Majority of Chinese college graduates rent apartments online: survey

BEIJING -- About 96.8 percent of college graduates chose to rent apartments online this year, according to a recent survey by China Youth Daily.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, it has become increasingly difficult to view an apartment on site before signing the lease. Many real estate agencies have adopted virtual apartment viewing, enabling potential tenants to see the apartments online through pictures (77 percent), VR (60.9 percent) and videos (54.6 percent).

Among the 1,974 college graduates surveyed, only 48.4 percent have tried on-site apartment viewing.

"I'm satisfied with online apartment renting, which is efficient and convenient; however, there are some drawbacks as well," said Chu Wenjing, a 2020 graduate, adding that some apartments look more spacious online than they actually are.

The survey showed that 74.2 percent of graduates are content with their experience of online house renting, with those in second-tier cities having the best experience.

More than 80 percent of the respondents hoped contracts for online apartment renting could be standardized to protect the rights and interests of tenants, while 72.1 percent suggested strengthening supervision.

Among the surveyed, nearly 85 percent are from first- and second-tier cities and 14.5 percent are from third- and fourth-tier cities.