Start with your commute, budget and non-negotiables. Compare the platforms below, then verify the actual home, fees and terms before you commit. This guide draws on interviews with recent tenants and practical housing searches, with a Shanghai focus.
Start with these platforms. Fees and coverage change, so confirm current details in-app.
Built for foreigners, with direct landlord or subletter contact and translated listings and chat.
Watch out: individual listings may omit utilities, floor, or lift. Message several places.
Ziroom manages standardized furnished apartments, so you deal with a company rather than a landlord.
Watch out: English support may weaken after booking, and early termination can cost extra.
A social app where landlords, tenants, and agents post homes, sometimes without an agent fee.
Watch out: posts are unverified. Never send a deposit before a trusted in-person viewing.
Large inventory and neighbourhood offices, but the experience is mainly in Chinese.
Watch out: settle the agent fee in writing before viewings.
An English-language Shanghai board with screened listings and English-speaking agents.
Watch out: listings do not provide escrow, contract, or deposit protection.
Practical checks shared by recent tenants.
Keep a first contract to one year or less; early exit can be expensive.
Before viewing, confirm the agent, payer, and exact fee in writing.
Use written WeChat messages for translation and a record of promises.
Before time-sensitive viewings, confirm that your phone number works in China and that you have a payment method accepted by the listing platform or housing provider.
Include allergies, smoke sensitivity, pets, sunlight, noise, minimum space, furniture, appliances, and shared-area concerns before the search begins.
Before move-in, record every room, mark, and damaged surface on video.
Test taps, shower pressure, drains, and toilets.
Connect your own phone and test speed before signing.
Ask for electricity and water rates; commercial rates can cost more.
Judge the in-person viewing, not edited photos. Never deposit sight unseen.
Avoid suspicious subdivided rooms and verify the property’s lawful use.
Check hallways and shared areas for smoke, pet exposure, odors, noise, cleanliness, and anything relevant to your health or comfort.
Photos cannot prove everyday sunlight. Visit when natural light matters to you, and check what nearby buildings block.
Match the owner’s ID, ownership certificate, and contract. For sublets, request written permission.
Put rent coverage, repairs, deposit return, and early-exit terms in the contract.
Confirm the landlord will support required accommodation registration. See the paperwork guide.
Before paying to reserve a unit, get the exact room, amount, holding period, refund rules, and whether the money will count toward rent or the deposit in writing. Use an official payment channel and keep the receipt.
Report repairs with photos. Confirm who arranges and pays before spending.
If the mattress is too firm, confirm its size before buying a topper.
Protect mattresses, counters, desks, and kitchen surfaces from stains.
Do not host someone with unlawful stay documents. Direct them to 12367 or the exit-entry authority.
Six common listing and contract terms.
One-month deposit plus three months’ rent. Ask whether monthly payment is available.
Agent fee, paid on top of rent and deposit. Confirm and negotiate.
Residential utility rates. 商水商电 usually costs more.
Whole flat, rather than a room in a shared flat.
No agent fee. Still verify who posted the listing.
A subletter. Ask for the owner’s written permission.
Details change. Confirm fees, payments, documents, registration, and contract terms. For disputes or legal interpretation, use a qualified professional or responsible authority.
If you want someone to help with a targeted search, English comparison report and viewing coordination, see the current scope and payment terms before booking. Rent, deposits and third-party fees are separate.
Share the information or tool you could not find.
Start with your commute, budget and must-haves. Compare platforms, inspect the actual home, and confirm fees and written terms before paying or signing. Platform features and local terms can change.
The existing guide records platform checks and tenant interviews in July 2026. This is a historical record; current provider terms have not been rechecked. Sources linked below have not been reverified for this update.
Found a correction? Email Adapt to China with the guide and source.