Finding an apartment in Beijing is not an easy task, especially for those challenged in the native language. Below are a few options:

 1. Use a realty agency: Go to "I Love My Home" (known in China as WǒÀiWǒJiā 我爱我家). They have realty offices located throughout Beijing. One agency near Tsinghua University, for those studying there, is south of the campus, located about 50 meters west of the Wudaokou 五道口 Metro Stop. Their website is located at 5i5j.com, their Beijing phone number is 9510.5890.

Another good option for those that need to be near the Haidian area, either for Chinese Language Studies or something else, is to make some Korean friends. WuDaoKou area is filled with Korean stores, travel agencies, restaurants, and more. Their standards tend to be higher than equivalent Chinese services and prices are reasonable, though also a bit higher than Chinese prices. These Korean realty agencies will often be able to assist you in finding a suitable place to live, with decent standards and prices. Unfortunately, they don't speak English, so you may wish to enlist the help of your Korean friends. 

2. Pay a visit: The other option is to personally visit these apartment complexes that you are interested in and finding out information on your own. There may be individual owners posting signs in their windows "For Rent" (出租)  or a Leasing Office you can check with.

 Huaqing Jiayuan (huáqīngjiāyuán， 华清嘉园) is a popular place in Haidian District for foreigners to live and rent, located near Tsinghua University, BLCU and somewhat near Beijing University.

3.  Go online, magazines, and look up bulletin boards: Search on the web for expat apartments, but be prepared to face hefty rates because they know you're an expat and you have the wallet.

Expat magazines, such as Time Out, That's Beijing and etc. also have housing listings, but of course the prices will be inflated for the Westerner.

Bulletin boards in expat hangouts will often feature English ads for roommates, house renting, these prices might be more reasonable, but again, if the ad is in English, beware of inflated rates.

It's best to research the complexes on those websites to find the one you want, then go pay a visit or ask your realtor for assistance, you might be able to save a few hundred yuan per month that way.

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