Real Estate

Short answer: yes — and the rules are currently the friendliest they've been in over a decade. But "yes" comes with conditions that surprise most first-time foreign buyers: one property, self-use only, a residency requirement, and a purchase process with a few steps Chinese buyers never see. Here's the complete picture as of 2026, from eligibility to keys. The core rules The national framework...

Ask any group of Shanghai expats about rental deposits and you'll collect the same stories: the landlord who deducted ¥3,000 for "wall repainting" after a spotless two-year tenancy, the agent who vanished at checkout time, the deposit returned five weeks late with no explanation for the missing ¥1,500. Here's the thing those stories obscure: most deposits in Shanghai come back in full, and the ones...

Every relocation forum has the same question, asked weekly, answered badly: "What should I budget for rent in Shanghai?" The answers range from "¥5,000 is plenty" to "you can't live decently under ¥40,000," and both answers are correct — for different people, in different neighborhoods, at different standards. So here are real numbers, from people who negotiate Shanghai leases for a living —...

Every week, someone sits across from us with the same beautiful dilemma. Open on one phone: a 1930s lane house off Anfu Road — high ceilings, a private terrace, plane-tree light through original windows. Open on the other: a bright 2015 two-bed in a Jing'an compound — gym downstairs, underfloor heating, an elevator that always works. Same budget. Completely different lives. We rent both, we love...

At some point in your Shanghai apartment hunt, a PDF lands in your WeChat: ten-plus pages, Chinese on the left, English on the right, and a landlord who would quite like it signed by Thursday. Most tenants skim it, check the rent figure, and sign. Most of the time, nothing goes wrong. But every clause in that contract exists because at some point, for someone, something did go wrong — and the...

Finding the right compound in Shanghai can feel overwhelming. There are dozens of options spread across Jing'an, the Former French Concession, Pudong, and beyond. Each has its own character, amenities, and price point. To make your search easier, we have created a custom Google Map that pinpoints the most popular expat-friendly compounds across Shanghai's downtown area. This is not a comprehensive...

If you have rented an apartment in Shanghai, chances are you have already encountered the concept of a second landlord (二房东 / èr fáng dōng) – whether you realized it or not. You find a beautifully renovated apartment online. The photos look great. The price is reasonable. You meet someone for a viewing, sign a contract, and move in. Weeks later, you discover that the person you...

If you’ve spent any time searching for luxury housing in Shanghai‘s Former French Concession, you’ve undoubtedly encountered the “Big Three” compounds on or near Anfu Road: The Summit (汇贤居), Chevalier Place (亦园), and Kingsville (金苑). These three properties sit within a stone‘s throw of each other and have dominated the high-end expat rental market for nearly two...

If you‘ve spent any time researching apartments in Jing’an, you‘ve undoubtedly come across two names: One Park Avenue (静安枫景苑) and Eight Park Avenue (静安豪景苑). These twin developments, built by the same Singaporean developer just a street apart, have become legendary in Shanghai’s expat rental market. But what‘s the real difference between them? Which one is...

So you are moving to Shanghai. Congratulations! You have probably spent weeks researching neighborhoods, browsing listings, and imagining your new life beneath the plane trees of Old Xuhui or in a modern compound in Jing'an. But then comes the practical question: How do I actually rent a home here? The process is different from many other countries. Do not worry — it is straightforward once you...