price of an apartment will also depend on the type of house in which it is located. There are three types of houses.
Gardena
Four to five new high-rise buildings of 20-40 floors, united into a complex. The common area usually has a park, sports and children’s playground, swimming pool. The most prestigious type of houses in the PRC, so housing is more expensive here, but foreigners settle here. Apartments in new buildings are in good condition, modernly furnished.
High-rise buildings
Ordinary multi-storey buildings, in which both Chinese and foreigners live. You can rent an apartment of this type in China at an adequate price.
Five-story buildings
Most of all they resemble “Khrushchevs”, the apartments here are small and their condition suits the Chinese. But rarely – to foreigners. But rent is the cheapest.
Room
If housing is needed for one person, then you can rent part of the apartment – one or two rooms. Renting will cost about 3 thousand a month, and this is in the center of Shanghai. But keep in mind that you will have to live with neighbors, and this is not convenient for everyone. But many find a solution: renting an apartment with companions.
So, at least, a person will live with pleasant neighbors, in the right area of the city. You can find companions on local forums, or you can advertise yourself. It should be noted that housing in the PRC is not easy enough, so partners are found quickly. And there are often multi-room apartments, which are, in fact, small dormitories with residents from different countries.
Renting an apartment in China: finding accommodation in China
Where to look for housing? Visit popular internet sites immediately – just as if you were looking for an apartment or house in Russia. Among the most popular resources are the following:
- Ziroom.com. It is enough to select the desired city in the menu, and you will be shown a list of all offers. What is noteworthy is that the exact cost and everything that is included in it is indicated. Also on the site there is a map on which current offers are marked. This site has not been translated into other languages, but the notation is intuitive, and you can always use an online translator.
- Smartshanghai.com. The site comes in handy if you are looking for a house, apartment or apartment in Shanghai. In addition to rental offers, you will get a lot of information about life in Shanghai, find job ads, buy tickets for events, and so on. The site is in English, so there will be no problems with the search.
- airbnb.com and booking.com are international rental websites.
There are also many Chinese city Internet resources where offers from landlords are published – in this regard, the process of finding an apartment or house via the Internet is no different from that in Russia. But the prices listed on English-language sites are often overpriced. If you want to save money, look for resources in Chinese.
Real estate agency in China
The second option is the services of a real estate agency. Arriving in China, use them, so you will find an apartment faster. Or an apartment for a couple of days, a week. Having previously selected the desired area (where the work or university is located), find an agency in it – local experts know the news on their business, so they will find a suitable option. Finding an agency is easy – there is one in almost every house where apartments are rented.
When communicating with an agency employee, immediately indicate all the requirements: characteristics of the apartment, quality of repair, maximum rental price. This way you can avoid visiting unsuitable options. Consider – realtors receive from 30 to 50% of the monthly rental cost, so they are interested in offering you the most expensive option.
But realtors are also interested in renting out low-end options for apartments, and the first 10-15 offers will be just like that. Therefore, searching through agencies takes 5 to 10 days. At this time, it is better to rent an apartment or a hotel room. Renting an apartment in China, as elsewhere, has a different price, it all depends on the province, city and area of residence.
Beijing 北京
Life in any capital city is expensive, and Beijing is no exception. A one-room apartment in the capital of the PRC costs about 10,000 yuan (almost $ 1,500), apartments – two or three times more. It is cheaper on the outskirts, but rental rates rarely drop below 6,500-7,000 yuan (almost $ 1,000).
Guangzhou 广州
A large transport, logistics, industrial and administrative center, there are many foreigners here, so renting an apartment here is a little cheaper than in Beijing – about 6,000 yuan (almost $ 900) on the outskirts. But there is no need to save on living on the outskirts – in Guangzhou, traffic jams are a common occurrence, and being late for work is not welcome.
Manchuria 满洲里
In rural areas it will be possible to find a house for $ 100 per month, an apartment can be rented from $ 300.
Shenzhen 深圳
The city is large, though provincial, but it is actively developing. Its population is growing, but rental prices start at 2,000 yuan (almost $ 300).
Location
In megacities, not everything is decided by proximity to the central regions. Apartments located near a university, good school or kindergarten are always more expensive. Other infrastructure facilities do not affect the cost.
Apartment type
Wedding – apartments bought as a gift for the future wedding of your child. In the next 10-15 years, housing is not used, so it is rented out. There are high demands on the tenant, but if the person inspires confidence, the rental price can be reduced. These apartments are well-groomed, with good repair.
Investment – purchased to invest money. The repairs in them are good, but without much coziness, there is often housing without furniture, with a rough repair – it is profitable to rent it for several years.
Business travelers – their owners go on a business trip for a long time, so they rent out their apartment. These options are the most well-groomed and cozy. But there are strict requirements for tenants.
Agency apartments are the most common. It is easier to remove such things, the agency solves everyday problems for a certain fee.
China housing: the procedure for registration of apartment rent in China
Regardless of the province and city in which you find housing, the registration of rent is standard everywhere. After you have agreed with the owner, you need to leave him a deposit. Usually it is about 20% of the monthly rental price. This is a guarantee that the apartment will remain with you, and when you come to conclude an agreement, you will not be in for an unpleasant surprise.
The second stage is the conclusion of the contract. Without this document, it will not be possible to rent a house for a long time, and the conclusion of an agreement is completely in your interests. After all, all the lease conditions are prescribed in it. This document indicates:
- ID-card number (identity card 身份证. For Chinese citizens, this is an analogue of a passport) of the owner of the apartment, his name.
- The address where the apartment is located.
- Monthly rent.
- Insurance amount.
- Points about solutions in case of unexpected incidents (who pays for repairs, repair of equipment, furniture).
The amount of the penalty that the owner of the apartment pays to the tenant in case of early termination of the contract (usually this is the amount of a monthly lease).
After signing the contract, the tenant makes payment for two months or a month, it depends on the requirements of the landlord. They also pay a security deposit (insurance fee), its size is usually equal to the cost of a month’s rent. All tenants pay the insurance fee.
If you move out of the apartment before the deadline specified in the contract, the amount remains with the owner of the apartment. If you leave on time, the amount will be returned to you. Why such insurance is needed is understandable. Few people want to lose money because of an unreliable tenant, who want to move in square meters, are waiting for their turn.
The rental conditions are usual. The owner of the property does not come without warning, he warns of eviction in advance. The tenant pays for rent and utilities on time, does not terminate the contract ahead of schedule. Doesn’t turn on loud music. Monitors the integrity of housing, furnishings.
Apartment rental agreement 房屋 租赁 合同 / 住房 租赁 合同 / 租房 合同
Rent 租金
Penalty 违约 金
Landlord 出租人 （房东）
Tenant 承租人 （房客）
Utilities 水电费
Gas payment 燃气 费
Payment for electricity 电费
Conclusions
Renting a house in China for a week, a month or several years is quite simple. When choosing, you need to take into account the remoteness from the place of work, traffic congestion, the proximity of public transport stops and metro stations. It is better to look for accommodation in China before arriving in this country, since the websites do not provide all information about the offered real estate, and it should always be examined before concluding an agreement.