Summary of the Core Content
Renting a house in Beijing is the first lesson in learning to be submissive for those who come to the city as "north drifters": the market is filled with old, dilapidated properties with "inherited" decorations (millennium-style furnishings, outdated hardware, and cluttered with the landlord's old furniture). Landlords are reluctant to renovate due to cost-benefit considerations, while tenants, who initially wanted to transform their rental homes into stylish spaces, have gradually given up and simplified them to mere sleeping quarters. Some even convert their homes into public spaces such as cafes or libraries. In the end, "cleanliness" has become a scarce resource in the Beijing rental market, reflecting the helplessness and adaptation of the north drifters amidst the supply and demand dynamics.
I. The "Inherited Decorations" in Beijing's Rental Homes: Uniformly Unattractive and Absurd
The decoration in Beijing's rental homes seems to have been put on pause—custom-made mahogany furniture from the millennium ( reminiscent of scenes from "Confession and Forgiveness"), polished but pitted floors, grayed-out walls (which agents claim can be "polished back to perfection," but in reality, it just means they won't look much better), kitchens covered with takeaway bags as a makeshift oil-proof surface, and old air-conditioners and refrigerators with poor energy efficiency. These "inherited features" have endured for generations of north drifters, yet not even the simplest updates like painting walls or replacing kitchen and bathroom fixtures have been made.
In contrast to the flashy and bizarre decorations in Shanghai (such as houses built with gypsum boards or "diamond-shaped" layouts), Beijing offers a more "plain and makeshift" style: the layouts are so straightforward that they almost feel comforting, but the quality of the facilities makes one question the whole experience. Some joke that north drifters have already enjoyed the blessing of "buying back the houses they grew up in," as stepping inside brings back memories of their childhood—only these memories are mixed with the traces of multiple generations of tenants.
II. Why Don't Landlords Renovate? After Doing the Math, It's Not Worth It
It's not that landlords don't have the money; they simply think it's not necessary:
- Cost-benefit imbalance: Renovating a 60-square-meter old property costs 50,000 yuan, and the monthly rent might only increase by a few hundred yuan, taking five years to recoup the investment, not to mention the loss of potential tenants in the meantime. Leaving it as it is still allows for a decent rent.
- Preference for selling the property: Many landlords are waiting to sell their homes, and a renovated property will attract lower prices from potential buyers, so it's better to keep it in its original state.
- Difficult to satisfy all tenants: Some prefer a minimalist style, while others prefer a cozy environment; any renovations might not please everyone, so they simply let it go as it is.
As landlord Sister Zhou puts it, "As long as it's habitable, why bother with renovations?"
III. The Evolution of North Drifters' Attitudes: From "Overhauling Homes" to "Giving Up and Moving On"
Young people who first come to Beijing dream of transforming their rental homes into stylish spaces inspired by PDD (a popular interior design platform). After living there for a few months, even the more artistic and ambitious individuals become too lazy to make further improvements:
- Fear of loss: Spending their own money to improve the landlord's property means they can't take the improvements with them when they move out, and they might even have to pay a penalty for changing the original condition.
- Reducing belongings: Veteran north drifters tend to move on, keeping only the essentials like beds, tables, and laptops, and bringing back only items suitable for camping (for easy relocation).
- Converting homes into public spaces: Using the living room as a cafe, the study as a library, and the park as a balcony, reducing the home to its basic function of providing a place to sleep. Some say, "Going home is just for rest; I don't invest any emotions and am always ready to move."
IV. The "Strange Rules" of Beijing's Rental Market: Location Takes Priority Over All Discomforts
Despite the poor condition of the properties, why do people still rent them? Because the location is so attractive:
- It only takes 10 minutes to ride a bike to work, giving them an extra hour of sleep compared to colleagues in the suburbs. On weekends, they can easily visit places like Sanlitun or Liangmahe, with the National Library and local taverns within reach.
- When increasing their budget, they opt for larger, better-quality properties, not just better decoration. As Niuxixi says, "You can't avoid the inherited decorations by spending more money; it's better to choose a property in a better location."
Additionally, Beijing's agency fees (which are higher than in Shanghai and Shenzhen) are almost inevitable, so even if the prices are higher, tenants often have no choice but to accept them.
V. New Trends: "Cleanliness" Becomes a Scarce Resource, and Landlords Start to Clean Up Their Rental Properties
Recently, the market has seen some properties that are cleaner and more presentable. Many landlords, after buying new homes and facing higher mortgage payments, clean up their old properties to rent them out and use the income to cover their mortgage costs. These properties are slightly more expensive, but they are in high demand because cleanliness has become a luxury in the rental market.
As Xiaolin puts it, "Before, I thought as long as it was habitable, that was enough. Now, when I see a clean property, my eyes light up."
In Conclusion
Renting in Beijing is not about choosing a "home" but about choosing a "way of living"—using a makeshift living space in exchange for convenient urban amenities. Through this process of adaptation, north drifters have gone from resistance to acceptance, eventually developing a kind of "numbness to discomfort." But who wouldn't want a clean, tidy place to live in? Unfortunately, in the face of reality, they can only "endure" for now.