Just had to comment on '...know nothing of China (unless you rent your own apartment)...' In fact, it's the opposite. Be prepared, if you rent your own place as opposed to school housing, you will need to learn Chinese fluently very quickly -- if something breaks, if it doesn't work, if you don't even have it, if you need to set up utilities, etc, if your landlord is mad, if the bureaucracy comes to you... All of which is quite possible and likely when it comes to apartments, even nice ones. UNLESS you live in major foreigner centres like Beijing, OR you have lots of close trustworthy Chinese friends -- which is a whole other story -- as in maybe they have guanxi with some contractor who needs work, and you are the sucker...

Hi
Are you saying that you need to be in a position to negotiate a tenancy agreement? Today (middle of the night now) I have to vacate my flat in the UK in preparation to fly to China tomorrow, where according to my employer there will be a choice of flats which they will show me; and they will provide a housing allowance. When I vacate my UK flat today it's difficult to see anything going wrong since it is unfurnished and my contract merely stipulates that any holes in the walls (resulting from picture hanging) must be filled in but not painted,

The flats which I will look at in China will be furnished. It's not the furniture that concerns me because I can take pictures of any scratches or tears in fabrics including carpets. It's washing machines and fridges that worry me. So what do I say, I know no Chinese or have no friends, so will have to be in English? Do I say that the contract must stipulate that I will not be held responsible for fridges, washing machines, air conditioners, heaters or anything that buzzes or has an engine of any description? I can get my friend's Chinese wife to write that down for me in Chinese to show to any landlord, and for him to sign my piece of paper. Would that be a good idea?