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Finding Summer Housing in Beijing - Where to Start?


jasons89

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I'm an American with an internship set up for the summer in Beijing, but I need to find my own housing. I've never had to search for housing in a foreign city, however, and I'm unsure of where to begin my search. I've taken 3 years of mandarin, but I don't trust my speaking/listening skills enough to settle all the potential issues that could arise during my stay. Are there any websites particularly useful for arranging short-term housing solutions?

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How long will you stay? I mean, if you are to stay for a few days, living in a hotel/motel would be a good idea. If longer, I think you need to rent an apartment, which is more economic.

If you choose to book a room in hotel, I would like to give you 2 websites for booking, I personally had booked rooms in both sites and their services is quite good. You can compare their conditions and prices, some of the hotels/motels price will be on a considerable discount if you book them early.

elong: http://www.elong.net/hotels/

ctrip: http://hotels.english.ctrip.com/Domestic/SearchHotel.aspx

A convenient way to rent apartment is renting through a housing agency, the agencies can be found everywhere, you can ask locals where you can get a nearset one.

As long as you have learnt Mandarin for 3 years, it will be more convenient for you to travel, local people in Beijing is very friendly and hospitable, and they will be sure to offer you a lot of help.

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I plan to be there for at least a month, so I'm aiming to rent. The problem with finding a housing agency in Beijing is that I can't even get into China without information about where I'll be staying, so it's a kind of catch 22.

I think you can book a hotel as a transitional option, and then you can take your time to find housing agencies.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey everyone,

I'm moving to Beijing for 10 months or so, probably around Oct 1 (so I could start a lease right then). Last time I lived in Beijing for the summer I didn't need long-term housing so didn't need to deal with housing agencies. This time I'll have a stipend and a budget, and I'd like to find a one-bedroom or studio in the university area. If anyone has tips on places I could speak with or locals you could recommend, please pm me if you don't want to leave that kind of information on the public forum.

Also, so I know -- what are the kind of prices I'm looking at for what I'd like? I like to be a bit off the beaten path (as much as that's possible in the university area at least, ha) and closer to areas with parks I could jog in (ok, just one park! or a track with trees around it???). I know some of the newer places have courtyards and little areas in the middle to stroll around in and gyms nearby. Anything and everything that fits this criteria would be great, and even though my budget isn't huge I think it should be sufficient for a single person.

And what's the area near the Olympic facilities like? I seem to remember it not being too far away from Haidian, and perhaps containing more trees. But alas, that was 2005 and this is post-2008. So who knows.

One more question while I remember: when I lived in Taiwan for 10 months I got all my utilities (water, electricity, internet) included in my rent cost. Does the same go for places in Beijing?

Thanks!

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Oh, and to be more specific: I'm likely to be spending most of my time at Beijing Sport University... what is that area like for rent cost? My hunch is that it will be cheaper...

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  • 4 weeks later...

Bit of a bump to this thread, but opening a whole new one would be a bit of a waste of space.

I'm looking for an apartment near BLCU for this summer. I will be arriving in Beijing on June 19th and will be there until August 9th. Ideally, I would rent an apartment for most of that time, but it is possible for me to stay at a hotel for a couple of nights as well. Budget is about 3500 RMB (depending on size and quality) and it should be reasonably close to campus (+/- 15 walking maximum). I also would like everything to be private, so no bathroom sharing and stuff, although sharing the rest of the house would be fine (but rather not)

If anyone can help me out, that would be great. I've also posted an ad on thebeijinger.com to up my chances.

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  • 5 months later...
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Renting for a month in Beijing can be very difficult as most people want to sign a 1 yr or at least 6 month contract. However, you should try the Beijinger, especially the "roommates wanted" section, to see if you can find any short-term opportunities.

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I agree with previous posts, use websites such as the beijinger and city weekend to find what you are looking for. Also, a lot of relocation programs that deal with interns can provide short term housing. Just be careful, there are many shady "home-share" programs.

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