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Keep the contract, deposit proof, inventory, photos, messages and payment records together.
For RMB 10 million in rent, repairs or risk of losing the deposit, small missing evidence can matter.
Separate what the agreement says from what actually happened.
Use Caira to draft a landlord, tenant or tribunal-ready document checklist.
China's 2025 housing rental regulations are important for tenants because they move many everyday rental problems into a more formal document process. For a deposit dispute, the practical lesson is not that every refund question now has a simple automatic answer. It is that tenants should treat the lease, payment record, filing or registration trail, handover evidence, and landlord or agent messages as one folder.
The official sources identify the State Council regulation as effective from 15 September 2025 and the SAMR 2025 model urban housing lease as the safer contract checklist to compare against.
Who this applies to
This guide is for tenants renting ordinary urban housing in mainland China, including foreign residents who may be reading the contract in translation. It is especially useful if your landlord or agent asks for a large 押金, gives vague deposit-return wording, refuses to explain deductions, or says the housing rental contract does not need any written detail. It is not a city filing guide. Local 网签备案 or 合同备案 steps can differ, so check the local housing bureau or service platform for the city where the property is located.
What to check in the contract
Before signing, find the sections on rent, deposit, utilities, repairs, handover, early termination, subletting, filing, and agent fees. The official SAMR model contract is useful because it reminds both sides to write down details that are often left to memory: the property address, parties, payment schedule, deposit amount, return conditions, furniture or appliance list, repair allocation, and handover process. If your landlord uses a short private template, ask for missing items to be added rather than relying on a chat message alone.
For deposit wording, look for four points: how much was paid, what it secures, when it should be returned after move-out, and what documents are needed for any deduction. A clause saying only “deposit will be handled after check-out” is weaker than a clause that separates unpaid rent, utilities, damage beyond agreed condition, cleaning, and missing items. If an agent receives the money, the receipt should identify whether the agent is holding it for the landlord or charging a separate service fee.
Evidence to keep from day one
Keep the signed 房屋租赁合同, payment records, 押金收据, screenshots of WeChat messages, agent service contract if any, move-in photos, move-out photos, utility readings, repair requests, and any 房屋交接清单. If the landlord says the deposit is being kept because of damage, ask for the specific item, date, photo, invoice, and contract clause. If the issue is utilities, ask for the actual bill or meter basis. If the issue is early termination, separate the termination clause from unrelated claims about cleaning or wear.
How the 2025 rules should change tenant behaviour
The regulations make housing rental more document-heavy, so tenants should be less casual about informal arrangements. Confirm the landlord or operator identity. Ask whether the lease needs local filing or registration for your intended purpose, such as residence paperwork or school/public-service use. Be cautious with unsafe rooms, partition rooms, false listings, and properties where the person collecting rent cannot prove authority to rent the unit. Do not assume the national regulation tells you exactly which local office to use; city practice still matters.
A deposit message you can send
Use a factual tone. The aim is to make the request easy to answer and useful later if you need advice or escalation.
您好，[房东/中介姓名]：我于[日期]退租并交还了位于[地址]的房屋钥匙。根据租赁合同及付款记录，我已支付押金人民币[金额]元。目前我尚未收到押金退还。请您在[日期]前退还应退押金至[账户/付款方式]。如您认为需要扣除部分押金，请提供具体扣款原因、金额明细及相关证明材料，例如照片、维修发票、物业费用或水电费用明细。谢谢。[姓名]
Common mistakes
Avoid signing a lease where the deposit clause is blank, paying cash without a receipt, accepting an oral promise that filing will be handled later, deleting WeChat threads after move-out, or arguing only about fairness without tying the dispute to documents. Also avoid making broad legal threats from a template unless you have checked the current official route for your city.
Where Unwildered fits
Upload the lease, deposit clause, payment proof, handover checklist, and messages if you want help turning a messy rental history into a clear evidence summary.
Official context to check
The useful official hook is not a national rent average; it is the 2025 housing-rental framework. Treat the State Council regulation and the SAMR model lease as document-quality signals: identity, authority to rent, deposit wording, repair allocation, handover evidence and local filing should all line up.
Sources
State Council official portal: 2025 housing rental regulations
SAMR: 2025 model urban housing lease
local housing bureau or rental filing platform
This article is general information, not legal, financial, medical or tax advice.
