How To...Find an Apartment in Shanghai

Shanghai is a cosmopolitan city where chic western lifestyles compliment its timeless oriental heritage. On any given street, high-rise apartment buildings sit alongside authentic concession-era villas and old lane houses, and gleaming SUVs grace the same lanes as peddlers on rusty bikes.

As an expat one of your first challenges on moving to Shanghai will be finding a suitable home. A home that provides you with all the comforts you need, but also allows you the opportunity to experience all that Shanghai has to offer.

Understanding the City
Before you plunge head first into your search it is important to understand a bit about Shanghai and its sprawl. West of the Huangpu River is Puxi, home to the Bund, People’s Square, and the French Concession. Puxi is Shanghai’s historical centre, about which many colourful stories have been told.

Across the river, the glistening glass towers of Pudong glare at Puxi’s Art Deco façade; the riverbank rivalry illustrating the contrasting worlds. Pudong is the city’s newest and largest district, home to multinational headquarters, massive residential developments and Century Park, one of the world’s largest urban parks.

For more specific information on the charms and challenges of specific districts in Shanghai, have a look at our guide on Where to Live in Shanghai.

Getting Help

1) Real- estate Agents
Finding an agent is easy enough; just Google ‘Shanghai rentals’ or any such configuration, and a vast number of real- estate agencies will pop up. But it’s important to know exactly what you want before you contact them; and wise to have a rough idea of districts and lifestyle needs.

Some of the more established real estate agencies offer comprehensive services where they will pick you up from your hotel or office in a mini-bus and take you to inspect five or six properties. This service allows you to see a variety of buildings, layouts and furnishing styles. The more you see the more definite you can be in what you what and what you need.

Alternatively you can try your luck with any of the local real-estate agents. These agents will have listings for apartments in the immediate area, and many speak English. Of course, being able to speak Chinese is advantageous as it will ensure that all your questions or queries are answered correctly.

The following agencies come particularly highly recommended:

Shanghai Phoenix Property Agency
Add: Unit GH, 11F, Yujia Building, 1336 Huashan Lu, near Pingwu Lu华山路1336号玉嘉大厦11层G-H座Unit G-H
Tel: 021 - 6252 2742
Website: www.shanghai-realty.com

Hunter Reality
Add: Suite 802, 500 Xiangyang Nan Lu, near Fuxing Lu 襄阳南路500号802室
Tel: 021 - 5456 0007
Website: www.huntershanghai.com

2) Classifieds
Apartment listings and flat-mate listings can be found on a number of Shanghai expat sites, including our very own classifieds section. Classifieds have rental advertisements that are listed by the landlord directly. It is a completely legitimate way of renting, though does require you a degree of foreknowledge about how much a certain type of apartment is typically worth.

Flat- sharing advertisements take up the bulk of classified listings. It is a great option, well worth considering, with benefits extending to meeting new people, lowering rent costs, and perhaps even improving your Chinese. Make sure you know what you are getting yourselves into and have a clear agreement with your flat-mate about what your contribution to the flat will be before signing the lease.