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Practical legal situations · Shenzhen

Rental problems

Start with the lease, payment trail and condition records. The 2025 Housing Rental Regulation covers housing on urban state-owned land; confirm which rules apply to your home and tenancy.

3 illustrative casesOfficial sources checked 21 Oct 2026

General information for mainland Shenzhen. These are illustrative examples, not reported judgments or personal legal advice. Hong Kong and Macao have separate systems.

01

The landlord keeps your deposit

You moved out, but the deposit is not returned or deductions arrive without explanation. Ordinary wear and tenant-caused damage need to be distinguished.

What to do first

  1. Check the lease’s refund date, deduction terms and any early-exit agreement.
  2. Send the handover record and ask for itemised deductions with supporting records.
  3. Request the balance in writing, stating the amount, payment details and a reply date.
Where to take it

The rental regulation requires agreed deposit terms and bars unjustified deductions. Try documented negotiation or voluntary mediation; if unresolved, check the competent court or an applicable arbitration agreement. A housing complaint does not itself order repayment.

A mistake to avoid

Do not assume the deposit automatically replaces the final month’s rent.

Get help promptly when…

Get advice quickly if the landlord or rental company disappears, or a large prepayment is at risk. Preserve the payment trail before accounts or chats vanish.

Records to keep3 useful records
  • Lease, deposit receipt and payment record
  • Move-in / move-out photos, inventory and key handover
  • Utility settlement, deductions and landlord messages

Use records already safely and lawfully available. Do not delay urgent help or expose yourself or a child to danger to collect documents.

Official sources and legal basis

Links and relevant provisions checked 21 October 2026. English and Spanish are editorial translations; consult the official Chinese text.

02

The landlord will not repair a serious fault

A leak, failed essential equipment or another defect affects normal use, and repair requests receive no useful response.

What to do first

  1. Photograph the fault, note when it began and describe which rooms or facilities cannot be used.
  2. Notify the landlord in writing and request repair within a reasonable period; offer access arrangements.
  3. Before commissioning work, check responsibility, necessary costs and how to preserve invoices and the defect.
Where to take it

Civil Code arts 712–713 address responsibility, subject to agreed terms and tenant fault. If the responsible landlord fails to repair, the Code can allow tenant-arranged repair at the landlord’s cost and a rent adjustment or term extension for impaired use. Check the facts before claiming or offsetting costs.

A mistake to avoid

Do not simply stop paying all rent or deduct a repair bill without checking the legal and contractual basis.

Get help promptly when…

For gas, electrical, structural or health danger, leave the unsafe area and seek emergency or building-safety help before negotiating costs.

Records to keep3 useful records
  • Lease repair clauses and original condition / inventory
  • Dated fault photos/video and repair requests
  • Technician reports, quotes, invoices and lost-use records

Use records already safely and lawfully available. Do not delay urgent help or expose yourself or a child to danger to collect documents.

Official sources and legal basis

Links and relevant provisions checked 21 October 2026. English and Spanish are editorial translations; consult the official Chinese text.

03

An early move-out demand or a lockout

The landlord tells you to leave before the agreed end date, changes the lock, enters without agreement or uses threats to force you out.

What to do first

  1. Prioritise safety; for threats, violence or immediate danger, contact police through 110.
  2. Save the notice and access records; ask for the contractual or legal ground and proposed move-out date.
  3. Reply in writing about your position and access needs; have any surrender or settlement checked before signing.
Where to take it

Where the rental regulation applies, lawful landlord termination requires notice and reasonable time to move out; violent, threatening or other unlawful forced removal is prohibited. Safety reporting and the civil dispute over access, termination or compensation may need separate handling through mediation, court or validly agreed arbitration.

A mistake to avoid

Do not break in, confront the landlord or sign a “voluntary surrender” under pressure.

Get help promptly when…

Seek immediate help if threatened, locked out of essential medication or documents, or belongings may be removed. Do not wait for a routine complaint reply.

Records to keep3 useful records
  • Lease term, termination clauses and rent payment history
  • Notices, complete messages and lock / access photos
  • Belongings inventory, witnesses and police reference if issued

Use records already safely and lawfully available. Do not delay urgent help or expose yourself or a child to danger to collect documents.

Official sources and legal basis

Links and relevant provisions checked 21 October 2026. English and Spanish are editorial translations; consult the official Chinese text.

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Illustrative guidance edited by LifeShenzhen from the linked official sources. Requirements and outcomes depend on the facts, current procedure and individual legal assessment.