For short stays of up to a few months, IHEP may be able to provide rented accommodation for you on campus. For longer stays or employment at IHEP, you may be able to rent an apartment on the IHEP campus for the first 2 years, depending on availability. Please contact the local secretary or the staff at the post-graduate department to apply for an apartment.

1. IHEP Apartment

• Deposit and fees

If you are single, you can share an apartment with another visitor or postdoc. The apartments have a living room, kitchen, bathroom and 2 bedrooms. You pay around 3000￥/month per person.

If you are married and come to IHEP with your family, you can rent a whole apartment. The apartments are the same – living room, kitchen, bathroom and 2 bedrooms. You pay around 4500-6000￥/month.

You need to give 3000￥ as deposit for sharing an apartment, and 6000￥ if you rent a whole apartment. IHEP takes the rent directly from your salary every month, so you don’t need to pay it yourself. If your accommodation fee is covered by IHEP, please ask your local secretary to help you do the rent transfer when you check in.

• Gas, water and electricity

You pay the electricity and water directly at Room C120, IHEP Main Building. You could also ask for help from your Chinese colleagues or local secretary. You pay for the gas directly at the gas company, or if you share your apartment with a Chinese roommate, you can ask her/him to help. For the address of the gas company please consult your local secretary.  You can pay every 3-6 months, or when your roommate is leaving in order to split the fees. In any case, you have to present the receipts when you leave.

• Internet

Usually, if you are sharing the apartment, internet is already installed and you can split the fee with your roommate. If you need to install internet yourself, please ask your local secretary or Chinese colleagues to help.

• Supplies in the apartment

The apartment is equipped with basic furniture, such as bed, mattress, desk, chair, wardrobe, storage cupboard in the bedroom; table, chairs and TV table in the living room; sink, gas burners and cabinet for plates and bowls in the kitchen; and toilet, washbasin and Chinese shower in the bathroom.

You will have to buy or bring your own bedlinen, kitchenware, crockery etc.

• Before you leave

When you leave your apartment, you have to:

1. Pay the electricity, gas, water and keep the receipts.

2. Go to the Office Management on the 3rd floor of the Main Building (Room A324) to hand in your receipts and access keys/card. They will give you back your deposit.

2. Rent an Apartment

Outside the IHEP campus, there are several housing complexes within walking distance where you can rent an apartment. Buying is no longer impossible for foreigners, but it is complex and expensive.

To rent an apartment, the easiest way is to use one of the many real estate agencies such as Lianjia. They will assign an agent to discuss what you’re looking for and what your budget is. The agent will take you around possible apartments and keep an eye out for potential places. The agency fee is usually one month’s rent, paid when the contract is signed. Make sure you know exactly what is included before you sign the contract, and how often the rent is due. Some owners may give a slightly lower rent if a large amount (e.g. a year) is paid upfront. Some apartments are managed directly by the agency; others are rented direct from the owner.

3. Other Methods

If you don’t want to use an agency, you can look online or ask a Chinese-speaking friend to help you ask around. You can also ask the foreign community at IHEP, as sometimes there may be someone leaving whose apartment you could move into. For shorter stays, Airbnb and similar online rental platforms may be useful.