Forums > Living in Kunming > Looking for Apartment Agency Making tenants move out before their lease expires is one of the most common scams here in Yunnan. Especially for foreigners who always do some repairs in the house before moving in.
Here are some preventative measures I have learned over the years as this has happened to me 3 times in the past 10 years.
1 - Tell the landllord to give you a bankbook for the elect, water and gas so you don't have to worry about going to each office to pay the bill every 2 months. This will ensure you are not stuck with any old bills from previous tenants. I was once told I had to pay the 600 RMB water bill before we moved in. Haha.
2 - Since you must give a copy of your passport then you should be able to get a copy of their ID card. Also, get a copy of their Redbook - Fang Chan Zheng - 房产证. Make sure the ID card matches the name on the redbook. Many relatives do this for the owner. You want the person who has ultimate responsibility not some relative who is acting as an agent.
3 - Finally, ask the real estate agent to write in an additional clause that states if you are asked to move out before the lease expires, the lanlord must pay restitution in the amount of the fee payed to the real estate agent as well as any repairs - so keep all your receipts. You can not receive restitution for labor - only parts.
If the landlord is not willing to do any of the above 3 items then I will not sign a lease with them.
Make sure you ask for these 3 items after you have looked and bargained and wasted their time. Then they will be more willing to do this, especially the real estate agent who wasted their time. They can have a lot of influence over the landlord since these 3 things are NOT unreasonable.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Finding Apartment Making tenants move out before their lease expires is one of the most common scams here in Yunnan. Especially for foreigners who always do some repairs in the house before moving in.
Here are some preventative measures I have learned over the years as this has happened to me 3 times in the past 10 years.
1 - Tell the landllord to give you a bankbook for the elect, water and gas so you don't have to worry about going to each office to pay the bill every 2 months. This will ensure you are not stuck with any old bills from previous tenants. I was once told I had to pay the 600 RMB water bill before we moved in. Haha.
2 - Since you must give a copy of your passport then you should be able to get a copy of their ID card. Also, get a copy of their Redbook - Fang Chan Zheng - 房产证. Make sure the ID card matches the name on the redbook. Many relatives do this for the owner. You want the person who has ultimate responsibility not some relative who is acting as an agent.
3 - Finally, ask the real estate agent to write in an additional clause that states if you are asked to move out before the lease expires, the lanlord must pay restitution in the amount of the fee payed to the real estate agent as well as any repairs - so keep all your receipts. You can not receive restitution for labor - only parts.
If the landlord is not willing to do any of the above 3 items then I will not sign a lease with them.
Make sure you ask for these 3 items after you have looked and bargained and wasted their time. Then they will be more willing to do this, especially the real estate agent who wasted their time. They can have a lot of influence over the landlord since these 3 things are NOT unreasonable.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Apartment Woes Making tenants move out before their lease expires is one of the most common scams here in Yunnan. Especially for foreigners who always do some repairs in the house before moving in.
Here are some preventative measures I have learned over the years as this has happened to me 3 times in the past 10 years.
1 - Tell the landllord to give you a bankbook for the elect, water and gas so you don't have to worry about going to each office to pay the bill every 2 months. This will ensure you are not stuck with any old bills from previous tenants. I was once told I had to pay the 600 RMB water bill before we moved in. Haha.
2 - Since you must give a copy of your passport then you should be able to get a copy of their ID card. Also, get a copy of their Redbook - Fang Chan Zheng - 房产证. Make sure the ID card matches the name on the redbook. Many relatives do this for the owner. You want the person who has ultimate responsibility not some relative who is acting as an agent.
3 - Finally, ask the real estate agent to write in an additional clause that states if you are asked to move out before the lease expires, the lanlord must pay restitution in the amount of the fee payed to the real estate agent as well as any repairs - so keep all your receipts. You can not receive restitution for labor - only parts.
If the landlord is not willing to do any of the above 3 items then I will not sign a lease with them.
Make sure you ask for these 3 items after you have looked and bargained and wasted their time. Then they will be more willing to do this, especially the real estate agent who wasted their time. They can have a lot of influence over the landlord since these 3 things are NOT unreasonable.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Gao Kao Weekend This Sat and Sun will be the all day testing of Gao Kao. Expect to see parents double parked and triple parked in front of some schools as they wait for their kids to finish their test.
Just another way to put undue pressure on the poor kids as they try to take a test knowing their parents are outside waiting to grill them about the test. After lunch, they go back inside and finish their test and then repeat this madness again on Sunday.
I am sure the kids had to go to the Wen Chang Dian - the temple in Guandu where students go to pray to Wen Qu Xing to bless them before the test.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Pros and Cons of Grandparents Well answer the question, are you married to a chinese woman or not?
You should give it a rest because this thread is about the pros and cons of grandparents as caretakers. No one is saying that another culture is right or wrong or that someone has to change their culture. So don't try putting words into other people's mouths.
Fuxian shampoo incident becomes national topic
发布者using online shame to, as the Chinese idiom goes, "kill a chicken to scare the monkeys".
A conversation with Sofitel Kunming GM Andre Erasmus
发布者What a waste.
New high-speed rail line to link Kunming with Dali
发布者Life in Yunnan just keeps getting better. A 2 hour train ride to Dali is a lot better then taking the 4-5 hour bus ride. Not to mention the delays when there is a traffic accident.
Earth's budget deficit at 160%, hope stems from trees
发布者Everyone needs to contribute - Now it begins - Yes, we must contribute but when the population does not make their deadline (Dec 31), we must pay - another tax coming just around the corner.
Just like life insurance in the good old USA, you will pay for it whether you want it or not. If you don't pay, they just steal it out of your bank account.
Agenda 21 - controlled by the UN (1 World Govt) will be in charge.
The Global Warming Lie has now conveniently morphed into Climate Change since the weather did not cooperate with the CO2 lies.
Funny how there is no mention of the real problems in the world. The EPA raises the safety limits on poisons every year so that the multinational companies can continue to pollute and make a profit. In the meantime, we get to eat, drink and breathe more pollutants.
Snapshot: Dali and Weishan
发布者There are several noodle shops that are still run by very old people. I saw a beautiful OLD noodle machine (at least 50-70 years old) in one shop and I would love to buy it (Keep an eye on the obituaries). It just needs to be cleaned up because it has decades of flour stuck on it and it will make a wonderful addition to a home museum.
Weishan has not been commercialized yet. Any smart foreigner with some business savy can buy up a lot of antiques very cheaply and make a great cafe/museum/information center/guesthouse like the one in Xishuangbanna; he has his fingers in every pot.
Lots to see in the surrounding area - great place to retire, still make an income, and be the #1 laowai of the town.
Heijing offers the same.