Have you noticed that after renting a flat in China, there are still many things should be taken into consideration? The following are the most common things need to be considered after you rent a flat in Beijing or other cities in China.
Have you noticed that after renting a flat in China, there are still many things should be taken into consideration? The following are the most common things need to be considered after you rent a flat in Beijing or other cities in China.
Electricity
When you get the keys for your flat, you should also get a smart card for the electricity. The meter (usually outside) will start to show red numbers when you are about to run out of power. Take the smart card to any Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, hand over the card and some cash, they recharge the card, you put it into the meter, and let there be light.
Water Drinking
If you don't want to be boiling water all day, you'll want to get a water dispenser which costs a couple of hundred Yuan. You can get the 25L bottles of water delivered for 10Y (40-50Y deposit on the bottle). There are numerous people lugging water about the city on little three-wheeled things - grab one when you see him passing.
Phone
In China, there are more and more families using cell phones instead of phones. But if you want a phone, you can ask the China Telecom to equip one and you will pay the phone fee and rent fee (about 20 Yuan) every month and the equipment fee is about 300 Yuan.
Gas and Water Fee
People will come around to read the meter and leave you a bill. They usually post a note at the entrance to your building a few days before they're coming around so you know when to be in. If you aren't in then they leave you a slip and ask you to take the reading yourself and phone it in.
Heating
This is an evolving issue. In the past work units paid for the four or five months of central heating you get every winter. However, this is changing and in some cases residents now pay for the heating themselves. If this is the case where you live, you can be sure your landlord will want to pass this charge onto you - which is fair enough.