Housing
Where to look for a flat
The rental market here runs on agents: almost everything you see listed is shown by an intermediary.
Where to look
Local listing sites offer the widest choice, but the interface and the correspondence are in Chinese.
The agent handles the language and the viewings, and usually takes a fee from both sides. That is the market norm, not a sign of a swindle.
Expat chats and groups are useful for getting a feel for prices, but the listings in them are often already gone.
Worth knowing
Listing photos often show the standard layout rather than the actual flat. View it in person, or at the very least on a live video call.
What to look at during a viewing
The journey to the places you go every day, not to the city centre.
What furniture and appliances are included: an unfurnished flat here means literally empty.
Whether the air conditioning and the heating work — many cities simply have no central heating.
Tip
View a place on a weekday evening: that shows both the noise of the area and how bad the journey home really is.
Checked: 26 August 2026
Editor: The PANDA editorial team
What you can hand to PANDA
Sources
- PRC government portal for foreignersofficial source
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