Many students ask about finding an apartment in Beijing. We are pleased to welcome a guest post from Wellcee. Wellcee is a free online platform for finding accommodation in China. Currently operating in Beijing and Shanghai. We definitely recommend you check out apartments on wellcee.

Here is some advice from Wellcee about finding an apartment in Beijing

Traditional but a very vibrant, Beijing is a city that encapsulates the spirit of China perfectly with a slew of ancient places, temples, modern business district and hutong area. Being as big as it is, the options for where to live can feel overwhelming at times. From bustling city centers to quieter alleyways, apartment buildings to hutongs.

So, there are several factors expats should consider when looking for housing in Beijing, including proximity to places of work or university, individual lifestyle and housing budget. Welcome to the northern capital !

Dongcheng and Xicheng district

Dongcheng and Xicheng district is rich with history. Home to some of the city’s most iconic streets such as Tian’anmen Square, Dongzhimen commercial centre, Wangfujing shopping street, Hutongs area and Yonghegong for those who are interested in Buddhist culture. Most of the residents here are young professionals who earn a decent living.

Living in Dongcheng and Xicheng will definitely keep you busy and never leave you without anything to do!

The labyrinths of Beijing’s old living quartes attract many visitors with a trendy bars, stores, restaurants with a public toilets (literally every 100 m) and as well as who wants to feel real «hutong culture» and plunge into the ancient times of the Ming and Qing dynasty. The famous one is Houhai. It’s a large artificial lake in downtown Beijing, famous for its surrounding bar street, old Hutongs, traditional courtyards, and restaurants. And as well as Nanluoguxiang street, Gulou, Andingmen, Qianmen and Beixinqiao area.

Oldest and best-preserved ancient imperial garden, quiet and peaceful away from the traffic, noise and hustle and bustle of everyday life in Beijing. Lots to see and do, gardens, temples, locals singing and dancing or you can just walk round enjoying the tranquillity.

The average price in the hutong houses: 3000-4000 rmb/month for a shared apartment and 5500-9000 rmb/month for a single apartment.

Dongzhimen neighorhood is one of the most vibrant areas in Beijing and it’s a residential area suitable for the young professional with a higher salary.

The average price in Dongzhimen area: 3500-5000 rmb/month for shared apartment and up to 6500 rmb/month for a single apartment.

Chaoyang district

Chaoyang District is best known for it’s bars, business district, embassies, and sprawling parks. And as well as it’s one of the largest and popular area for young professionals in Beijing. Why? Because of Beijing’s growing Central Business District. Also Chaoyang is home to the majority of Beijing’s many foreign embassies, the well-known Sanlitun bar street, 798 art street, Olympic Green which was built for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, and boasts the city’s largest park by the same name.

Five-star hotels, office skyscrapers and international shopping malls are concentrated in the CBD area. Expats can find a wide selection of serviced and non- serviced high-end apartments offering exciting city living.

The average price in CBD area: 3500-7000 rmb/month for shared apartment and up to 7000 rmb/month for a single apartment.

The well-known Sanlitun area is one of the central districts in Beijing and the epicentre of upscale nightlife and shopping.

The average price in sanlitun area: 3000-5000 RMB/month for shared apartment and up to 6000 rmb/month for a single apartment.

Locally called as Beijing’s «Little Korea» with lots of Korean restaurants and markets. Wangjing area also famous because of the 798 art street. Young, professional Beijingers love this area! The price for renting is much cheaper compare with Dongzhimen and CBD areas.

The average price in Wangjing area: 2500-4000 rmb/month for shared apartment and up to 5500 rmb/month for a single apartment.

Chaoyang Park is located in what is considered to be the richest district in all of Beijing, complete with a sprawling green area located in the center of a suburban neighborhood.

The average price in Chaoyang Park area: 3500-7000 rmb/month for shared apartment and up to 7000 rmb/month for a single apartment.

Living in Haidian District

Haidian district is Beijing city’s second largest area and popular area for students. The largest concentration of top universities such as Tsinghua and Peking. Wudaokou is the best place to live in Beijing if you’re student and as well as it’s great for those who want to feel real «student life» vibes. Otherwise referred to as the technology district, or China’s equivalent to Silicon Valley.

Weiminghu Lake at Peking University

Wudaokou is the neighborhood for you if you’re interested in a world-class education, or you’re just looking to party. Consisting of mainly college students, this neighborhood is known for having some of the cheapest and best bars.

The average price in Wudaokou area: 3500-5000 rmb/month for shared apartment and up to 6000 rmb/month for a single apartment.

Shunyi district, Changping, Tongzhou districts

All of this districts are located about 30 km out of downtown with a very cheap prices for renting apartments but and offers an excellent living environment for families with children and people who prefer a lifestyle of leisure, outdoor space, and want to escape the pollution of Beijing.

A little bit of suburbia in a bustling city, Shunyi is the townhouse village of Beijing, surrounded by international schools, shopping malls and modern compounds.

The average price in Shunyi area: 2000-3000 rmb/month for shared apartment and up to 4000 rmb/month for a single apartment.

How to rent an apartment?

When you’re renting apartment in Beijing please make sure that your new apartment is registered as a rental property. Expats have to register where they’re living.

Even if you’re tempted to skip out on registering where you live, the police can perform random checks, and if you get caught you’ll be facing legal trouble.

After you make a rental agreement you’ll also need to put down a deposit on the apartment. This fee is usually one or three months rent, and is refunded to you at the end of your tenancy if you leave your apartment in the same condition and find someone to take over your lease. How? Don’t worry! You can always use «Wellcee» where you can upload your post and quickly find a new tenant to take back your deposit.

If you find your new apartment through a real estate agent, please make sure that your agent comes from a legal, reliable real estate agency. And have to get ready pay 1 month rent for them. If you don’t want to pay any agency fees, you can search an apartment from the websites: Wellcee and beijinger.

«Wellcee» is a rental platform without any agents. Here you can rent an apartment from real landlords and as well as if you are searching a room in a shared apartment this is a great source which are used by young, expats and modern locals. All of the users add a short story about themselves, for example: how many languages they speak, where they come from, hobby and interests, working field, etc. So, you don’t have to be afraid with whom you’ll share a flat instead you can find your future best friends from around the world, isn’t it lovely?

But the best tip which we can give you when renting an apartment is to be careful and always look at the apartment in person before you transfer any money! Good luck 🙂