Renting in Beijing: Written Contracts, Rental Filing, and Accommodation Registration

Before renting in Beijing, a foreign national should confirm the lessor's identity and ownership of the property or legal right to sublet it, and put the rent, deposit, lease term, repairs, move-out arrangements, and responsibility for charges into the contract. The Civil Code requires a lease with a term of six months or more to be in writing. If no written form is used and the lease term cannot be determined, the lease is deemed indefinite, making disputes over move-out and renewal more likely.

Rental filing and foreigner accommodation registration are different

For properties covered by the Administrative Measures for Commodity Housing Leasing, the parties must complete housing lease registration and filing within 30 days after the lease contract is concluded. A foreign national's obligation to register a non-hotel residence within 24 hours of arrival is a separate exit-entry administration requirement. Completing one does not replace the other.

Do not wait until move-out to check filing obligations

The housing lease measures provide that failure to complete the required filing may result in an order to correct the matter within a time limit. An individual who still fails to do so may be fined up to RMB 1,000. Soon after signing, confirm who will handle the filing, where it will be done, and what evidence will be issued.

Contract rules can be found in the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, and filing requirements appear in the Administrative Measures for Commodity Housing Leasing. Accommodation registration must still be completed separately under the Exit and Entry Administration Law.