Find shared apartments and roommates in Beijing

Shared apartment has many advantages: ease of use, space and of course the financial aspects that represent sharing the rent and expenses.

Finding a roommate in Beijing is easy. Finding the right roommate request however to be vigilant and pay attention to some points. Take time to visit several apartments and meet tenants already installed.

 

First step: the hunt for Internet ads. There are numerous ads on famous websites as ‘The Beijinger‘ or ‘Echinacities‘ sites and on many blogs and expatriates forums. You can target forums in your native language (German, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and so on) if you prefer to end up with people speaking the same language. Instead, if you are in Beijing to learn Chinese and want total immersion, you can try to find a shared apartment with Chinese people, but this implies a good knowledge of basic Mandarin to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Sharing apartments is of course common in student areas for obvious reasons. Neighborhoods like Wudaokou and Zhongguancun, where we find the majority of universities in Beijing, and northern Haidian district in general, are areas where there are many shared apartments, rather for Chinese students. Foreigners usually have their preferences in east of Beijing in Chaoyang district, especially in Sanlitun, Dongzhimen, Gongti and, a little further North, in Sanyuanqiao.

 

 

One of the advantages of collocation is that you can find a well-located apartment in a lively area full of bars, restaurants and shops, and just next to a subway station. Proximity to a subway station and a large shopping center in Beijing is an essential criterion. An apartment near the metro that you could not pay alone will be at your reach thanks to the collocation.

images (1)Finally, if despite all your research you cannot find a suitable roommate apartment, you can rent an apartment and start yourself a collocation. You can try to discuss and negotiate with the landlord explaining that you need a few weeks to find other roommates and fill the apartment. To find a location, you can watch the ads on the Web, as mentioned above, or go through an agency. The best-known agencies are ‘ Wo ai wo jia ‘ and ‘ Home Link’ , but you must have a good level of Chinese to talk with agents. You can also contact agencies specializing in the relocation of foreigners as Scout Real Estate.
You have found a roommate in a good neighborhood location and with roommates well in all respects. Perfect! But for a successful roommate, you should follow some basic rules.

 

The first rule to ensure harmony in the share is to choose carefully and unanimously all roommates.
Daily, life roommate requires from all roommates mutual respect, a degree of tolerance and flexibility, and good communication between roommates.

1. Advice to settle financial issues
The financial aspect of the roommate is the primary source of conflict. To avoid complications, the golden rule is that you have accurate accounts with roommates and that payments are made ​​on time. Reminder: “good accounts make good roommates.”

images2 . Housework
An equitable distribution of household tasks is mandatory to avoid tensions. Organize tasks schedules and a clear program to each roommate. If one roommate does not respect the schedule, talk around a glass to raise awareness.

3 . Facilitate communication
Facilitate communication between roommates, organizing meetings around a drink or a dinner every month or quarter.

Each tenant will have different expectations, particularly on household chores and space management. Once you have a problem talk openly rather than keep it to yourself and explode later. Flexibility and dialogue are the keys to success.

Students-and-Roommates-eating-dinner4. Organize public areas
The bathroom: To avoid congestion in the morning, make a schedule or study hours passages of different tenants to avoid delays at work or university.

The living room: The living room is the common area ‘par excellence’. Do not monopolize constantly standing in front of the TV and without communicating with others.

Food: Clean upwhen you have finished for the other roommates have room to cook. Common sense should prevail, it is not necessary to clean all the time, but it is better to avoid letting things dirty several days.

The apartment in general: Observe the rhythm of sleep of each tenant to maintain a good atmosphere.
When you invite friends, tell your roommates in advance to let them know you will monopolize certain common areas. Introduce and invite them to join a drink.

The roommate is primarily a matter of common sense and respect for others. By following these tips, you should avoid unpleasant surprises.

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About Marketing

I am living in China since 2007. I am sharing my experiences for other expatriates to make their stay in Beijing more enjoyable. As I am writing this blog for SCOUT Real Estate agency, I am also computing updates about the Real Estate market in Beijing, not only on residential properties, but as well on commercial locals and offices. Hope you enjoy your reading!