FAQs

• Generally, if there are any repair 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 in between the landlord and the management office to help you solve the problem. We will always be there to help you throughout your lease term.

• 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 Beijing 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.

• Yes, police registration is one of the first things you need to do after moving into the leased property. You would bring the lease contract, your passport, a copy of the landlord’s ID and a copy of the landlord’s own certificate to the local police station to register. The whole process should take no more than 20 minutes.

• Your property consultant will prepare a “Check-in Record” which contains an inventory list of furniture and appliances/facilities. The property consultant, you and the landlord will go over the property to check if everything is on the list. We would suggest you put into writing on this record any defect in the property upon move-in, such as cracks, spots, and other damage. The property management staff will help to check the utility meters and instruct how to set up the utilities. In the end, the landlord will hand you the key and the “Check-in Record” will be signed by you, the landlord and your property consultant. It is better to test the TV signal, internet, phone, main appliances, lights, and door keys before you sign the record. If there are any outstanding issues, write them down and your property consultant will coordinate with your landlord to assist you in solving them.

• A thoroughcleaning would be necessary. Ask the landlord to double check all the electrical appliances, phone line/internet set up, make sure they are all in working condition.

• Rent payment is flexible. The most common way is to pay quarterly (with one month’s rent as a deposit) or monthly (with two months’ rent as a deposit), sometimes you can also pay every 2 months. For a corporate lease, your company will make the transfer. For a personal lease, you may pay by cash (a receipt is very essential) or by bank transfer (note: the account number has to conform with the landlord’s information on 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 the exchange rate is agreed between you and the landlord.

• 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 always require Fapiao for tax clearance, but for a personal lease, it may not be necessary unless your company needs it for accounting purposes.

Normally there are 2 different ways to pay the rent and deposit, One is paying the rent monthly (Every Month ) and pay 2 month deposit, and another way is Pay 3 month rent every time and pay one month deposit, It depends on different landlord , but most landlords prefer 2 month deposit, and you can pay the rent every month, and part of the landlord prefer you pay 3 months rent one time, and just pay one month deposit .

And normally when we sign the contract, we should pay the deposit to secure the apartment .

• 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 and etc.,

• One year lease is very common. However, a lot of landlords prefer longer lease, especially if you have requests for specific furniture or renovations. If you have a one year lease, you may face rental increase or decrease 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 on lease term.

• The lease agreement is usually bilingual (Chinese and English) unless both parties are comfortable with one language. The template is normally standard, 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 and etc. Usually your property consultant will help you go through the lease agreement to make sure your interest is well protected. Make sure that you clearly understand what is included in the rent and what is not, to avoid any misunderstandings later on.

• Although your ideal apartment might make you want to move in tomorrow, you still need to check some details 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 anyreasonable 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 landlordcan make your stay more pleasant.

• When youselect the properties you like (first choice 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). Your consultantwill review your list and add some more that you may have neglected (if any) and negotiate with the landlord. For corporate clients, our consultantwill also work closely with your company HR or Relocation Company to ensure that the contract will adhere to your company policies. Upon acceptance, our consultant will prepare the lease agreement and send to both parties for signature.

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’s expatriate residential communities integrated with customized orientation programs such as schools, hospitals, supermarkets, banks, restaurants and etc.
After visiting each property, give your feedback to ourconsultant so he/she will know your likes and dislikes and will be able to make your search more efficient.
Once you choose your preferable compounds, our consultant will show you all the available unitsin those compounds to let you make the final decision.

• Tell us your housing requirements and preferences by filling up the “Inquiry Form”. Factors to be consideredare: Preferred property type (such as villa, apartment, serviced apartment, courtyard) Property size and number of bedrooms Lease term and commencement date Housing budget Preferred location Furniture requirement (fully furnished, unfurnished or partially furnished) Commuting to work, home, school and etc., Particular facilities required (such as gym, swimming pool, tennis court and etc.,) City orientation and schooling requirements Other particular requests or preferences such as decoration style, direction facing, floor preferences etc.

• Newly-launched compounds usually offer competitive price to attract tenants. You may have to face the following problems such as constant construction noise during the day, unfinished facilities (gym, shops, restaurants and etc.,), immature management support, unstable hot water supply, etc., We would suggest youcheck the occupancy rate (maybe chat with a couple of tenants) as well as check the condition of its public facilities before you choose a newly-launched compound.