Margaret R. Seaton 
When it comes to finding an apartment, every city has its share of quirks – and Beijing is certainly no exception. Unfortunately, such quirks can leave you with a rental nightmare, especially if you are coming from abroad and unfamiliar with the lay of the land. To help you in your process, here is our guide to avoiding bad rental deals in the capital.
1. Do not choose the first floor
When renting in Beijing, try to avoid apartments on the first floor. Why? The apartments on the first floor are usually not very sunny. This is especially true when renting in a resort surrounded by tall buildings. In addition, apartments on the first floor are prone to attracting moisture, which can lead to mold growth. Beijing is not a humid place, however, the city can receive a lot of rain during the summer months, as was the case throughout the last year. So while winter can be fine, summer can cause some headaches.
Plus, privacy is difficult unless you close all your curtains, and there are usually a lot of cockroaches on the first floor, especially during the summer months. Even if you keep your space as neat and tidy as possible, they will still find ways to squeeze through the nooks and cracks in your apartment.
2. Stay away from the streets
When looking for an apartment in Beijing, try to look for a place that is not on the street. Rooms facing the street let in more road noise, so if you are a light sleeper you run the risk of being regularly torn from a peaceful sleep by car noise, footsteps and footsteps. loud conversations.
3. Find a place with subways nearby
Regardless of the cost of housing, make sure your apartment is near a metro or other form of public transportation. And beware of ads that say they’re five or ten minutes from the metro, as officers will usually pick a number at random and add it to an ad to attract more people. That is, you might end up moving into a location thinking it’s five minutes away when it’s actually a 20-minute walk from your apartment to the nearest metro or bus. At the very least, you should check maps before renting, however, a real Beijing rental pro would walk to and from the metro when visiting potential accommodation, just to be on the safe side.
4. Know your landlord
Knowing your owner is a boon when renting in a city like Beijing. When dealing with a rental agent, you’ll have to pay a service charge before you rent – and sometimes every time you sign a new contract – which typically range from half a month to a full month’s rent. This plus the deposit required on the first rental and up to three months ‘rent means you’ll pay the equivalent of five months’ rent all at once!
Rental services like Ziroom allow users to pay monthly, but they often increase the price per month when you select this option, adding the service charge to the rent so that it is paid back within 12 months.
Do you have any tips for avoiding more rental nightmares? Let us know in the comments!
Read: Beijing publishes plans for new rental market regulations
Images: Weibo, Dianping
