Before you flyThe cost slots, not a price table
The cost slots, not a price table
Headquarters approves a housing allowance. The family spends housing plus school plus insurance plus an ayi plus utilities plus food. Talking only about “what ¥20,000 rents” misses the bill that breaks a villa household.
- 01
Rent, deposit, agency fee — written asking prices or units we have verified. Not a city-wide average.
- 02
School: the school’s own written quote.
- 03
Furniture: employer framework, rental, IKEA, or a sea shipment. Different invoices, different damage terms.
- 04
Medical premium and excess: HR or the broker, not us. We do not sell policies.
- 05
Ayi hours in a contract, not a “market wage”. Utilities against the meter numbers on move-in day. Food against the corridor you actually cook in.
- 06
Hidden commute: does the company provide a driver. Leaving: a return shipment often costs more than renting furniture again.
Housing The three rent bands describe the housing conversation only. They are not a household budget. A Huacao villa plus an international school is not a Former French Concession walk-up with no children.
Before you fly
- Choosing an area by commute and schoolShanghai is not chosen by district. A family is locked by the school bus first, then the office door, then the airport, then the spouse’s daily life.
- What ¥12,000, ¥20,000 and ¥35,000 rent¥12,000, ¥20,000 and ¥35,000 are conversation bands for an HR housing allowance. They are not a promise of what is listed this week.
- Agency fees and deposit termsThe cash pit in week one is not the rent itself. It is the stack on signing day. Put the numbers in the contract, not in WeChat.
- How to read an English listingEnglish listing boards are an index, not a verification. Freshness is often a paid refresh. Photographs are often not taken by the agency that posted them.
- The housing brief to settle before viewingsA shortlist only works after the employer and assignee agree on the campus, door-to-door commute, lease party, reimbursement, accommodation registration, furnishing, signing-day cash and who may approve a trade-off.
Each guide gives the official process with source links and effective dates, plus the pitfalls we have recorded from real cases. Anything requiring a licence is referred to registered providers only.
Live near what you love.
Tell us the school, the dates, and the corridor you are looking at.