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Accommodation allowance & duplication of benefits package.

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Jonbennison

Hi, i'm hoping you guys can help me with some advice.

My girlfriend and I are moving to China in the summer and my employer (non education) is willing to pay some of the apartment costs. My partner has secured a job at an International school in Shenzhen (Head of Primary) and at the interview they said that they could offer an apartment near school or perhaps payment of accommodation allowance. We had the contract come through yesterday and it mentions nothing about the payment accommodation allowance.

We are not married and yet they are claiming that we can only use either my benefits package or her benefits package , they will not duplicate them if we take my companies package. This seems wrong to me as we are both technically single?

Do any of you know what kind of accommodation allowance international schools in Shenzhen pay for a Head of Primary or leadership role?

Thanks for your help.

VANNROX

I would be surprised if both your employer and your partner's employer collaborated? on providing your living arrangements. They typically do not. It is your responsibility. You must decide on your own and select which package would benefit your situation. Then negotiate accordingly.

If it is not in the contract, then you will not be awarded any benefits discussed. No matter what the person says. It's either in the contract or not.

Contracts are also easily broken. If your partner gets a job, but fails to obtain a Z-visa (maybe they lied, or there is some problem), the contact will be discarded and your partner will be forced to leave China. make sure that they are qualified to do the job as promised, and make sure that they have the supporting documentation. The employer might give you some leeway, but not the Chinese government. Work is tied to the visa. If you lose your Z-visa, it will be because of fraud and you might have a difficult time securing an alternative visa.

I don't mean to scare you, but... it has happened.

China is not a litigious nation. In the UK, a contract is the word carved in stone. Not so in China. It is a guideline subject to the whims of the employer.? You can arbitrate the terms, but always remember that Chinese courts and arbitration will always side with the Chinese. It does not side with who is right or who is wrong.

All that being stated, I am happy for you. The mere fact that you managed to secure (not one) but two positions in China is impressive.? You are not even married. That is double impressive. Thirdly, that you will both hold office positions is truly wonderful. Please consider yourself fortunate. This kind of thing typically does not happen often.

Just make sure that you have all the documents you need.? You need to take care of them NOW before you set foot in China.

Best Wishes! :)

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0809/8879/products/year_of_dog_2018_ornament_1024x1024.jpg?v=1505266944

Jonbennison

Thanks for the reply, I was under the impression that reputable international schools would be happy to pay an accommodation allowance to any employees so that they can find suitable apartments. At least that is what I have read on various websites.

My office is in Fuyong, hers school is in Longgang, this means we need accommodation that is centrally located in somewhere like OCT, Houhai or Futian and we would therefore need in the region of 13,000RMB to rent an apartment.

I have been offered 9,000RMB but that will not cover the full cost, so we were hoping to use an accommodation allowance from her school to make up the difference.

The school is a very prestigious school in the UK so everything they do in regards to visas will be above board and legal and she is fully qualified to work there.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, we do indeed consider ourselves fortunate and hopefully this will all work out for us.

VANNROX

You are over estimating the cost of apartments in Shenzhen.

Your best best would be to get an apartment in BuJi. It is on the LongGong line. It will be centrally located between your and your partner's place of employment.? Plus the prices in BuJi are cheap.? You should be able to get a decent apartment for less that 3000 RMB/month.

http://www.szcchina.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/shenzhen-metro-map.jpg

BuJi is were the Longgang line (pink) meets with the Huanzhong line (red).

Good luck to both of you.

Jonbennison

Sorry, she is in Longhua, not Longgang. My office is in Fuyong which is on line 11 past the airport, so quite some distance from the centre of the city. Only line 11 serves that area of the city and I don't wan't to be commuting for hours so it really leaves us with areas around Line 11 (Houhai, OCT etc).

Apartment costs where we are looking are at least 10,500 (OCT).?

VANNROX

Dude. I OWN a house in Nanshan that is ON the subway. We rent it out for 6000 RMB/month. It's 120 m2 with two bedrooms and it is ON the subway. 10K/month is insane! What does it have 300m2, and nine bedrooms? That pricing is for business office, not for residential homes.

