It pays to do your homework before renting in China

Of the many delights China holds, finding rental accommodation usually is not among them. Here's help with negotiating this minefield

When relocating, there are few things more stressful or horrifying than having to find a rental home in China, an unpleasant chore in an industry of cheats and profiteers.

Even the most worldly and sophisticated tenants can get hooked into various traps, and it's even worse for fresh graduates and couples just starting out on their own.

Although you really need a series of books and quite possibly some antipersonnel mines to improve your inevitably painful renting experience, this brief guide may help you deal with a few of the more common situations and obvious traps.

Your goal is clear: rent without being ripped off by agents. The first thing to do is to look for information online. In China, the most often used classified websites are ganji.com (赶集网 Gǎnjíwǎng) and 58.com (58同城 Wǔbā Tóngchéng), but different cities may have more local options. Once you click on "租房" (zūfáng, rent an apartment), you will find yourself drowning in choices.

You will want to narrow these by carefully deciding, under "renting preference" (方式 fāngshì), your location (区域 qūyù), rent price (租金 zūjīn), type of apartment (房型 fángxíng/厅室 tīngshì), and whether you want to rent a whole apartment or just a single room.

I'm looking for an apartment with two bedrooms and one living room.

Wǒ yào zū yí gè liǎng shì yì tīng de fángzi.

我要租一个两室一厅的房子。

I need an apartment on subway Line 2.

Wǒ yào zū dìtiě èrhàoxiàn yánxiàn de fángzi.

我要租地铁二号线沿线的房子。

I just need to rent a master bedroom/guest bedroom.

Wǒ zhǐ xūyào zū yì jiān zhǔwò/cìwò.

我只需要租一间主卧/次卧。

It is best if you can simply bypass real estate agents (房屋中介 fángwū zhōngjiè) and sign a lease directly with the landlord

(房东 fángdōng) because you don't have to pay an agency fee. It will be cheaper overall, and you will have a much better chance of getting your deposit (押金 yājīn) back. You can screen for agents by choosing "100 percent 个人房源 (bǎi fènzhī bǎi gèrén fángyuán)", which means "apartments that are 100 percent advertised by owners." Remember to always ask if you are dealing with a landlord or an agent.

Is this apartment rented by yourself or by an agency?

Qǐngwèn zhège fángzi shì nín gèrén de háishì zhōngjiè de?

请问这个房子是您个人的还是中介的？

Are you the landlord?

Nín zìjǐ shì fángdōng ma?

您自己是房东吗？

The answer is not likely to be "yes", so they will say:

No, I'm the sublessor/agent.

Bù, wǒ shì èrfángdōng/zhōngjiè.

不，我是二房东/中介。

When you have to rent from agencies, make sure you know the agency's reputation, using the likes of HomeLink and 5i5j. If you are renting from an obscure agency, try searching its name online to make sure it is not on the agent blacklist (黑中介名单 hēizhōngjiè míngdān) in your local area.

When you feel satisfied with an apartment, you can always negotiate on rent, a discount on the agency fee, repair of appliances and perhaps even some new electronics. Everything is negotiable before you sign the contract.

I'll consider this apartment if you can give me a 20 percent discount on the agency fee.

Rúguǒ zhōngjièfèi kéyǐ dǎ bāzhé, wǒ jiù kǎolǜ yíxià.

如果中介费可以打八折，我就考虑一下。

I'm not taking the apartment unless you replace the old air conditioner with a new one.

Qǐng zài wǒ rùzhù qián bǎ zhège jiù kōngtiáo huàn chéng xīn de, bùrán wǒ shì búhuì zū de.

请在我入住前把这个旧空调换成新的，不然我是不会租的。

This apartment looks fine, but can I just have a six-month lease?

Zhège fángzi kànzhe hái xíng, wǒ néng zhǐ zū bànnián ma?

这个房子看着还行，我能只租半年吗？

When you finally decide on an apartment, you need to be particularly careful with the next step: signing the contract (签合同 qiān hétòng). Make sure everything is clear before you sign, or you are liable to be at the signing table for a long and unpleasant chat.

First, know what extra fees you are going to pay. There is the agent's fee, which may be a month's rent. However, if the rent is above 4,000 yuan, usually the landlord pays rather than the tenant. You can ask:

What fees am I going to pay other than the rent?

Chú le fángzū wǒ hái yào jiāo nǎ xiē fèiyòng?

除了房租我还要交哪些费用？

With most rental contracts in China, rent is done "押一付三" (yā yī fù sān), which means you pay three month's rent and a deposit that amounts to a month's rent. Theoretically, you will get that deposit back when your lease is up. You will probably receive an itemized list of all the things in the apartment you will be responsible for.

Courtesy of The World of Chinese, www.theworldofchinese.com

The World of Chinese