China is a country of beautiful cities, cultural sights, and history. There is so much to see and experience. When you have decided to study in China, there will still be a lot of matters to take care of before you go(Preparations You Need to Do Before Your Departure to Study in China). One of the most important matters is to find a place to live during your study. Therefore, finding out about accommodation in China for international students become very important.

If you’re concerned about living conditions in China, you might well be surprised by the quality of accommodation available. A survey conducted after the Beijing Olympics found that most foreign athletes and officials were satisfied with the food and accommodation. International students in China can choose to live in the university's hotel or dormitory. You can also live off-campuses with the permission of your school.

On-campus Accommodation

If you are going to study at a university in China for six months or more, then it is often possible to live on-campus. The campus dormitory accommodations come with the necessary facilities enough for everyday life. You will get a bedding package and a single-size bed, desk, and closet, air conditioner, TV sets, toilet, shower facilities, hot water, refrigerators, inexpensive or even free Internet access, and so on. Universities in the north provide heaters for winter use.

You don’t have to worry about the meals. The meals are served very cheaply at the university canteens, but in some cases, you may pay for a meal delivery service. Besides, you are always close to your fellow international students, and it is easy to make new friends. Living on campus is the best way to experience real international student life!

Dormitories generally offer single rooms or double rooms. You may also require your roommate if you want. The cost of accommodation may vary from RMB 25 to RMB 150 per day, depending on the university, the city, and the type of room. You can find out specific costs for each university-campuses accommodation on the university's CUCAS page. For instance, Beijing Language and Culture University offers three accommodation options for international students to choose from, including single rooms, double rooms, and economic double rooms, which cost from RMB 50 to 90 per person per day.

Off-campus Accommodation

International students can also choose to live off-campuses. English listings for rental accommodation/roommates can be found on expat websites, and estate agents are easy to find in China. The cost of renting off-campus varies considerably depending on the location and condition of the apartment, so check the local listings to get a sense of the prices. In Beijing, international students typically pay around 1500RMB-3000RMB per room per month even if live far from the city center, excluding bills, though it is possible to find cheaper accommodation. Housing costs in smaller cities are considerably less. Bargaining rental rates is acceptable practice in China.

l  Private Apartment

Are you fond of your privacy? Then renting a private apartment is for you. You don’t have to share anything, and you have your own living space. In some cases, the apartment is partly furnished. If not, you will have to invest some in furniture yourself. This accommodation offers you the most freedom.

l  Hostels / Guesthouses / Hotels

Are you planning to study in China for a short period (1 to 2 weeks) for a language course? Or do you want a temporary place to lay your head while continue searching for suitable accommodation? Then staying in a hostel, guesthouse or hotel can often be more comfortable. The costs are lower, and you don’t have to sign a rental contract or pay a deposit. In a hostel, you share a room with others. In a guesthouse or hotel, you often have your room.

CUCAS Accommodation Booking Service

School Accommodation Booking Service is a supplementary service provided by CUCAS, to help CUCAS users book dorms on campus. All international students who have applied to Chinese universities through CUCAS can consume this service for free.

How to Rent an Apartment in China

Renting an apartment in China can be very difficult for foreigners who have no or little Chinese proficiency. The main concern is that most information you can find on the internet is written in the Chinese language and real estate agents in China don’t usually speak English very well. The rental contract will be written in the Chinese language.To the above questions, we will give you five useful tips on how to rent an apartment.

1. Get Permission

Almost all Chinese universities provide accommodation for international students in China, and it is very safe to live on campus. If you want to rent an apartment outside campus, you need to get permission from your university, otherwise, you may break the school rules and miss the scholarship. Usually, it's not hard to get permission, it's better to let your teachers know where you live for your safety.

2. Define Your Criteria

How much money would you like to pay for the rent? Do you want to live in an apartment close to your university or not? Do you want to rent an apartment or just a room? Whatever the answer is, having a brief idea before you start to look for apartments will always lead you in the right direction.

3. Ask Chinese Friends for Help

If you can't speak any Chinese, now it's time to go to your Chinese friends for help, tell them the answers you've got from Tip 2, and they will help you rent an apartment outside campus. You can also think about renting a 2 or 3 bedrooms apartment with a Chinese friend, to have a Chinese roommate who can speak English is a bonus, which means you will have someone to look after you.

4. Check Online

There are some English websites in China you can check, I recommend Beijinger and Smart Shanghai. If you know a little bit of Chinese, then you can check 58.com, ganji.com, and soufang.com. These are the 3 most popular websites in China for finding an apartment. On these websites, you can filter location, price range, and several bedrooms, which is good. But the bad part of online searching is the apartment may not be as nice as they said on the websites.

5. Find an Agency

If you can't be bothered to spend time finding an apartment, you can find an agency, that's the fastest way to rent an apartment outside campus. There are some trustworthy agencies in China, such as Homelink, etc. But you know, getting help from an agency won't be free, agent fees typically run you a month’s rent, so get your money ready if you want to choose the lazy way. Try to avoid agencies if you want to save money.

Finally, we summarized that international students may ignore when renting an apartment.

l  Find out all other expenses besides the monthly rent (security deposit, agency fee, electricity, internet, and others).

l  Ask for a regular contract.

l  Learn more about the neighborhood and district of the apartment.

l  Unless you have good to excellent Chinese proficiency, ask your local friend to review the rental contract for you.

l  If you are booking an accommodation that involves roommates ask the accommodation services to fix your meeting with your roommate so that you may know the person you are going to share facilities with.You can also find a roommate you get along with on a website such as thebeijinger.com.

We do think international students should stay in an on-campus dormitory or serviced apartment during their first semester in China. Whether you choose to live on campus or off-campus, you need to prepare in advance. Hope this article can help you find your satisfactory accommodation soon.