Along with taxmen, lawyers, mother-in-laws and people that shout into their mobile phones in public like they are trying to communicate by sheer lung power alone, agents are some of the most despised/maligned people on Planet Earth. For good or for bad, however, they are here to stay. In the Middle Kingdom they are no exception: their ubiquity is astounding, with a consecutive row of five or six real estate offices on a city street not being an uncommon sight. On the one hand this is great for the house hunter, as an excursion to their desired area of residence will immediately glean results; on the other, it can be a damning curse..nbsp.

The services –a loosely used term – offered by agents, vary in number and quality from agent to agent and will be discussed in further detail later. The question at hand is that of finding alternate means for locating apartments for rent.

The good news is that sites of vacant Chinese real estate are amongst the cornucopia of things proliferated across the internet. Going directly to a landlord and negotiating prices, terms and conditions is probably one of the most preferred means of finding an apartment. It should be noted that this method does not result in a legally binding contract; however the use of such a piece of paper, as discussed later, is in practice often negligible. So, if you have the time to seek out a landlord there are a number of channels that you can go through:-

1) Word of mouth- This is by far the most preferable method as it is very likely that you will have access to an opinion about their treatment of tenants should you have come across the landlord via a recommendation.

2) Internet – There are two means for finding apartments on the internet: One is the use of classifieds in online expat magazines; the other is finding sites dedicated to connecting landlords with potential tenants.

A sting in the tail- when a landlord is not a landlord

The bad news is that the majority of the adverts for apartments posted by landlords turn out to be posted by agents, a fact which the kind agent reveals sometime further down the line at his or her leisure. It is not to say that genuine landlords cannot be found; it is just that finding them is more of a challenge, and as a result of their scarcity will limit your choices.

Why we like landlords

The main benefit of dealing directly with a landlord is that you don’t have to pay an agent’s fee. This is a somewhat contentious issue in house hunting these days. In Beijing, for example, it was previously recognized that the agency fee should be shouldered by the landlord should the cost of the rental be in excess of 3000 RMB per month. In practice this does not always work; agents will often insist that the tenant (also) pay. For this reason a bona fide landlord is often seen as the holy grail of apartment hunting; in cities where it is expected that on signing a contract the tenant pay one month’s rent deposit, one month’s rent in agents fee and three month’s rent up-front, changing apartments can be financially crippling.

As always, when paying for something in China you are, however, allowed to bargain. If you are renting with an agency and they insist on you paying a fee, it is worth haggling for either a lower fee or a reduction in rent. Should you be planning to lease the property for an extended period of time, it is also worth considering taking an agent’s fee on the chin in return for a lower monthly rent, resulting in savings in the long run. Alternatively, if you intend to stay for a shorter period, exemption from an agent’s fee or a dramatically lower figure is obviously preferable.

Paper chase - important documents

With or without an agent, it is always important to check that the correct documentation is in order. If the agency is not one of the big, easily recognizable real estate chains – Woaiwojia being one such example – it is important to check that they are certified agents. Legitimate agents will be happy to show you their credentials and certification. Whether you are renting through an agency or direct with a landlord, it is important to have a photo copy of the landlord’s state issued ID card, and if you are dealing directly with the landlord there should be certification to show that he/she is legally permitted to lease the property.

An agent/landlord’s got to do what an agent/landlord’s got to do

There are two ways in which an agency can be involved in renting a property: In the first instance they merely act as agents for connecting a landlord with prospective tenants, and they provide a contract. In this case, after the contract has been signed and money exchanged, they generally wish to have as little to do with the affair as possible. It’s worth noting that after the expiry of the initial contract they are also unlikely to want to have anything further to do with the matter should you wish to renew the contract.

Alternately, agents are sometimes responsible for an apartment and receive a month or two’s rent money from the owner of the property in order to deal with everything. This can, in some ways, be a bit of a pain for the tenant; if something breaks in your apartment then you have to chase and agency to get it fixed. If you are chasing a landlord then he will have one or a handful of tenants to deal with: an agency, on the other hand, might potentially have countless dissatisfied tenants to appease at any one time.

Ultimately, when dealing with a landlord directly, you are most likely to receive the most attentive service. If someone has a personal stake in a property, they will be more likely to provide a better service to ensure that care is reciprocated by those living in their property. Sadly, the only way to find out is from experience.

And finally, some quick tips:

1) Before signing a contract check that all of the property’s fixtures and fittings are in good working order. If anything is damaged, dated photographic evidence is the best way to provide proof in the event of a dispute about the return of a deposit.

2) If there is an agreement about additional furniture being added or necessary repairs made before moving in, make sure that this is written into the contract before signing.

3) If you run into problems with the apartment and think that withholding your rent might be a good way to make the agency or landlord take notice, first check the fine print of the contract. Some contracts state that a tenant should incur a one month’s rent penalty should they be late in payment. This is a huge sting, so always read the contract.

4) READ THE CONTRACT! If you don’t read Chinese, get someone who is proficient in both Chinese and your native language to help you through it.