Don’t rent a subdivided apartment: the smallest legal rental unit is the original designed room; kitchens, bathrooms, balconies must not be used for living.
By regulation, the smallest permissible rental unit is the room as originally built. Kitchens, bathrooms, balconies, and basement storage areas cannot be used as living quarters. If such an apartment is found to be illegal, you may be forced to move out. Additionally, during the lease term the landlord cannot unilaterally raise the rent.
There’s no direct cost. The trade‑off is that with the sam…
The rules make it clear that the minimum rental unit is the original room — meaning you can’t split it into mu…
There’s no direct cost. The trade‑off is that with the same budget you’ll either have to live farther away or in a smaller space.
The rules make it clear that the minimum rental unit is the original room — meaning you can’t split it into multiple units for separate rentals. The minimum floor area per occupant must meet local legal standards, and kitchens, bathrooms, balconies, and basements must not be rented out for habitation. Landlords also can’t arbitrarily increase rent while a lease is in effect.
住房和城乡建设部 (2010). 商品房屋租赁管理办法（令第 6 号）第八条：「出租住房的，应当以原设计的房间为最小出租单位，人均租住建筑面积不得低于当地人民政府规定的最低标准。厨房、卫生间、阳台和地下储藏室不得出租供人员居住。」第九条：「出租人应当按照合同约定履行房屋的维修义务并确保房屋和室内设施安全……房屋租赁合同期内，出租人不得单方面随意提高租金水平。」http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2011/content_1845070.htm
Open source linkWhen an illegal subdivision is discovered, it’s the tenant who must move, often losing their security deposit and any rent already paid. Safety is also a concern: makeshift walls can block escape routes, and many people sharing one apartment often rely on a single electrical circuit. When viewing a place, check three things: whether walls were added later, if there’s a window in the room, and whether the electric meter can handle the expected number of occupants.