Renting in Shanghai

I’ve recently been seeing questions about the affordability of Shanghai housing. Even though Shanghai has gotten a lot more expensive over the last few years there’s still many centrally located apartments in the desirable locations for expats in particular near JingAn Temple and near Hengshan Rd. (Former French Concession)

A few years ago I’d say you needed at least a budget 5-10K/month but now ~7-11K is more suitable. For that budget you are typically going to find 1-2 bedroom, fully furnished apartments around 35-50 sqm in size.

TIPS:

Visit multiple before making a decision. Go in the day time and then again at night for a second visit. Most agents you find will only speak Chinese unless they specifically specialize in fleecing non-Chinese speaking foreigners.

Another tip, you can typically get a % discount if signing for a year or more or even a free month depending on your skills.

Here’s a list of the places available in said neighborhoods to make your life easier.

Jing’ An Temple (21)

Hengshan Rd. (22)