Your Accommodation in China

[shuoshuo]

I'm going to be moving out of campus this year. I don't even know where to start. There are apps where people are renting apartments. Any tips would be appreciated. This is all quite stressful! My budget is a maximum of 3000rmb, and that's peanuts esp. in Shanghai. But I'm just a student so that's understandable I suppose. My friends are telling me to not rent anything that isn't school-approved but the school hasn't been helpful.

[bientai]

HI guys.

 

Anyone has any idea what kind of price should I expect to pay for a room for two people (I would like to come with my missus) in a share apartment in Yongpu district?

[shuoshuo]

I found an apartment near the campus! I will attempt to sign the lease on Monday, fingers crossed!

Bientai - do you mean Yangpu district in Shanghai? Hard to say. There are all kinds of apartments here. Without knowing your standards of what a shared apartment should be like, it's not easy to estimate the cost. If you are in a tight budget and you're willing to rent a place in a 3 bedroom shared apartment with other foreigners (i.e. an apartment that caters to expats) you might be able to find one for as low as 1500-2500rmb per month, cost not incl. utilities and internet.

[muyongshi]

I moved just recently. We are in a 3 bed, 2 bath, living room and dining room. Probably 110 sq m. It's mediumly nicely decorated and came with no furniture. 1100/ month.

[skylee]

RMB 10 per sqm per month!!! Which city? Still Mianyang?

[muyongshi]

Yep, still Mianyang. I never thought Of the price that way, makes me feel like I got an ever better deal!

[somethingfunny]

Muyongshi. You make me feel sick.

How long does it take to commute from your house to the graduate studies building at Sichuan University in Chengdu?

[muyongshi]

Well due to the speed train and the subway in Chengdu... I can do that trip in 2 hours if all goes perfectly smooth.

[yueni]

Just moved back to China, but I'm in Shenzhen this time. My new apartment that I signed the lease on is 40 sq m in 南山区 2 subway stops from my work on the 罗湖 line.

 

Type of accomodation: Rented studio.
City/Area: Shenzhen, Nanshan district.
Rent: 4500rmb/mth, paid monthly; 2 months deposit paid upfront.
Location: Nanshan district, 10 minutes walk to the nearest subway station, 2 subway stops away from my work.
Description: 40 sq m studio with large, bright windows. 1 bedroom/living area + kitchen w/ a massive balcony overlooking a somewhat busy street. The windows were large and bright, and it's located in a gated community with beautiful gardens. It's right next to a school too. That's probably why it's so expensive: location and quality, though the kitchen isn't exactly in the best shape.
Found via: An agent recommended to me by work who works at 爱屋吉屋, an agency that does not collect agency fees from the renter, just the landlord.
Came with: Double-bed, wardrobe, TV & TV stand, fridge, washing machine, 2 tables, 1 coffee table, 2 chairs.
Landlord / Building management: Landlady whose husband is an amateur handyman who is currently fixing up my apartment (the sink was leaking, the counter was damaged, there's a problem with the lock on the balcony door. They live with their 6 year old daughter in a complex that is literally across the street from where I live, so that's pretty awesome, on so many levels. The fact that the area is safe, since they live here with their young daughter, the fact that they can be so responsive when I get into trouble since they live so close, etc. I've pretty much spent all day today bugging them about stuff that I need fixed, and the husband has been hard at work getting things set up for me. They even changed the locks for me (but I think this is standard in Shenzhen, from what I hear).
Notes: I'm paying quite a bit more rent than I originally wanted to, but I consider that the price for finding an apartment after less than a week in a completely new city with 2 days to spare before the entire city shuts down for Chinese New Year. I was hoping to get something for 3500rmb, but I was only finding apartments that were 20 sq m and claustrophobic, or in really out of the way areas. Half the landlords were also already gone for the new year, and so wouldn't let me see their apartments.

 

...and I don't remember how to attach images on c-f.com, so if somebody tells me how to do it, I'll post the pictures of my new apartment up.

[skylee]

People say Shenzhen is expensive, but the rent level at #149 is not that high.

To attach photos, click more reply options next to the post button below the reply box.

[yueni]

@skylee

 

Fair enough. I had a good deal of sticker shock seeing apartment prices in 蛇口 and OCT as it was. Plus I'm just the clueless newbie getting my feet wet in China waters once again.

[gato]

Average apartment sale price went up by 50% in Shenzhen last year, the highest in the country. Shanghai was at 20%, Beijing 10%.

Rent has not gone up as fast, but it's also been climbing.

[yueni]

@gato

 

That's what everybody's been telling me. Apartments have gone up as much as 1000-3000rmb/month. That is utterly mind boggling to me. An apartment like mine, which while nice, isn't exactly top-of-the-line, can go for up to 6000 or more in Shekou. That is insane.

