Renting in China: the contract, the deposit and the police registration

Yes, as a foreigner you can simply rent in China, and since 15 September 2025 there are national Housing Rental Regulations that protect tenants: contracts in real names, registration with the housing authority, and a deposit the landlord may not simply withhold. What makes renting different for foreigners is the police: within 24 hours of moving into your home you register your address, with your tenancy agreement as proof. A landlord who would "rather work without paperwork" puts you outside the law: whoever does not register gets a warning and possibly a fine of up to ¥ 2,000.

What do the new Housing Rental Regulations say?

The State Council's regulations (Decree 812) apply to rental homes in urban areas. The core for tenants:

Rule	What it means
Contract in real names	landlord and tenant sign with their real identity; the landlord must check yours
Landlord's proof	the landlord shows their identity and an ownership certificate or other proof that they may let the home
Registration of the contract	the landlord registers the contract with the housing authority, free of charge; if they don't, you may do it; via an agent, the agent arranges it
Deposit	amount, repayment period and the cases in which something may be deducted are in the contract; outside those cases the landlord may not withhold anything without good reason
Access	the landlord may not enter your home without your consent, except where the law allows
Termination by the landlord	with notice and reasonable time to leave; no coercion or threats
Agents	show prices clearly, charge nothing extra, and do not collect rent or deposit on your behalf
Rooms	kitchen, bathroom, balcony, corridor or garage may not be let separately as living space

Cities also regularly publish rent levels per district and type of home, so you can see whether an asking price is reasonable.

What do you check before you sign?

The Beijing municipality gives foreign tenants a checklist:

• Is the landlord the owner? Ask for the ownership certificate and an identity document. If someone else is letting, ask for the original, preferably notarised, authorisation from the owner, or the owner's written consent to sublet.
• Use the model contract of the municipality and the market regulator, and have the agent sign with their qualification number.
• Put everything on paper. Oral promises do not count.
• Inspect the home at the key handover: does the home match the contract, do the appliances work, do you have all keys, and note the water, electricity and gas meter readings.

The contract should include, among other things: the rent and the deposit and how you pay, the term, who does the maintenance, who pays service charges and utilities, and what happens in a dispute. During the term the landlord may not raise the rent unilaterally. If someone lets with a counterfeit consent to sublet, the contract should state that this sub-lessor bears the responsibility for it.

Which time limits are in the Beijing model contract?

The model contract already fills in a number of time limits; what is left open you fill in together with the landlord.

Time limit	Beijing model contract
Registration of the tenancy agreement	within 3 days of signing
Landlord does not want to renew at expiry	notify in writing at least 30 days in advance; if the home is let again, the sitting tenant has priority under the same conditions
Repayment of the deposit	within 3 working days of the handover, after deducting unpaid rent, expenses and damage
Sale during the tenancy	you have a right of first refusal; you reply within 15 days of the written notice, otherwise it lapses
Early termination, by either party	in writing, with a notice period to be filled in and a penalty as a percentage of the monthly rent

Under the regulations, a dispute about the deposit, maintenance or the handover is first resolved by negotiation; if that fails, you can turn to mediation, arbitration or the courts. Whoever lets a kitchen, bathroom or garage separately as living space risks, as a private individual, a fine of ¥ 2,000 to ¥ 10,000.

No valid contract, no registration. For your 24-hour registration with the police, Beijing asks, online or at the local station, for a photo of your passport and the page of the tenancy agreement or ownership certificate showing the address. Whoever moves must register again. So do not sign with a landlord who will not put the contract in real names or in full.

How does your home connect to the rest of your papers?

Later counters ask again for the registration certificate of your address, for example when converting your driving licence. A contract that is right and a registration certificate that is right are therefore worth more in China than a bigger home. Choose your district on the route to work and school; whoever wants to buy later may only do so after a year of working or studying in China, see buying a house in China. How the registrations follow one another is in residence permit and registration in China.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.5: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to China or go straight to step 5.5 in the open plan.