Job Discussion Forums

[mrpianoman]

Someone posted on an international school website forum that it cost him £4000 to set up an apartment in Shanghai. He said he had to pay 3 months rent in advance. This is what he said

The standard procedure when renting is to pay one month in advance and give 2 months rent as a deposit(which may be impossible to get back from the landlord, so 2 months before you leave your apartment stop paying the rent and tell the landlord to keep the deposit! Don't forget to get a Fapiao for the rent deposit as it will be impossible to get your rent back unless you can prove you had paid the deposit by providing the receipt.) So 3 months rent up front is normal but in Shanghai can exceed 36 000rmb or 4000 UK pounds. You will need a FAPIAO every month to hand into your school to get the tax relief on the rent you pay so it saves you 1500-2000rmb a month. Many landlords don't want to give you the fapiao as they have to pay tax on the rent SO GET IT WRITTEN INTO YOUR RENTAL CONTACT that the LANDLORDS provide a LEGAL FAPIAO every month.

Is it really as much as £4000 to set up in shanghai?

[LarssonCrew]

Even more.

The part about the deposit is absolutely right. I was dumb enough to pay 2 months deposit[I was only paying 2000 a month in a tier 2 city], and of course the landlord tried to screw me over hard.

I had 2 private residences in China and got screwed by both landlords for 90% of the deposit.

I agree, from now on I will not pay the last 2 months and just let them keep the deposit.

I was screwed because they gave me the apartment with a broken bed, after 4 months it completely gave way and they agreed to compensate, so I bought anew one and then they said 'we want the old one back, pay 1000.' Also they charged me because one lightbulb in the bathroom had gone, and also charged me because one flint in the hob / burner stropped working, they also tried to do me because I put in a new lock when it got broken...I don't get it either.

Anyways, so firstly most Chinese landlords are, lets be frank, desperate for money, most got this when the farmland got turned into apartments and so only live off the rent, so they nickle and dime.

Other costs in Shanghai for a start up:[I'll do it in RMB to give you an idea, some of these you MAY get back, but be wary.]

7000 RMB flight
3 months rent x 10000 [a niceish one bed place] 30,000
Maybe you need to put 500 on the gas and electric card = 1000
Buy a subway card and put on 500 = 500
Healthcheck in UK = 4000
Visa fee = 1500
Authenticate documents = 1500 [if you need the police check done as well, double]
Police check = 200 rmb
First months living = 5000+[you want to go out with your new teachers to bars, clubs, dinner etc. don't stay like a hermit if your first month]
Essentials for new place [shower gel, bedding, quilt, just general stuff like first months cooking stuff, pans, pots, oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, the stables of a kitchen] 2000
Starting a pay monthly contract with 4G internet = 1000 [one lump]
Internet [pay yearly] 1500
Healthcheck when in China = 600 rmb

So you're looking there at about 50,000 or more, maybe I would say 6000 GBP to be safe, bare in mind half will go on rent, also bare in mind that they may ask for 3 months PLUS a months deposit, so 4 months would be another 1000 GBP on top.

Remember that some schools do not pay until the 10th of the next month, 15th etc. Don't expect it right on the first of the month, although that would be helpful.

In an ideal world, you'll get the visa and stuff in China paid for, you may get a 2200 baggage allowance, 4000 for relocation etc. So you could get some back.

I've seen people living on their last 1000 RMB for ten days or more because they are waiting for their school pay, but if you get 6 months rent allowance upfront and a fat paycheck then suddenly you've got 60000 deposited into your account.

It is getting more and more expensive to start up. Remember as well you will be living more expensively than you otherwise would because you don't know the nice places to eat for cheap, take more taxis, maybe eat out more etc.

There's probably more in there that I'm unsure of, but that sounds about righ, I'm sure I missed others.]

[jimpellow]

Excellent info as always. I would also caution anyone new to China to not ask for a loan/advance from the school if needed. This will mark you as living paycheck to paycheck and can lead to an abusive relationship.

"Anyways, so firstly most Chinese landlords are, lets be frank, desperate for money, most got this when the farmland got turned into apartments and so only live off the rent, so they nickle and dime."

