{"id":2796,"date":"2019-06-19T02:00:34","date_gmt":"2019-06-19T01:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/?p=2796"},"modified":"2022-02-21T20:45:40","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T19:45:40","slug":"rent-in-shanghai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/rent-in-shanghai\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Rent an Apartment in Shanghai: The guide for Expats"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"rent<\/p>\n

This is a complete guide to rent an apartment, or just a room in a shared flat, in Shanghai. <\/p>\n

\n

How to rent an apartment in Shanghai – Index<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Looking for an apartment on the internet<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Another option for getting a room in a shared apartment<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Looking for an apartment through an agency<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. What are the expenses beside the monthly rent<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Why you need a regular contract<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. How should the contract looks like?<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. The most common scams while renting an apartment in China<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Where to live in Shanghai if you care about your social life<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    <\/p>\n

    P.s. Click here if you need an hotel
    for your first days in Shanghai<\/a><\/div>\n

    Looking for an apartment on the internet<\/h2>\n

    If you are just landed to China and you don’t know anybody, the fastest way to find an apartment is probably to check the websites in English language. I recommend Flat in China<\/a>, Smart Shanghai<\/a>, Craigs List and Inter Shanghai.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The pros are that you won’t have to hunt for an agency on the street and most luckily you will deal with a landlord (or an agent) that can speak decent English. <\/p>\n

    Also, if you are in a tight budget (less than 3,000 RMB per month, that is about 500 USD) and you don’t want to live too far away from downtown, getting a room in a shared flat will be your only choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In this case, since very few agencies deal with “rooms” (they usually want you to rent the whole apartment), internet is your best bet.<\/p>\n

    The cons are that the apartments and rooms are usually more expensive (this is logical because the landlord knows that he’s addressing foreigners, often newcomers that can’t speak Chinese) and they get rented fast.<\/p>\n

    Especially for rooms in shared apartment, you either visit and take the room straight away or someone else will. It’s frustrating. <\/p>\n

    However, if you can speak Chinese or have a Chinese friend that is willing to help you, you can also check on the websites in Mandarin. Here the most popular: Sou Fun<\/a>, Bai Xing<\/a> (that is Chinese’s Craigs List) and Hao Zu<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    Also on the Chinese websites the best rooms and flats get rented fast. However you will have much more choice and the prices will be way cheaper.<\/p>\n

    Another option for getting a room in a shared apartment<\/h2>\n

    There are several active Couchsurfing groups that focus on Shanghai<\/a>. You could sign up and see if there is anybody looking for a room. <\/p>\n

    In this case you could propose to him\/her to join you and look together for a flat. If there isn’t any people that already posted a message, you can still post a message yourself saying “Hey, I’m looking for a roommate. Anybody interested?”<\/p>\n

    Why? The reason is that, if you team up with one or two other guys that are also looking for a room, you guys can rent a whole apartment.<\/p>\n

    This has three advantages:<\/p>\n