You can try renting on your own but you won’t get much variety and if you were to drive round checking for ‘to let’ signs, you wouldn’t find too many. Besides, landlords don’t want to deal with foreigners or be bothered by the hassles of negotiating and the other demands of leasing. However, with low budget accommodation like studio flats and flat shares, serviced apartments and short lease accommodation, they won’t want to pay commission to an agent so they’ll be more inclined to deal with tenants directly. You’ll have to do all the negotiating and lease signing by yourself – a headache if the two parties speak different languages.

Leading dailies have a property supplement – the South China Morning Post comes out on Wednesdays and The Standard on Fridays. Square Foot is a new fortnightly property magazine in Hong Kong with interesting articles and property advertisements. Free publications including HK Magazine, BC, and Inside DB advertise serviced apartments, flat shares and rooms. You can advertise in these magazines for a small fee, especially if you are looking for a short-term lease or a flatmate. The internet is another good source of information – try www.geoexpat.com, www.asiaxpat.com and www.hongkong.alloexpat.com. You can also spread the word through people you know and through notice boards in supermarkets and buildings.