ESL employers are legally required by the SAFEA to provide a minimum standard of accommodation to a foreign teacher. This is condition of the employer's license. It's obvious why this is necessary: Inexperienced foreigners fresh off the plane in China would find it exceedingly difficult to source a place by themselves without support -- in Chinese, liaising with landlords and agents, arranging inspections, viewing apartments in different locations across an unfamiliar city. In such situations, new foreigners are also susceptible to exploitation. The government deems it the responsibility of the ESL employer to find suitable accommodation for the foreigner.
RentBudget at least 1500/month for your own 2 or 3 bedroom apartment. Be advised: Most Chinese would view 1500+/month for rent as not an insignificant amount of money. Chinese who would rent at that price are in the minority. Many are in the <1000 RMB/month bracket, often because they're low-wage earners or saving for a house. Don't let landlords take you for a ride just because the rents seem low compared to your home country. If you're paying, say, 2500+/month, you should be getting a pretty decent place, incl. appliances, and in a central location. Don't be quick to accept a substandard apartment for a high price. If the apartment is a 老房子 i.e., an old place in an old estate/area, you should be paying somewhere <1500 RMB/month. Generally speaking, you can get a reasonably new and straight apartment for around 2000RMB/month. If you're getting a generous rent allowance from your employer, it's still useful to know about rent prices and that if you're paying 5-10K RMB/month for rent, your landlord had better be treating you well.
If your company holds the lease and you get a housing allowance, they'll probably pay the first 3 months rent (but not the deposit). If you have the lease directly with the landlord, you would need to pay 3 months rent + deposit before you move in. If you live in a managed estate, you might also be required to pay a quarterly security fee and elevator fee. It could be a hundred and something yuan a quarter, but you can negotiate this when you sign a lease.
Any reasonable person coming to teach ESL shouldn't expect their first apartment to be perfect, but it must meet basic criteria:
1. Safe. i.e., a solid door with functioning lock; lockable windows; no faulty gas line/bottle in the kitchen; apartment should not be in an
exceedingly run-down or remote area; no exposed electrical wiring etc. Most apartments do not have a smoke detector, but it's a
good idea to install one yourself. They're not expensive.
2. Clean. Everyone has different standards. Don't be exacting, and expect to do some cleaning yourself or pay a small amount to get a
cleaner in. However, the standard of Chinese rental stock can be appallingly squalid, even by local standards (and I've seem em all).
You'll know it when you see it, and you shouldn't settle for such places.
3. Independent. Your accommodation must not be dorm-like, shared with other teachers, or have shared bathroom etc. It must be
independent and allow you a degree of privacy.
4. Reasonable location. The apartment can't be miles away from your workplace or public transport.
5. Basic furnishings. i.e., working fridge, cook top, hot water system, working faucets, western toilet (not a squat toilet), working lights,
table + chairs, bed and mattress, washing machine, TV, and working air-conditioner/heater. No bare concrete floors or walls. If the
apartment doesn't have these, you should insist that the landlord get them before you'll sign the lease. In a furnished apartment, it's
not mandatory for the landlord to provide a microwave, which are not at all common in Chinese homes, a phone line or Internet.
Everything else, like cooking equipment, cutlery, bedding, etc. are really yours to source by yourself.
There are also these pointers from the SAFEA website that we shouldn't expect a new foreigner to contend with:
What do foreign experts need to pay attention to in renting housing?
(safea.gov.cn)
Updated: 2014-05-19
A foreign expert can get the employer to rent housing for them or they can go through a property agent to look for housing. Under no condition should they rent housing in the following way:
1. Renting from someone without proof of ownership.
2. Housing that has been sealed off or is limited by the justice department or administrators.
3. Housing with a joint house owner who has not given their approval.
4. Housing whose ownership is in dispute.
5. Housing in a building that has been deemed illegal.
6. Housing that fails to meet safety standards.
7. Mortgaged houses without approval by creditors.
8. Housing that does not comply with public security, environmental protection, or hygiene regulations.
9. Housing that cannot be rented according to local laws and regulations.
It can be time consuming for HR staff to find reasonable apartments with all of the above and within a reasonable distance of the workplace. I do sympathize with them to some extent because I've sourced my own rentals and know that it involves a lot of running around and filtering out unsuitable places. One advantage of HR dealing with accommodation for you is that they're usually tougher at negotiating rent. Some HR departments may outsource this task to a local real estate agent, who charges a fee. The school will likely try to pass this fee on to you. Do not agree to pay it; it is the school's responsibility.
Ultimately, the best solution over time is to take full control of finding your own accommodation and don't rely on your employer at all. Do this by familiarizing yourself with the real-estate websites above and either liaising with landlords yourself (if you're good at Chinese) or get a reliable Chinese friend or contact to help you deal with them directly.
