u/Kindly_Benefit_5215

Hi everyone,

I'm signing a rental contract in Shenzhen next week and need to pay a deposit (2 months = 16,400 RMB) + 3 months rent upfront = about 41,000 RMB total.

I don't have a Chinese bank account yet, and the landlord refuses to take cash. So I need to send the money from Korea to China via international transfer.

I've never done this before and I'm not sure what the best or safest option is.

Options I've looked into:

1. SWIFT bank transfer – standard but slow (2-3 days), high fees, and the recipient's bank might delay or question it
2. UnionPay card transfer – sends directly to the landlord's 16-digit card number, fast and low fees, but requires the landlord's Chinese ID and card info
3. WeChat Pay / Alipay – I have these apps, but I'm not sure if I can send large amounts with an overseas card (I think there are limits)
4. Wise – not an option for me because they don't support KRW → CNY

My questions:

1. Is it normal in China to pay rent and deposit this way (international transfer)?
2. Could this cause problems later – like the landlord's bank flagging the transaction, or tax issues?
3. Would SWIFT be safer even if it's slower and more expensive? Or is UnionPay transfer reliable and commonly accepted?

I don't have any Chinese friends or colleagues to ask, so I'd really appreciate any advice from people who've done this before.

Thanks in advance!

I'm Korean. I was in Shenzhen (Longgang) for a week recently and found an apartment I want to rent.

• Monthly rent: ¥8200
• Deposit (押金): 2 months = ¥16,400
• I paid ¥2000 to the agent as a "holding fee" to reserve the unit until I come back.
• I am currently back in Korea and will return to Shenzhen on July 20 to sign the formal contract.
• I already viewed the unit in person and decided to rent it.

Strange things I noticed:

1. The agent gave me a business card from Leyoujia (乐有家), but later told me he actually works for Beike (贝壳) or another company. (Different company names)
2. I received a handwritten receipt for the ¥2000, but there is NO company stamp (公章) on it – only his personal signature.
3. The landlord is a young woman, but she said it's actually her husband's house (husband born in 1996). On July 20, the husband will come to sign the contract, not the wife.
4. I've seen photos of the landlord's ID and Property Ownership Certificate (房产证), but I haven't seen the original documents yet.

My questions:

Are these things normal in China? Is there anything I should be worried about? Especially:

• The agent's company changing (Leyoujia → Beike)
• No company stamp on the receipt
• The husband signing instead of the wife (who is the contact person)

I just want to make sure everything is legit before I sign on July 20. Any advice would be really helpful! Thanks 🙏