A good accommodation is the key for a successful stay.
Whether you wish to live downtown or close to your office, to live alone or share an apartment, the Kampus China apartment Team will assure that we meet your needs so you can concentrate on what is important: your internship in China.

“You define your needs, we find the apartment you are looking for”.
Finding an apartment to rent online is not easy in China. There are thousands of apartments on the Internet and it is hard to tell the quality, even if they look very good in the picture. During your internship in China, Kampus make sure that your apartment is conveniently close to metro stations or downtown. You are guaranteed a clean, safe place in a good location.

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Why choosing a share accommodation during your internship in China?
Sharing accommodation during your internship in China is one way of coping with your daily cost of living. In addition to the financial benefits, sharing can also offer a way of meeting new people and making new friends, a way of learning about different cultures and a way of developing your own independence as well as a support network.
Some important considerations when seeking and deciding on shared accommodation in Shnaghai, Beijing or Guangzhou are: Costs, Number of people in the household and their ages, Male/Female ratio, Proximity to the internship place and public transport, Smokers/Non-smokers in the household, Cultural differences.

To share successfully it is also important to establish some house rules with those with whom you will be sharing during your experience aboard in China.

Personal Possessions
As a general rule of thumb, flatmate's during your internship in China should not expect to be able to use the other's personal possessions without asking. However, it may be that you and your flatmate are both willing to share at all times and if this works for both of you then by all means go ahead. However, if there are items that you prefer a flatmate not touch without your permission (for example, your laptop or a piece of jewellery) then you need to make this clear from the outset.

Food & Drink
For some flatmate's "borrowing" each other's food and drink during an internship abroad is common while others have a strict policy of asking before indulging. Rather than assume it will always be fine to consume food and/or drink that you have not purchased, ask your flatmate what he or she would like to do about this issue. It may be that you'll each want to mark your own items or cordon off specific shelves in the fridge or pantry. Or it may be that you'll want to keep a kitty for communal purchases and each of you take specific nights to cook. Some share households during their internship in China just have a kitty for communal expenses such as toilet paper, washing powder, and other cleaning products and each person buys their own food.

Friends visiting or staying over
Guests are usually a bone of contention in most share households during a training in China. You will need to discuss with those you are sharing with about having friends staying over or a guest for dinner. One person’s dinner guest can be quite expensive. If you are having a friend stay regularly it may be a good idea to offer to pay a little extra when it comes time to pay the utility bills. It is therefore a good idea to work out the rules before you invite someone over.

Quiet Time
Almost the opposite of a party, quiet time can be just as important to flatmate's with demanding schedules. If it is known that there will be certain times that extra quiet is needed (for example, before a big presentations at work) then flatmate's should make this clear. Otherwise a more general agreement that, for example, music should be turned down after 11pm, may suit flatmate's just fine.

Other points to remember
As with most other things, when searching for accommodation in Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou, you get what you pay for. Lower priced places may be small in size, lacking effective heating and generally in need of some maintenance. Make sure you get a good accommodation before starting an internship abroad.

- Maintenance of rooms: The resident has a responsibility to keep their room clean and tidy and make sure they don't create a fire or health hazard. The resident must not damage any part of their room. - Common areas: Common areas include the bathroom, kitchen or lounge room. The place may also have other areas such as a laundry or dining room. The resident and their guests should leave all these areas clean and tidy so that other residents can also enjoy them. The provider/agent must make sure that all common areas are safe, clean and in good repair.

- Door locks and keys: The resident has a right to a reasonably secure room. If there are problems with the lock on the door or the keys, the resident should speak to the provider/agent. The resident should not try to change the lock to their door or damage it in any way. The resident also must not make copies of their keys without asking the provider/agent.

Conflict Resolution
If during your internship in China there is conflict over issues relating to sharing a flat, it is always best to deal face to face with the person and to discuss an issue quickly and openly. Here are some suggestions:

- Plan to talk to the other party at the right time and allow enough time to do it. For example, don’t start the discussion when the other person is on their way to work.  - Think beforehand about what you want to say. It’s important to state clearly what the problem is and how you feel about it. It may help to write things down as well.

 - Don’t begin by blaming the other party for everything or begin the discussion with your opinion of what should be done.  - Give the other person a chance to respond with their side of the story, what they think has been happening to cause the trouble. Be prepared to relax, listen and learn something.

- Let the other party know you understand what they are saying. You may not agree with them, but there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to talk to someone who doesn’t seem to be listening. - When you have reached this point try to start working towards resolving the dispute cooperatively. Work out what you both have to do to resolve the problem. Again, it can be useful to put things in writing.

- Two or more people working on a problem together often get further than one person telling the other that only they have to change. If you take the time to work on a problem, take the time to do it right. Get the whole issue out in the open. Don’t leave out the part that seems less important or is the hardest to discuss. - Agree to check with each other at a specific time in the future to see how things are going, and don’t "forget" to do it

During your internship in China, establishing some simple ground rules is the key to household harmony. Talk together about the issues that matter most to each person, then work out a set of rules you can all live by. Typical issues include the playing of loud music, visitors, cleaning rosters, and - don't laugh - replacing the toilet roll. (Tip for blokes: many a household schism could have been prevented by timely replacement of empty toilet rolls.)

Above all, practice simple courtesy. Treat your housemates as you would wish to be treated yourself. If you are considerate and courteous, chances are your housemates will reciprocate. After all, it's all about living together and if you generally get on, most people will make an effort.

During a training aboard, there are no hard and fast rules that will suit every set of flatmate's regarding their behaviour and possessions. However, sitting down to agree to a few house rules that make everyone happy may be able to head off disagreements in the future. Good luck!