There are full range of housing supplies for expatriates in Shanghai, from classic old houses and old colonial apartments to high end new apartments and modern villas compounds.

High end Apartments or Villas/Houses are the main choice for expatriates in Shanghai. Some compounds are specially built for expatriates and can make a purely expatriate community inside, we call them Expatriate Compounds. Normally they have better quality and offer more western living environment, and of course ask for quite higher rental.

Old houses and old colonial apartments can be only found in Downtown, those charming homes mostly built in 1920-1940 are really sought after. Most expatriates especially new comers live in Expatriate Compounds, the rest live in old houses, and luxury local apartments or villas.

◦ Rental Rates quoted per month for each type of expatriate housing

◦ Developer Landlord VS Individual Landlord

In Expatriate Compounds the owner is just the Developer, normally the whole housing is for rent only. The renovation and decoration are designed to meet western living style or taste, the rental supply is plentiful and with same standard furnishings, and usually they are flexible on lease to be furnished, partly or unfurnished. Standard English speaking services and experienced expatriate living management will also make newcomers feeling easier and safer when they live in this kind compound.

Individual Landlord owned rentals are normally in local residential compounds, including those newly build luxury residences in Shanghai which can have great location with fantastic city views and life convenience. In normal compound, usually it's a mixture community of expatriates and locals.

Negotiation with individual landlord could be easy and flexible, and also could be stick and very difficult, and sometimes you can not choose furnishings if the unit already furnished. But most of all, each unit in same building / compound may have very different renovation / decoration style, from extremely luxury to poor or strange "design", unfortunately few of them meet western taste exactly.

Old houses mostly belong to individual landlord.

◦ Apartments

If you choose downtown probably you may live in apartments.

Expatriate apartments mostly offer fitness center including at least a basic gym and concierge service, 24 hours security guard is commonly provided, some  big compound or high-rise towers have own club with good facilities of gym, pool, tennis etc  for western lifestyle.

Service apartments provide hotel style services including housekeeping service, daily household wares as sheet \ towel and kitchen wares are also standard provided. They are usually available for monthly lease, some for daily.

Downtown has best selection of expatriate  apartments, large compounds of apartments are mostly in Pudong. Generally they are in three sort by its scopes.

High-rise Apartments Standard apartment normally with 1-2 tower of 20-30 floors in medium compound, most in Downtown. Sample: Royal Pavilion
Low-rise apartments Small sized apartment normally a single building under 10 floors with in quiet place, most in Downtown. Sample: Xingguo Hotel Apartment
Large apartments compound Normally many Low-rise apartments in a large compound with good facilities, some mixed high-rise, most in Pudong. Sample: Shanghai Racquet Club & Apartment

◦ Villas/Houses

Villas are the single detached houses located in a fenced compound (each compound has a name), undetached houses are called Townhouses which are sometimes in same compound but with a lower rental. Some villas have private garden, some even have private pool. 

Those large and new villas compounds usually have clubhouse with great facilities for expatriate lifestyle, some even have golf course onsite. Playground or playroom for children is common in villa compound, most villas provide gardening and housekeeping services, and shuttle bus to Metro Stations, major expatriate shopping areas and international schools.

Hongqiao has quite number of villas, large and new villas compounds are mostly in Pudong, or West Suburbs.

Small villas compound Normally under 20 houses, without clubhouse, but the house could be extremely luxury, most in Hongqiao. Sample: Villa D' Ambre
Standard villas compound Normally under 100 houses, with nice clubhouse, quite good garden and  environment, most in Hongqiao. Sample: Windsor Park
Large villas compound Normally 100-300 maybe more houses in nice landscaped compound, with clubhouse of great facilities, most in Pudong and West Suburbs. Sample: Green Villas