How to Find and Rent an Apartment: Everything You Need to

Know
The Beijingers theBeijinger 1

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Whether you've arrived in Beijing as an impoverished student or a trailing spouse on a lush expat
package, and therefore planning to stay for just a few months or years to come, you're going to
need to face the Beijing rental market at one point or another.

There are literally thousands of different apartments for rent in the capital, but prices and condi-
tions can vary enormously. In chic Sanlitun, leafy Chaoyang, student-friendly Wudaok-
ou, or bang-for-your-buck Tongzhou? Furnished or unfurnished? One bedroom hutong courty-
ard house or ultra-modern high-rise apartment? The possibilities are seemingly endless.

To ease the pain of house-hunting, we've compiled this extensive how-to manual, complete with
everything you need to know about renting an apartment in Beijing. So sit back, read up, and
hopefully your search will go as smoothly as possible.
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Before you even begin...

Cost of living in Beijing, China via Expatistan (expatistan.com). Work out how much things
really cost, compared to your current city, and therefore how much you can afford to spend
on rent.
Deciding where to live
High-Rise vs. Hutong: How to Choose Your Perfect Beijing Apartment. "Who has it bet-
ter, hutong-dwellers, or high-rise hermits?" We put the age-old question to bed, and re-
veal the advantages and pitfalls of both.
Where to Live as Expat in Beijing – 5 Things to Consider via Beijing Expat Guide (beijingex-
patguide.com). A handy list of questions to consider before you commit.
Hutong Living: Modern Day Life in an Old School Courtyard (thebeijinger.-
com/blog/2017/08/06/hutong-living-modern-day-life-old-school-
courtyard). "I thought [that living in a hutong] would be a cool way to embed with the lo-
cal culture. My wife disagreed.” Long-time Beijinger and contributing writer Jeremiah Jen-
ne reflects on what hutong living really means in this essay.
Searching and negotiating
Find an apartment in the Beijinger classifieds section (thebeijinger.com/classifieds/apart-
ments-rent). Browse through hundreds of apartments, updated daily, and filter by locati-
on, price range, number of bedrooms and more. Alternatively, connect with people loo-
king for roommates in Beijing, here:thebeijinger.com/classifieds/seeking-roommate.
Essential House Hunting Phrases in Chinese. Apartment hunting is arduous enough under
any circumstances. Now imagine doing it in a second language. Thankfully, this trusty list of
phrases will help you go toe to toe with landlords and realtors, and hopefully, poring over
this list will make the negotiating, signing and settling in go smoothly.
What to Expect in a Chinese Apartment via Beijing Expat Guide (beijingexpatguide.com/chi-
nese-apartment/). Depending on where you're moving from, apartment living in Chi-
na can be very different from back home. Dryers? Not a thing. Neit-
her are ovens. But you'll almost certainly get a balcony!
Use this App to Stop Getting Ripped Off by Rental Agents. This app is the biggest se-
cret that revolutionized many an apartment-hunting journey, bypas-
sing the need to use agents. No more getting ripped off! We walk you through how to use it.
A Renter’s Guide to What Goes Wrong via our sister publication beijingkids. A long-time
China resident muses on some of the things to check when you think you have found the
apartment of your dreams – and a few things to do once you move in.
Actually moving in
Beijing Moving Services to Ease The Pain. In an ideal world, you’d pack two suitcases and
bid a cheery farewell before heading off to start your next chapter. The reality is that mo-
ving and packing can be a real pain in the arse. Fortunately, several companies around the
city can help you to reduce the burden.
Now you're there...
Essential Beijing Apartment Hacks (thebeijinger.com/blog/2017/06/02/its-moving-season-
beijing-apartment-hacks). We’ve put together a list of some clever apartment hacks to get
you excited about your new pad and help you make the most of your Beijing living situation.
10 Ways to Make Your Home More Pollution Proof (thebeijinger.com/blog/2015/06/01/apart-
ment-hacks-10-ways-make-your-home-more-pollution-proof). Sadly, air pollution is a fact
of life in Beijing (at least for now). Here are ten handy tips to get you on the right track...
And because we like things to go in tens... Ten Tips for Choosing and Using Air Purifiers in
Beijing (thebeijinger.com/blog/2014/12/09/every-breath-you-take-ten-tips-choosing-and-
using-air-purifiers-beijing).
Looking for a low-tech way to supplement your clean air space? In The Best In-
door Plants to Combat Airborne Pollution and Toxins, we list which commonly avail-
able plants in Beijing that are most efficient at filtering our air of pesky toxins and pollut-
 ants that can plague the capital.
6 Tips to Create a Stress-Free Home Office. While working from home may sound like the
dream, there’s also the constant risk of distraction and procrastination. Here are six tips to
help you stay on track when working out of the gaze of superiors.
Tips on How to Turn Your Fling With Beijing Into Something More (thebeijinger.-
com/blog/2017/07/18/house-worth-staying-tips-how-turn-your-fling-beijing-something-
more). Read about the small contingent of Beijing renters that have undertaken the task of
transforming their apartments into a home of their dreams, driven by the simple belief that
they can do better.
We hope you won't need to use this resource, but this article explains Why the Bathroom in
Your Chinese Apartment Smells Awful (And How to Fix It).

Protect yourself and your new home

Beating the Landlord: New Rental Policies Tip in Favor of Tenants' Interests. Get the low-
down on the online platform which collects the data of landlords and renters, shows availa-
bilities, monitors the rental market, and allows renters and landlords to rate each other.

What did we miss? What else do you need to know? Write to us at editor@thebeijinger.-
com, or in the comments section below.
Images: Uni You, thebeijinger.com
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