Locking horns with house agents

I finally decided to rent a flat after 10 days' hunting, not because the place is ideal but because I was exhausted. I recently moved to Beijing and I realized renting a flat is much more difficult than I imagined.

When I studied in the UK, I found and rented seven flats without trouble. But it is different in Beijing. I worry about being cheated. My friends suggested I use property agencies even though they do not like them.

"Do choose a big, qualified agency," one of my friends emphasized. She had a terrible experience with a small agency last year. She rented a flat in the summer. When winter came, the agency asked her to pay the heating. "Isn't the cost of heating included in the rent?" She was surprised.