Luxury villas and apartments with hotel-like service are the favorite residences of the nearly 200,000 foreigners who live in rented houses in Beijing, according to a survey by a noted real estate company in Beijing.

The most desired apartments or villas tend to be those located in the central business center in the east part of Beijing. With self-contained facilities and top-notch service, the monthly rent here ranges from US$4000 to 8000.

Secondary grade apartments near office buildings in the downtown area are favored by practical foreigners. High quality apartments are available not far from their offices at moderate prices.

The villas in the northeast suburbs of Beijing attract many foreigners who live here with their families. Residents here are often middle-aged or older people who pay great attention to the quality of their family life.

People from different nations show varied tastes in housing preferences. According to the survey, Germans and others from north Europe care most about the quality of the houses, Frenchmen and Italians prefer houses with gorgeous internal furnishings, Americans favor villas with gardens in prosperous areas and people from Singapore, Malaysia or other Asian countries pay more attention to the luxury and magnificence of the houses.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2004)