When I lived in downtown Shenzhen, here were the rents that I paid in the areas of GuoMao, LouHu village and next to the Stock Market;

http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/0748e74d21604e3dbf953dadf208c878/downtown-shenzhen-china-06-oct-2008-b4kypf.jpg

Next door to the Stock Market. 65m2 for 6500 RMB/month in 2011
Twin Cities building in GuaMao. 80m2 for 4000 RMB/month in 2013
Nearby Grand Theater. 55m2 for 3400 RMB/month in 2014

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/sites/default/files/u231270/lychee-park-shenzhen.jpeg

I would suggest you find a different gal to help you find an apartment.

I am considering a new? house in Zhuhai... Zhuhai is a tourist area and so is more expensive that SZ. Still, 10K is just outrageous. Does it include maid service, and all fees?

http://www.newsgd.com/news/images/attachement/jpg/site26/20170309/d8cb8a4756601a2b42e429.jpg

Granted that you are probably looking for a western equivalent,and don't want to go local.? However, price has nothing to do with much. You can get a apartment in OCT for as low as 500 RMB/month. No A/C, and no elevator. The point is that you should be able to find something reasonable.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/img/attachement/jpg/site1/20141211/001aa018f80215f379c727.jpg

I am stunned that you are even considering any rent over 6K in China.

Jonbennison

What subway station is your apartment near? Line 11 is more expensive from what I have seen. I am using qfang to search for properties and the prices seem consistent across the website so I'm not sure why you think it's expensive? I've also used SZbetterhouse.com to compare prices.

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Anything in Houhai of decent quality and size is a minimum of 9000RMB.


We would like a decent bathroom, AC and elevator (not walking up ten floors). I don't want to be slumming it for years and years. That last picture is a VERY small apartment. We need a minimum of two bedrooms as one will be and office. We would also like the bathroom to be better than a hostel. This means we have to pay more.

I don't think the above properties are for business offices as these are all residential buildings. As i'm sure you know the prices for SZ propery have sky rocketed in the past few years so rent's have also increased.

Nearby grand theatre is now 6500 for 51sqm
shenzhen.qfang.com/rent/100089483

VANNROX

OK. I think that I see your problem. You are using the Western Internet to find an apartment.

In China, things are done by relationships. Sure there are many APPS and resources that you can use, but your best deals are found by using a local agent nearby. To find a local agent, you will need to ask one of your work colleagues to assist you.? This is China, so they will. They will go out with you and help you find an agent, and translate your needs with that agent.

In the meantime, when you arrive, stay in a cheap hostel. Learn the "lay of the land". Get a fell about locations and places. Then work with your colleague.

If you are still fixated in finding an Internet "bargain" then STOP USING WESTERN APPS.? (Anything multilingual is Western.) Go Chinese. I would suggest you use this APP;

²Ï·¿Íø

Download it from Baidu. (Just copy and paste in the dialog box). When I used the APP, I found many places at 1/3 to 1/2 the rates that you are looking at.

Now, you do not have to believe me. You can do what you want. However, ask any expat in China and they will pretty much agree with me. Use a local agent, and get help from a work colleague to assist you.

Jonbennison

I'm not using a western app. The links I sent you were primarily from Qfang, which is the same as the app you suggested using: ²Ï·¿Íø. I don't see how you found places that are half the price of the apartments I am looking at if you are using the same app or are you referring to when you were looking a few years ago?

We are staying in a hotel in Bao An when we arrive and I have visited SZ on business many times before so I know the areas we are hoping to find an apartment in.

I will be using one of the women from our office to help find an apartment and agent.

Thanks for the advice so far.

VANNROX

Great. It's been three years since I lived in SZ, so the prices can be different.

Use a gal from the office, and you will be just fine.

Keep in mind that there are other costs with an apartment besides rent. Utilities, management fees, and a host of other costs. Make sure that you are clear on everything.

Avoid expat communities if you want to live like a local. Most local Chinese only make 2000 to 6000 RMB/month. So unless everyone is doubling up on the rent, it does make sense that prices for locals will be far cheaper. I can attest to this rate, as I am well aware? of the market value of my staff.

So an experienced 40 year old making 6000 RMB/month with one child will not be able to afford an apartment in SZ for 10,000RMB/month no matter how much you try to spin it.

Good luck. You can't learn anything else from me on this. Talk to the gal in the office and she will set you straight.

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