Probably depends on the type of apartment you are renting and the city but in Shanghai you can usually negotiate terms down to as little as 1 months deposit and 1 months rent in advance (rare), usually 2 months deposit and 1 months rent in advance. It helps if you have a good job in a recognizable company, speak Chinese and can establish a rapport with the landlord in his own language. Landlord are looking for "good" tenants, good meaning a good job with good pay because they equate this with you paying your rent on time and taking good care of their property. If they think you are "good" they are usually willing to be flexible on the terms.
Posted on: Renting an Apartment through an Agent 4
October 22, 2010 at 11:00 AMProbably depends on the type of apartment you are renting and the city but in Shanghai you can usually negotiate terms down to as little as 1 months deposit and 1 months rent in advance (rare), usually 2 months deposit and 1 months rent in advance. It helps if you have a good job in a recognizable company, speak Chinese and can establish a rapport with the landlord in his own language. Landlord are looking for "good" tenants, good meaning a good job with good pay because they equate this with you paying your rent on time and taking good care of their property. If they think you are "good" they are usually willing to be flexible on the terms.