Browse our website to get an idea of the property market in Shanghai destination city. Read compound descriptions, find locations, see listings of photo and price to narrow down the options.

Share with us your housing requirements and preferences by filling up the “Inquiry Form”. Factors to be considered are: preferred property type (such as villa, apartment, serviced apartment, old house/lane house), property size and number of bedrooms/bathrooms, lease term, ideal commencement date, housing budget, preferred location, furniture requirement (fully/partially furnished, unfurnished), commuting to work, home, school etc., particular facilities required (such as gym, swimming pool, tennis court etc.), school prerequisites, any other particular requests or preferences such as furnishing style, direction facing, floor preferences etc.

Based on your “Inquiry Form”, our property consultant will send you a list of suitable properties prior to your house hunting.
On the house hunting day, our consultant will give you an overview of Shanghai expatriate residential communities integrated with customized orientation programs such as schools, hospitals, supermarkets, banks, restaurants and etc.
After visiting each property, our consultant will ask for your feedback so he/she will know your likes and dislikes and be able to narrow down your search more efficiently.
Once you have chosen your preferred compounds, our consultant will show you all available units in those compounds so you can make the final selection.

When you have selected the properties you prefer (first and backup choices), provide your consultant with the list of additional items that you would like to be added with regard to furniture and other renovation requirements (if any). He/she will review your list and suggest some that you may have overlooked (if any) and negotiate with the landlord. For corporate clients, our consultant will also work closely with your company’s HR or relocation company to ensure that the contract will adhere with your company’s policies. Upon acceptance, our consultant will prepare the lease agreement and send to both parties for signature.

Although your ideal apartment might make you want to move in tomorrow, you still need to check some specifics to ensure a comfortable stay. Does the heating/air-conditioning system work properly? Do ceilings or floors crack? Don’t be afraid to raise these issues within reason. This being said, it is important that these matters are handled delicately so as to avoid making the negotiations confrontational. Often times, a conflict at this stage will put the landlords off entirely. It is best to draw up any reasonable requests and ask your property consultant to work on them. It is important to know if your landlord is reasonable and responsive to any legitimate concerns. Although price may be a big factor in your housing decision, you should consider that a willing landlord can make your stay more pleasant.

The lease agreement is usually bilingual (Chinese and English) unless both parties are comfortable with one language. The template is normally standard although you need to pay attention to the lease term, deposit, rent and other charges, termination clause (if any), penalty term, landlord’s ID and ownership certificate. Usually your property consultant will help you go through the lease agreement to make sure your interests are well protected. Make sure that you clearly understand what is included in the rent and what is not, to avoid any misunderstanding later on.

One year lease is very common. However, a lot of landlords prefer a longer lease, specifically if you made a request for furniture or renovations. On the other hand, if you have a one year lease, you may face a rental increase when you negotiate renewal upon lease expiry. We suggest you talk to your property consultant to evaluate the pros and cons before you make the decision about lease term.

Normally the property management fee is included in the rent, other fees are negotiable, such as club/gym membership fee, heating fee, satellite TV fee, parking fee, internet setup and usage fee, utility allowance etc.

The deposit is paid within several days upon signing the lease contract. If the rent is payable on a monthly basis, the common market practice is for you to pay 2 months rent as security deposit. If you pay rent on a quarterly basis, the deposit is usually 1 month rent. However, some landlords will insist on 2 months rent regardless of rent payment terms. Currently there is a strong trend in that corporate clients are using a Bank Guarantee Letter as security deposit instead of paying a cash deposit. Some landlords will accept this depending on who the corporate client is, while other landlords will not. Your property consultant will work with you to obtain the best possible terms.

A fapiao is an official tax receipt in China which is issued by the local tax authorities. Currently the tax rate is 5% of the monthly rent. Corporate clients usually always require a Fapiao for tax purposes but for a personal lease, it may not be necessary.

Rent payment is flexible. The most common way is to pay quarterly (with one month rent as deposit) or monthly (with two months rent as deposit), sometimes you can also pay every other month. For a corporate lease, your company will make a bank transfer. For a personal lease, you may pay by cash (a receipt is strongly recommended) or by bank transfer (note: the account number has to match with the landlord's information which is part of the lease contract, or at least the account name should be the landlord’s name). CNY is the common currency used for rent payment. Even though rarely accepted, you may be able to pay by foreign currency provided that an exchange rate is agreed upon between the parties.

A thorough cleaning should be necessary. Ask the landlord to double check all electrical appliances, phone line/internet set up (if part of your lease agreement), make sure they are all in working condition.

Your property consultant will prepare a “Check-in list” which contains a detailed inventory of furniture, appliances etc. The property consultant, landlord and you will go over the property to check if everything is on the list. We strongly advise you to write on this list any defects/damages found on the property upon move-in, such as cracks, spots, etc. The property management will check the utility meters and your property consultant will help you set up the respective accounts. In the end, the landlord will hand you the key and the “recorded check-in list” which will be signed by you, the landlord and your property consultant. It is better to test the TV signal, internet, phone, main appliances, lights, water pressure, Air Con/heating and door keys before you sign the check-in list. If there are any outstanding issues, write them down and your property consultant will coordinate with your landlord to assist you in solving them.

Yes, police registration is one of the first things you need to do after moving into the leased property (this should be done within the first 24 hours). You must bring the lease contract, your passport, a copy of the landlord’s ID and a copy of the landlord's ownership certificate to the local police station to register. The whole process should take no more than 20 minutes.

Upon check-in, the landlord will hand you pre-charged cards for water, gas and electricity, your property consultant will explain to you how to use them. Water: For cold water, you would pay the bill at the ATM, for hot water and toilet water, some compounds use pre-charged cards, the others you can pay upon receiving the bill from the property management office. This will all be explained at your check-in. Gas: Charge the card at the Shanghai Bank or the property management office. For some compounds, you have to go to the specified bank to charge the card. Electricity: Use the ATM or go to the property management office to charge the card. Phone/Internet: You would pay at the Telecommunication Bureau or nearby banks after the 10th of each month. In some compounds, it can be paid at the property management office. Again, these will all be explained in detail upon check-in for your particular property.

IKEA might be the first thing that comes to mind.

Generally, if there are any repairs and maintenance issues, you will first call the property management office to seek help. However, if you don’t speak Chinese or if the management office fails to solve the problem, our property consultant will coordinate between the landlord and the management office to help you solve the issue. We will always be there to help you throughout your lease term.