FAQs
01
What is the common lease period that landlords accept?
For non-serviced apartments/houses it's more than 1 year.
For serviced apartments/houses it's more than 1 month.
02
What is supposed to be included in the rental?
Must Include:
Management Fee, Optional and common to include, TAX Invoice (fapiao), Internet, Clubhouse, Satellite TV;
Not commonly included but possible:
Utilities, Parking Space.
03
How many months’ security deposit do landlords require?
1 or 2 months. The normal practices are:
2 months deposit and 1 month rental payment or 1 months deposit and 3 months rental payment.
04
Is a Termination or diplomatic clause common?
It is not common and not widely accepted either. Landlords will mostly only accept it for lease for actual diplomats, but not for expats.
05
What’s the timeline for securing a property?
This depends on the budget. High rentals starting from 40K RMB can be up to 2 months in advance and lower rentals especially under 20K RMB need to be within 2 weeks.
06
Are properties usually furnished or unfurnished?
Apartments are often fully furnished, but villas and townhouses are usually unfurnished, however landlords can be flexible and furnish them.
07
What are the most popular areas for expats to live?
Former French Concession, Jing'An, Hongqiao, Minhang, Qingpu, Jinqiao, Lujiazui and Kangqiao.