The Most Useful Questions to Rent an Apartment in Chinese

Foreigners and non-locals usually need to rent an apartment “租房子” (zū fángzi) if they choose to work in major cities in China. The whole process could sometimes become chaotic as there are quite a few factors which one needs to take into account. If you are faced with similar problems at the moment, you might want to learn to ask the following questions in Chinese in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding.

Chinese Questions to Rent an Apartment – Living Area

How many rooms are there in this apartment?

这套房子有几个房间?
Zhè tào fángzi yǒu jǐ gè fángjiān?
How many rooms are there in this apartment?

It’s important to have a clear idea about the layout of an apartment before you decide if you want to rent it. In addition, you will be able to deduce the maximum number of flat mates you are going to have by asking about the total number of rooms in an apartment. In this case, the question you need to ask is “这套房子有几个房间?” (zhè tào fángzi yǒu jǐ gè fángjiān?), which means “how many rooms are there in this apartment?”. In this question, “房子” (fángzi) means “house or apartment”, and “房间” (fángjiān) means “room”.

Are there any metro stations nearby?

附近有地铁站吗?
Fùjìn yǒu dìtiězhàn ma?
Are there any metro stations nearby?

If you live in a first-tier city in China, the metro is considered to be the most convenient mode of transport as it allows you to avoid traffic jams. Therefore, a crucial factor you need to consider when renting an apartment is that if there is a metro station nearby. What you need to ask is “附近有地铁站吗?” (fùjìn yǒu dìtiězhàn ma?). “附近” (fùjìn) means “near”, and “地铁站” (dìtiězhàn) means “metro station”. In this question, “地铁站” (dìtiězhàn) can be replaced by some other words.

EXAMPLE:

附近有银行吗?
Fùjìn yǒu yínháng ma?
Are the any banks nearby?

Chinese Questions to Rent an Apartment – Contract

How much do I need to pay for the deposit?

我需要付多少押金?
Wǒ xūyào fù duōshǎo yājīn?
How much do I need to pay for the deposit?

In China, you are required to pay a deposit before moving to an apartment. The amount of money you need to pay depends on the landlord. In general, the deposit will be returned to you after your contract ends if the condition of your apartment meets the landlord’s requirement. If you are curious to know how much people usually pay for a deposit in order to rent an apartment, you may often hear “付三押一” (fù sān yā yī) as an answer. This phrase means “a one-month deposit and three months’ rent”. Meanwhile, the proper way to say “one-month deposit” in Chinese is “一个月的押金 yī gè yuè de yā jīn”, in which “一个月” (yī gè yuè) means “one month”, and “押金” (yājīn) means “deposit”.

Are the water bill and electricity bill included?

房租包括水费和电费吗？
Fángzū bāokuò shuǐfèi hé diànfèi ma?
Are the water bill and electricity bill included?

It’s necessary to clarify with your landlord as to if bills are included in the rent. Chinese people use Alipay “支付宝” (Zhīfùbǎo) or go to one of those designated kiosks to pay their bills, which could be a bit complicated for non-Chinese speakers. Consequently, it would be great if you wouldn’t need to worry about the bill. The question that you need to ask in this situation is “房租包括水费和电费吗?” (fángzū bāokuò shuǐfèi hé diànfèi ma?).

VOCABULARY:

房租
fángzū
rent (noun)

包括
bāokuò
to include

水费
shuǐfèi
water bill

电费
diànfèi
electricity bill

煤气费
méiqìfèi
gas bill

Can I take a look at the contract?

我可以看一下合同吗?
Wǒ kěyǐ kàn yīxià hétóng ma?
Can I take a look at the contract?

It’s very important to go through your contract before signing it so that you will have a rough idea about all the terms listed in the contract. There is no need to be upset if you don’t understand Chinese in that most estate agents provide foreigners with a copy in English. The word “合同” (hétóng) means “contract”. Here are some useful phrases related to this word:

签合同
qiān hétóng
to sign a contract

一年的合同
yī nián de hétóng
a one-year contract

续签合同
xù qiān hétóng
to renew the contract

终止合同
zhōngzhǐ hétóng
to terminate the contract

We hope these phrases and questions will be useful and help you when you rent an apartment. To find out more interesting phrases and questions in Chinese, check out one of our blog posts 5 Small Talk Phrases in Chinese