How to Rent Office Space in Beijing

Renting an office in Beijing is more involved than renting an office in America. Foreign companies should contact a reputable real estate agent and research the market before renting an office in Beijing. Office space is at a premium in certain areas of Beijing. Depending on the size and market, a business owner can rent a office space and set up shop in Beijing within a month.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Begin with market research. An office in Beijing, as the capital of China, is necessary if a business does business across China. A good relationship with the government offices in Beijing is critical to business success, but also location is critical. Do not let price be the final consideration, as lower priced office space is often located in the least accessible areas of the city.
2. Hire a local broker. There are numerous international real estate companies doing business in Beijing. These offer the highest comfort level for many first-time business owners setting up an office in China. The American offices of international real estate companies can coordinate with business owners and have their local representatives negotiate all the contract details.
3. Find a local Beijing company. The market is hot for Beijing office space and when doing business in China, cultural differences can cause disaster. Local contacts are one of the quickest paths through a bureaucracy. Ask business owners with direct experience in Beijing for recommendations.
4. Register the business office with the local authorities. This requires certification of the business to operate within China. Proper certification is needed before any business office can be rented. This needs to be done legally and through official channels. Do not try to go around any of these requirements, for if an office is operating without proper authorization it could be shut down immediately. Find a good international business lawyer to handle this phase of setting up an office in Beijing. Three to six months rent will be expected in advance to close the deal.
5. Expect average monthly operating costs to be around $5,000 for a small office in Beijing. This includes the office space, furniture, a two bedroom apartment, operating expenses, local representative and secretary's salary. This is a baseline cost estimate and does not include other fees.