F.A.Q

    Rental and sale
    Q: Can someone sell a property without confirmed the ownership?
    A: No. Property ownership should be confirmed prior to trading. Ownership should be confirmed before transfer. One should be very careful with the properties of which ownership is unconfirmed or in dispute.
    Q: If both husband and wife’s names are on the property ownership certificate, can either of them sign the contract and sell the property?
    A: No. The couple both must sign the contract. If one can not sign in person and has to authorize the spouse to sign on his/her behalf, the spouse must present a notarized letter of authorization.
    Q: Can someone sell a mortgaged property?
    A: Yes. The seller must inform the buyer of the mortgage before transaction. Ownership transfer cannot be do until the mortgage is finished or cancelled.
    Q: Can someone sell a property being rented?
    A: Yes. However the seller must notify the renter 3 months before the selling. The renter has the privilege to buy the property under the same trading condition as the other buyer. In the mean time, the seller must inform the buyer prior to the transaction that, after the transaction is completed, the buyer must take over the renter’s right and liability set in the tenancy contract.
    Q: How to apply for the grant of more mortgage loans with a low interest rate?
    A: First, you should have evidence of good credit standing such as evidence of income, tax return. You should not have had any record of significant amount of overdue loans. The bank will consider whether it is the first, second or even third property you have purchased. Usually the Bank will grant more mortgages with low interest rate to the applicant who purchases his/her first mortgage.
    Q: Can I add a co-owner to the ownership certificate?
    A: Yes. When you get the ownership certificate, you can go to the Real Estate Trade Centre and add the co-owner by ownership transfer or by granting him/her the ownership as a gift.
    Q: Can I trade with the seller directly?
    A: Yes. You can get the seller’s contact details from our web site and trade with the seller directly. However, to avoid transactional risk, we suggest that you use our menu style service to complete the transaction. You can choose from the services to meet your needs.
    Q: To rent a flat, how many deposit shall I pay to the lessor?
    A: Usually the lessor will require a deposit equal to 100%-300% of the monthly rental. The deposit is refundable after completion of the tenancy agreement.
    Q: Shall I pay for any agent fee?
    A: Usually the renter does not have to pay for agent fee. If the agent insists on charging the agent fee, the renter can simply go away and find another agent.
    Q: To rent a property, shall I have to provide evidence of my Chinese visa?
    A: No, to rent a property. You don’t need to provide the evidence of visa or any other evidence of your immigration status. However, the lessor should register you with the local police as soon as you have moved in. This must be done on time, or you will be called by the police. For this purpose, the lessor may need a photocopy of your passport.
    Q: Does the lessor have to own the property?
    A: No, the lessor can either own the property or be the legal representative of the property. However if you sub-rent a property from someone without legal authority on it, neighbors may report to the local authority and you may get thrown out. So include a clause in the contract to make sure that you get your deposit and unused rental back if such things happen.
    Q: What is the minimum period of time for a leasing contract?
    A: Usually the minimum time of contract is 12 months. In fact most lessors would be unwilling to accept shorter contracts.
    Q: What will happen if the lessor or the renter wants to terminate the lease before its due date?
    A: If the lessor wants to terminate the lease before it is due, he/she shall, in addition to refunding the deposit to the renter, pay compensation equal to 2 months rental to the renter. If the renter wants to terminate the lease before it is due, he/she will not be able to get the deposit back. The lessor and the lessee can also put mutually accepted terms in the contract to deal with the pre-mature termination.
    Q: What shall I expect to have in a fully furnished apartment?
    A: The following items shall be available in a workable condition in a furnished apartment: air conditioner, oven, dish washer, refrigerator, TV (not necessarily satellite TV) and basic furniture.
    Q: Which fees should be payed by the renter usually?
    A: There is no common rule. What the rental covers is subject to the agreement made between the lessor and the renter.