When a tap drips or the AC dies in your Shanghai flat, here is who to call, who the Civil Code says pays, and how to book a handyman without a word of spoken Chinese.
When something breaks in your Shanghai flat, three people can fix it and the trick is knowing which. Call 物业 (wùyè, the building management) for anything in the building itself (a leak from upstairs, the lift, water pressure); tell your landlord or agent first when an appliance fails from age; and book a handyman through an app for small jobs, from about ¥50 to ¥100 (USD 7 to 15) a call-out before parts. Who pays usually follows who caused it: normal wear is the landlord's, and damage you did is yours.
Good to know
- Good for 适合: any renter facing a dripping tap, a dead AC or a leak from upstairs who does not know whether to call the building, the landlord, or a stranger.
- What you'll pay 大致花费: a handyman call-out (上门费) runs about ¥50 to ¥100 (USD 7 to 15) before parts; most wear-and-tear repairs are the landlord's, not yours.
- Do this first 先做这件事: photograph the problem, message your landlord or agent on WeChat, and keep the thread, it decides who pays.
物业, your landlord, or a handyman, who to call for what
Start with the right door and you save a day. 物业 is the property-management office that runs your compound; reach them at the ground-floor desk or, far faster, in the building WeChat group (ask a neighbour for the QR code). They handle anything shared or structural, a leak coming through your ceiling from upstairs, a dead corridor light, weak water pressure, a lift fault. (If it is your internet that is down, that is a separate playbook.) For something inside your own flat that has simply worn out, a water heater or an AC that has died, message your landlord or their agent, because arranging and paying for that is usually theirs. For small jobs nobody else will rush to, a blocked drain, a sticking lock, a shelf to mount, you book a handyman yourself.
| What broke 坏了什么 | Who to call 找谁 | Who usually pays 一般谁付 |
|---|---|---|
| Leak from upstairs, lobby, lift, water pressure, common areas | 物业 (building management) | Landlord via 物业费 |
| Water heater, AC, fridge or boiler failing with age | Your landlord or agent first | Landlord (normal wear) |
| Blocked drain or lock you broke, a burnt-out bulb | A handyman, or do it yourself | Tenant (small use items) |
| Internet or broadband down | Your provider, then landlord if it is the line | Split, check the lease |
Who actually pays
The rule of thumb is simple: normal wear and tear is the landlord's cost, damage you caused is yours. China's Civil Code (民法典) puts the duty to keep a rented home fit to live in on the landlord, so a boiler, pipe or wiring that fails with age should be fixed at their expense, and if they refuse after you have given notice you may arrange the repair and deduct a reasonable cost from rent. Most Shanghai leases also write in a threshold, often around ¥500 (USD 75): small repairs under it fall to the tenant, larger ones to the landlord. Read that clause before you sign, and when something breaks, photograph it and report it on WeChat the same day, so the record of who caused what is not a he-said-she-said at move-out.
The thread of WeChat messages where you reported the leak the day it started is worth more than any argument at move-out, so never fix a big problem silently and hope it quietly sorts itself out.
How to find and book a repair person
When a job is on you, you have good options without a word of Chinese spoken aloud. The fastest is your 物业, who usually keeps a list of trusted 师傅 (shīfu, tradespeople) and will send one up for a fee. Beyond that, the home-services section of Meituan (美团, 到家维修) and the app 58 Tongcheng (58同城) both list plumbers, electricians and locksmiths you can book like a food order, and the national repair chain 啄木鸟家庭维修 runs a bookable hotline and mini-program. Expect a call-out fee (上门费) of about ¥50 to ¥100 (USD 7 to 15), then parts and labour on top; agree the full price before the work starts, and keep the receipt if the landlord is reimbursing. A translation app handles the rest.
Which route is for you
If water, power or anything shared is involved, call 物业 first, it is their job and it is free to you. If an appliance or fixture has worn out, message your landlord or agent before you spend a yuan, because they usually owe the fix. If it is small, urgent and clearly yours, book a handyman on Meituan or 58同城 and keep the receipt. When in doubt, report it to both 物业 and your landlord with a photo and let them tell you whose it is.
Does the landlord or the tenant pay for repairs in Shanghai?
Normal wear and tear is the landlord's cost under China's Civil Code, so an aged water heater, AC, pipe or wiring that fails should be repaired at their expense. Damage you caused, and small consumables like bulbs or a use-blocked drain, are yours. Most Shanghai leases set a threshold, often around ¥500 (USD 75), below which small repairs fall to the tenant, so check that clause in your own contract.
What is 物业 and what do they fix?
物业 (wùyè) is the property-management company that runs your residential compound, paid through the management fee your landlord covers. They handle shared and structural problems: a leak coming through your ceiling, corridor lights, water pressure, the lift, building security. They do not usually fix what is purely inside your flat, such as your own AC or appliances, though many keep a list of 师傅 they will send up for a fee.
How do I find a handyman in Shanghai without speaking Chinese?
Book through the home-services section of Meituan (美团, 到家维修) or the 58 Tongcheng (58同城) app, which list plumbers, electricians and locksmiths you order like a meal, or ask your 物业 for a trusted 师傅. Expect a call-out fee (上门费) of about ¥50 to ¥100 (USD 7 to 15) before parts. A translation app bridges the conversation, and agreeing the price before work starts avoids surprises.
What should I do if my landlord refuses to fix something?
Report the problem in writing first, a WeChat message with a photo and a date is enough, and give them a reasonable time to act. Under the Civil Code, if a landlord fails to make a repair that is their duty after you have given notice, you may arrange the repair yourself and deduct a reasonable cost from the rent. Keep every receipt and message; a clear paper trail is what protects your deposit.
Sources · 资料来源
- Civil Code of the People's Republic of China 中华人民共和国民法典, lease-contract chapter (landlord's duty to maintain and the tenant's right to repair-and-deduct). gov.cn
- Shanghai residential lease conventions, expat rental guides (the repair threshold and management-fee split). shanghai-rentals.com
Your own signed lease governs the exact repair threshold and who pays; where it is silent, the Civil Code applies. Confirm current handyman prices on the app before booking.
As Confucius put it in the Analects, 工欲善其事，必先利其器, to do a job well you must first sharpen your tools. The tool here is knowing the number to call before the pipe bursts, not after.
Words, maps and research by the Choice Shanghai team. Please credit us and tag our 公众号 if you share.
