if u got an agent, u will 心里有底， everything occurs can jsut call ur agent, but it also depends if ur agent will 真正的 help you or not - but may need to pay agent fee and contract fee etc.

it is the same for JTC house, u still need to spend some money other than rental. u duun pay agent fee, but still got contract fee and u may need to wait in the waiting list and will usually need to buy furnitures cos houses are empty.

if you try your own luck, whether it is leagl or illegal is the first thing,

if it is illegal rental, then when the authority find out, u will be in big trouble, - heard a friend's experience is to be ordered to leave immediatelly (some 8 years agao）and after that, he keeps reminding all people he knows or even unknown about this:)

if the house is 符合出租的条件, but the owner did not infomr iras, it's offendence again. then u might got trouble as well

if it is leagl and the owner treats u badly or lies, ur life is miserable:(

if it is leagl and owner is a good person, u will live a happy life thereafter...

No matter which way you use, 用心评断一下你的房东会不会是个好房东，cos it will define the status of ur rental life :)))

这个世界还是好人多, don't worry too much and wish u good luck!

for all the uncerntainty, there are some basic ways to cover a bit, one is your judgement and another is called contract. some people say 白纸黑字 forever is one of hte best ways to prevent bad things happen...

no matter u got an agent or not, since by all means, you most likely will sign the contract with the owner, maybe you can try to ask the owner all your doubts in a very very polite way first and if the answers are somehow no problem we are definatelly leagl, you know things like that;then you can ask the owner in a still very polite but firm way that you want to add one more clause in your rental contract, syaing something like 如果因为屋主的原因而不能履行合同etc, 屋主有义务cover 租户的损失;in order to make the owner feel alright to add such clause, you can add a sub clause like 损失以实际损失或者一个月房租为上限， which ever is lower etc..,


Good luck