I have said this before; if you are a foreigner there is a good chance you will get ripped off by the local real estate agents. First, if you sign up for a 12 month contract for an apartment don't pay the agent fee. Most Shanghainese don't pay this.

In your contract make sure services like lift, building cleaning and rubbish are included in the price and stated in your contract.

Always get the landlord to include a clause that if anything breaks done in the apartment e.g., the fridge stops working, that they will fix it ASAP and they will also pay for it. Also make sure that it is of comparable quality.

Check water pressure for both Hot and Cold. Get it in writing that the hot water does not fail after some short period of time. Also be aware that Electric hot water tanks for the shower suck, the hot water does not last to long and if there is two people in the house you will only get a short shower, gas is much better.

Make sure the air con unit is working well, if a unit is not installed well with poor air ventilation then there is a good chance it will not keep you cool.

Check for noise, both outside construction and inside, there is no law for noise pollution, I checked it out, they said if it's before 6am in the morning to call the local police, other than that it's pretty much make as much noise as you like so be careful of new building going up close buy as this will be at least a years worth of noise.

Always get registered with the local PSB for your permit, I know people say don't bother but if they will fine you about 300RMB per day for being late. By law you have 3 days in which to get this done once you enter the country and if you are not staying at a local hotel or school, if you are too late you could even face court charge or get kicked out of the country.

Make sure that when you sign a contract that you can transfer it to another person without losing your deposit if you decide to move out earlier than the contract termination date. Many locals will try to keep your deposit even if you find someone else.

If you have been ripped off by an agent let everyone here know the name so other people don't get caught out. I always use a local person to find a place for me, that way you get a much cheaper deal.

AYI's if you want an Ayi you should only need to pay around 6 to 7rmb per hour, this is what I pay. Most important about this, make sure you check there medical records for Hepatitis A and B since they will be working with food

It would be good if someone could open a website and list landlords or agencies that ripp off people

thank you for your" tips" ..it is really good to open a such good website

make sure to include in contract that an official receipt "fa piao" is to be issued for all payment of rental. If you need to submit / claim for housing reimbursement from your employer, this is a must. Some employer would ask you offcial receipt issued by the land office that the landlord can get after paying a 5% tax at the land office easily. Some landlord would try to save the 5% by issuing you a temporary receipt, which is no use if they need to claim from your employer.