[roddy]

Thanks for the post, Yueni, great to see! Hope you enjoy Shenzhen. 

[Saxondale]

I'm looking at renting a 1 bed in the next month or two, with a budget of 6-8k/month in Beijing.  I've been sharing a place since i was at university in England and really need my own space - it's been 8 years!  I might stay in Shuangjing, but keep avoiding the more international compounds (苹果社区，富力城etc).  Dongzhimen is also an area i'm considering.  I'll report back if i find a place!

[laogui]

Not your typical China resident

 

71, but of the slightly hardy kind.  Shall I relate my recent experiences?

 

Now in Buding jiu dian 布丁酒店 in Kunshan near Shanghai Hongqiao and also near Suzhou - 75rmb per day, basic, but bearable.  Desk is small and chair is a plastic stool.  I have to nag to get hot water, just bearable for a shower in early spring cold.  Be sure to bring your own towel wherever you go.

 

I started in an Airbnb place in Kunshan.  6th floor, no lift, old building, cold and dark - a masochists palace!  Then moved to a fair hotel in a commercial desert.  Moved again to Buding, but no laundry facilities - it costs more to wash socks than to buy new ones.  The streets here are dedicated to xitang 喜糖 or 电脑

 

HSK3 results came out, and as expected passed HSK3 but just soso - my listening is almost perfect, but reading is too slow.  HSK4 next month.

 

Edited March 13, 2017 at 04:47 PM by laogui
adding...

[laogui]

Living in Kunshan (2)

 

Here there are almost no street vendors - probably a city council policy of urban beautification.  But I miss the morning doufu nao 豆腐脑。 Downstairs the cafeteria style restaurant is ok, and has pidan zhou 皮蛋粥 6rmb which is fine provided I request 在用微波炉加热 No fresh shengjianbao, shanghai xiao long tang bao only those stewing in the bain maries ...

[laogui]

Life in Kunshan (3)

 

I noticed some Australian wines here.  A nasty shiraz which sells at AUD$7 was priced at 98rmb or almost 3 times the Aussie price.  Wolf Blass Yellow (an acceptable middle range Cab-Shiraz) sells at home at $12+ here was 158rmb - again almost 3 times the real Aussie price.  

I thought I'd try a non-GreatWall offering and bought what was without a doubt the worst red wine I've ever had the misfortune to spit out and pour down the toilet.  Nauseatingly sweet - that'll teach me not to read the label carefullyl.  There was no indication on the label, except that the word gan 干 was missing.  It was called 'classic red wine'  

[laogui]

Appalling experience with Airbnb

 

I registered and booked a week in an old place in Suzhou, Shan Tang Jie 山塘街 old district.  That was OK and the district was exactly what I had hoped for, although the house was the bare minimum, and things in the bathroom were decrepit.  The hot water lasted about three minutes, and the kitchen had only cold water.  The air-con was feeble and I was cold all the time, but I decided to extend a week and went through the editing rigmarole with Airbnb, then things started to go wrong.  I attempted to book another place, but they insisted I log in to facebook, gmail or linkedin.  I didn't have a VPN and linkedin said I was suspicious so went through a grilling process to validate.  
In the meantime airbnb suspended my booking rights.  Then they insisted I had to validate my Visacard by providing a copy of my bank statement - that was suspicious.  There is nothing on the statement to connect the card number with the account number.  I attempted to change the payment method but that was locked and blocked.  In the meantime I found airbnb had billed me again on the blocked card.

I created a new account and booked with someone who told me later the place was unsuitable because the bathroom had no shower  (go figure!)  so I cancelled and airbnb charged me $16 for the privilege.

The landlord from Shantang jie then lodged an ambit claim to make me pay for the already broken toilet seat - I had mentioned it the review and I guess she was upset.

Then things got bad...  a small seed transaction appeared against the problem card for $5 from the Consul General of some weird place.  I had only ever used the card in airbnb.  I got in contact with the bank and froze everything, but now I am without access to my funds.
It doesn't end here ... but I have to give a lesson. 老鬼

 

Edited April 7, 2017 at 05:13 AM by laogui
corrections

[Guest]

No pictures at the moment, so here's a somewhat vague description of my digs:

 

Two-floor apartment in Haidian district, Beijing.

 

• Two bathrooms (one on each floor)
• One bedroom (room for two)
• A large office upstairs (the potential other bedroom)
• KItchen and small adjacent room for dishwasher
• Small upstairs open area/foyer. 

Not too much in the way of furnishings, but I think I'm pretty blessed with where I live. The regular cost is somewhere between 8000-8500¥/month, but thankfully it's paid for by my school. Nicest freebie I've ever had.