租房

Hey everyone! Welcome to a new episode of Straight Talk Chinese! I'm Tian Tian!

Hey everyone, I'm A-Jie.

A-Jie, I heard you moved last month?

Yeah, just finished moving. I'm exhausted.

Why did you move?

Because my lease at the old place was up, and the landlord said he was raising the rent.

How much did it go up?

From 2,500 to 3,000 — jumped up 500 yuan just like that.

So why didn't you just stay? Three thousand doesn't seem that expensive.

The price was okay, but that apartment had too many problems.

What kind of problems?

The first problem was the direction it faced. The room faced north, so it was dark all day long and freezing cold in winter.

North-facing isn't good. A south-facing room is much better.

Right, south-facing rooms get sunlight, so they're much more comfortable to live in.

What else was wrong?

The second problem was terrible soundproofing. The upstairs neighbor was still stomping around at eleven or twelve every night — thud, thud, thud.

Haha, that's so annoying!

So I decided to move and find a better place.

How did you look for a place?

I used a few apps on my phone — like 58 Tongcheng, Anjuke, and Xiaohongshu.

What's the difference between them?

58 Tongcheng has a lot of listings, but some of the photos look nothing like the actual place.

You mean the photos look great, but in reality it's different?

Exactly! I saw a listing for a two-bedroom, went to check it out, and it was just one room with a board stuck in the middle.

Haha, that's such a rip-off!

So photos aren't enough — you have to go see it in person.

What about Anjuke?

The listings on Anjuke are better quality, and the information is more accurate.

Is there rental info on Xiaohongshu too?

Yes, some landlords post directly on Xiaohongshu without going through an agent.

If you skip the agent, can you save money?

Right, because using an agent means paying an agency fee — usually half a month to one month's rent.

That's quite a bit of money.

Yeah, so if you can rent directly from the landlord, you can save a good chunk.

Do you need to watch out for safety when looking for a place?

Definitely. It's best to go view apartments during the day, and bring a friend along.

Got it. So what were your requirements for the new place?

First, it had to face south, with good natural light.

Won't a south-facing room get really hot in summer?

It'll be a bit warmer, but way better than north-facing. And you're just in a better mood living there.

Haha, fair point. What else?

Second, good soundproofing. I didn't want to be bothered by the upstairs neighbor anymore.

How can you tell if the soundproofing is good?

Generally, newer residential complexes have better construction quality and better soundproofing.

So you'd need to look for a newer complex. What was your budget?

I wanted to keep it under 3,000 — ideally around 2,800.

What kind of place can you get for 2,800?

A one-bedroom is easier to find. A two-bedroom with living room might be smaller or further out.

What did you end up finding?

A two-bedroom with living room, 38 square meters, 2,700 a month, 16th floor, elevator, south-facing.

Wow, that sounds great! How did you negotiate the price down?

I used a few tricks.

What tricks? Tell me!

Step one: first find out the prices of similar apartments nearby, so you know what's reasonable.

That way you know if the landlord's price is fair.

Right. Step two: after viewing the place, don't agree right away. Say I'll think about it.

Why?

Because then the landlord gets worried you'll walk away, and they might lower the price on their own.

Haha, that's a mind game!

Right. Step three: point out some flaws in the apartment — like it's a bit far from the subway — and then suggest a lower price.

But you have to make a reasonable case, right?

Right, you can't just say anything. Otherwise the landlord will think you're too difficult to deal with and won't rent to you.

Got it, point out flaws reasonably. Any other methods?

There's one more trick: pay several months upfront and ask for a discount.

Like how?

Something like: I'll pay six months upfront, can you knock off 200? Most landlords will say yes.

Because they don't want to keep looking for new tenants either.

Right, constantly changing tenants is a hassle for landlords too.

Got it, I'll remember that. What else should you check when viewing an apartment?

Check whether the doors and windows close properly, if the water pressure is enough, if the water heater works, and what the internet signal is like.

Why check the internet?

Because work and study both rely on the internet these days. Bad signal really affects your daily life.

Right, that's really important.

Also check the floor and whether there's an elevator. If you're up high with no elevator, you'll be climbing stairs every day.

Climbing stairs every day... so exhausting.

So when you search, make sure to filter for apartments with an elevator.

Got it. What should you watch out for when signing the lease?

Read the contract carefully. The most important thing is the deposit.

How much is the deposit usually?

Usually it's one month deposit plus three months rent upfront — that's what they call yā yī fù sān.

So you have to pay four months' worth right at the start?

Right, it's not a small amount. So make sure you understand when you can get the deposit back, and what situations lead to deductions.

Does it happen that the deposit gets withheld?

Yes! When my friend moved out, the landlord said there was damage to the walls and kept more than half the deposit.

So how do you protect yourself?

When you move in, photograph every existing problem in the apartment, then send the photos to the landlord and get them to confirm.

Like scratches already on the walls, or problems with the floor?

Right, photograph everything and keep the records. That way you have proof when you move out.

That's such a practical tip!

Also, when you move in, record the water and electricity meter readings and save a photo.

Right, otherwise you can't tell later who used what.

The contract should also clearly state which costs are included in the rent.

Like what costs?

Things like water, electricity, gas, internet, and management fees — sometimes they're included, sometimes they're not.

If they're not included, you end up paying quite a bit more each month.

Right, so you need to calculate the total cost, not just look at the rent number.

I see. Is there anything else to watch out for?

If you have pets, or might want one later, ask upfront whether pets are allowed.

If you didn't ask and just secretly got a pet, would that cause problems?

You might lose part of your deposit when you move out, or even be asked to leave immediately.

Better to sort it out upfront then.

Also, if you want to put nails in the wall or hang things up, ask the landlord first.

There's so much to ask about.

True, but once you've got it all sorted out, you won't have trouble later.

Right. So how has it been since you moved in?

Really happy with it! The room is bright, quiet, and the neighbors are decent.

How do you know if the neighbors are good?

Look at the hallway. If it's clean and tidy, it means the property management is good, and the neighbors tend to be more considerate.

Haha, that's a clever method!

Also check if neighbors leave stuff cluttered around their doors. Some people pile all kinds of junk in the hallway and it gets in the way.

Right, those little details say a lot.

Although after moving in, I did find one small problem.

What problem?

On the third day, the bathroom faucet started dripping.

Haha, new home, new problems!

I contacted the landlord, the landlord said to call property management, property management said to call a repairman — took three days all in all to get it fixed.

Three days of dripping — that must have been so annoying.

Yeah, so it's best to spell out in the contract who's responsible for repairs.

How is that usually split?

Small repairs — like lightbulbs and faucets — are usually the tenant's responsibility. Big repairs — like a broken water heater — should be the landlord's responsibility.

Once that's clear, you won't end up arguing.

Right. After moving in, there's one more thing to do — go register your residence with the local community office.

Oh, you have to register?

Yes, go to the local police station or neighborhood committee and do a rental registration.

What's it for?

It proves you live there. You'll need it for various admin things later, like getting official documents.

I had no idea that was a step. A lot of people probably don't know about it.

Right, don't forget it.

How did you handle the actual moving? Did you do it yourself or hire a moving company?

I hired a small moving company. Just over 200 yuan, and two guys came to help move everything.

Only 200-something! That's pretty cheap.

Right, because I don't have much stuff, one load was enough. If you have more things, you need a bigger truck and it costs more.

Do you need to book the moving company in advance?