Lease and Sublet
A Shenzhen apartment without signing a Chinese lease.
We sign the master lease in our company name. You sign a short English sublet agreement with us. You deal with one English-speaking counterparty for everything: rent, repairs, deposit, extensions, and exit.
Who it is for
- Foreigners who want a longer-stay apartment but do not want to sign a Chinese lease in their own name.
- Founders who want flexibility: a 1-year contract that can end earlier if the project pivots or the visa changes.
- Executives whose company will not be a corporate guarantor and who want a clean tenant-side counterparty.
- Anyone burned by a Chinese landlord deposit dispute before.
What you get
- We find the apartment (or you tell us which of our listings you want).
- We negotiate and sign the Chinese lease in our company’s name.
- You sign a short English sublet agreement with us.
- You pay a 2-month deposit and your monthly sublet rate to us.
- We handle the landlord, the property management company, repairs, and any disputes.
- If you need to leave before your sublet ends, we help find a replacement tenant. Once they sign, your liability ends.
- At checkout, your deposit is refunded against the agreed condition (we use a written checklist signed at move-in).
How it works
- Brief. Tell us district, budget, layout, length of stay, and any deal-breakers. 30-minute call or written intake.
- Apartment. Either pick one of our existing units, or we run a short apartment search (1 to 2 weeks) and present 3 to 5 options.
- Quote. We come back with a written sublet quote: monthly rate, deposit, included items, early-termination fee, and house rules. No hidden costs.
- Sign. You sign the English sublet agreement, we sign the Chinese lease with the landlord, you pay the deposit and first month’s rent.
- Move in. Joint move-in inspection, signed condition checklist, keys, wifi handover.
- During tenancy. Any landlord or property-management issue, message us. Repairs are our problem, not yours.
- Exit. Either run out the term and get your deposit back against the checklist, or trigger the flex-tenancy clause and we help find a replacement.
Pricing
We quote a single monthly sublet rate per unit. It includes:
- Master rent.
- Our coordination and landlord-facing work.
- The flex-tenancy / re-tenanting guarantee.
Pass-through (utilities, optional weekly cleaning, optional furnishing) billed at cost with receipts.
Early-termination fee disclosed in writing before you sign. It covers the vacancy gap plus a flat re-tenanting coordination fee.
Furnishing packages are an optional add-on: we propose a package, you approve, we install. Furniture cost passed through; installation fee fixed.
Contact us for a quote. Tell us the district, layout, and how long you want to stay — we come back within one business day with a sublet price.
What is NOT included
- Visa or police registration filings (separate; see the Landing Package).
- Damage you cause (assessed against the move-in checklist).
- Personal contents insurance (we recommend you buy your own).
- Major appliance failures caused by misuse.
- Pets unless agreed in writing in advance (some landlords prohibit; we will tell you up-front).
Frequently asked questions
Why would I sublet from you instead of signing my own lease?
Three reasons. First, you skip the Chinese lease, the landlord trust barrier, and the deposit wire mechanics. Second, your tenancy is flexible: if you need to leave before the lease is up, we help find a replacement instead of forfeiting your deposit. Third, you deal with one English-speaking counterparty (us), not a landlord whose WeChat you cannot read.
How is the price set?
We quote you a single monthly sublet price that covers rent, our coordination, and the flex-tenancy guarantee. There is no separate management fee or rent-percentage commission. Pass-through items (utilities, optional cleaning, furniture) are billed at cost with receipts.
What is the early-termination fee?
Disclosed in writing before you sign. The fee covers the gap between when you leave and when we place a replacement tenant, plus a flat re-tenanting coordination fee. Once a replacement signs, your liability ends. Exact numbers are quoted per unit.
What if no replacement tenant is found?
You are liable for rent until we find one or until the lease ends. We do not guarantee zero-day vacancy. In practice we find replacements quickly for in-demand layouts in Nanshan, Futian, Qianhai, and Bao'an.
Do I get the same apartment for as long as I want?
Yes, for the lease term we signed (typically 1 to 2 years). If you want to extend, we negotiate with the landlord at the renewal point. There is no risk of being moved mid-lease.
Can I bring my own furniture or change the furnishing?
Yes for soft items (your own bedding, kitchen items, decor). For built-in changes (drilling, fixed shelves, repainting) ask first — landlords often charge for restoration at the end of the lease.
Furnishing packages — how do those work?
On request. We propose a package (basic, comfortable, premium) with a furniture spec and a fixed installation fee. You approve, we order and install, you pay the furniture cost plus the installation fee. At checkout you can keep the furniture, hand it back to us (refund minus depreciation), or sell it back into our inventory.
Is this legal in Shenzhen?
Subletting a residential apartment is permitted when the lease allows it. We only do this with landlords whose lease explicitly permits subletting and corporate tenancy. Your sublet agreement is a separate written contract between you and us in English.
What if I have a dispute with you?
Your sublet agreement specifies the dispute process: written notice, 14-day cure period, then arbitration in Shenzhen if unresolved. We are a Shenzhen-registered entity; this is enforceable.