I think that is being too nice. Firstly most Chinese landlords are, lets be frank, Chinese.

[LarssonCrew]

The cost of going to China has probably tripled since I first went, I remember going with 400 quid in my pocket, a ticket, my visa cost me 60 pounds, so in total [flight was about 3000 rmb], I was in fr about 7000 rmb.

Nowadays the flight has doubled in price, finding a good place at a reasonable place is time consuming, and if you don't have your own accom when you arrive you've also got to factor in 3-4 days in a hotel [or a hostel if you're super broke], for another 200 a night.

I once [after loaning my brother 100,000 RMB to help with a deposit on a house] literally had 50 RMB a day.

Damn, lucky I could cook potato and 5 yuan meat fried rice, saved my bacon[couldn't afford bacon].

Personally when I return to China without paying rent I am looking at about 30,000 RMB in a budget, that includes a cheap cheap flight for around 2900 to Beijing one way]. Health check and visa and stuff will be around 10,000 before I've even got my Z visa.

[mrpianoman]

It's dead expensive then to set up. What do you mean if you get 6 months rent allowance in advance you have 60000 in the bank? who pays that kind of money for a rent allowance 6 months upfront then? The jobs I've seen advertised on here and elsewhere wouldn't be enough to rent a one bed apartment then. A chinese recruiter told me she pays 2000RMB for a room in Beijing, which is cheap compared to the 10000 rent for a one bed.

[LarssonCrew]

She probably pays 2000 for a place outside the 5th ring road that takes 2 hours to get anywhere, and it may be that there's someone else in the room too, OR it's an old school walk up that is freezing in winter and boiling in summer and has shoddy internet.

You're probably looking at about 6000+ for a nice place in Shanghai, BJ etc. None of these places I see advertising pay the correct amount of housing allowance, so if I see an advert that says [housing OR 4000 housing allowance in BJ / SH] I'd be inclined to take the house, don't worry about fees, the huge start up cost etc.

My old international school job paid us 4000 RMB i na tier 2 city in housing allowance and we got 6 months in one whack with our first paycheck. Felt good having a solid 50000+ in the first paycheck. but as usual they cheated and didn't buy the insurance so when I had surgery it almost all went.

[LarssonCrew]

If it's your first time to live in China I would honestly find a uni/high school/middle school etc. that arranges an apartment or gives you one on site. You don't want to deal with a landlord who is Chinese on your first day hungover, knowing you've only got 2 days of hotel booked.

Plus it saves a huge 30000-40000 bill in the first whack.

[The bear]

[LarssonCrew]

Forgot to say that often universities or public school housing will provide SOME essentials, cooking stuff [normally one fork, one spoon etc.] But my old uni place had a nice AC and no bills, decent washing machine, poor internet[but still didn't cost me anything] and was generally convenient and within really easy distance of cheap food.

[Shanghai Noon]

[mrpianoman]

I'm not planning on coming to China very soon as I'm working in Italy, teaching at a company. It's a good gig with lots of hours per week, circa 35. I just noticed the post about the cost t set up in china and wanted it confirmed as i thought it was a bit over the top but it seems it isn't. I may look for an international school in china if it pays well but I'd want a free apartment thrown in as I wouldn't want to pay all those upfront costs myself.

[LarssonCrew]

Are you a licensed teacher in the UK[I'm assuming here.]

You can still make bank without it, maybe upwards of 25,000 with apartment if you do 35 hours a week [15 hours base for salary + apartment + visa + airfare] then 20 hours a week private.

[mrpianoman]

Yes I'm a licensed teacher from the UK. It seems quite good if you can make 25000RMB with only a base salary of 15 hours and topped up with 20 hours private. I'm going to be grossing jus short of 2000euro here in Italy cos the hourly rate is lowish but the number of hours makes up for it. My contract is up in July 2017 although there is a one month notice either way in the contract. It might take time to build up 20 hours in privates I'm thinking, would it? So you'd have to get by on 15 hours a week to start with.

[Shanghai Noon]

[SH_Panda]

Just get a job that provides accommodation, then don't deal with that headache.

Simple.