If you rent market-rental housing in Shanghai, you may apply to withdraw money from your housing provident fund account to help pay rent.

 

Eligibility

• The applicant has contributed to the housing provident fund in Shanghai for at least three consecutive full months;
• Neither the applicant nor their spouse owns residential property in Shanghai, and they are renting housing;
• Neither the applicant nor their spouse has an outstanding housing provident fund loan in Shanghai or an active withdrawal arrangement, such as an entrusted withdrawal of housing provident funds to repay a housing loan;
• The applicant and their spouse may only withdraw funds from their housing provident fund accounts to pay rent for one property. Only one type of rental withdrawal arrangement may be used for the same rental purpose at any given time;
• The applicant's rental arrangements must comply with Shanghai's housing lease regulations;
• Where two or more individuals who are not spouses rent the same property, only one applicant and their spouse shall be permitted to withdraw housing provident funds to pay rent during any given period.

Notice: If the applicant's spouse participates in the withdrawal, they shall also meet the withdrawal conditions.

 

Application materials

The applicant shall submit the application information, including marital status, rental address, withdrawal amount, address for service of documents, and mobile phone number, at a China Construction Bank housing provident fund business outlet or a business outlet of the Shanghai Provident Fund Management Center, and present the originals of the following application materials:

• The applicant's identity document and documents proving marital status, such as a marriage certificate where applicable;
• A Class I debit card in the applicant's own name issued by a bank cooperating with the housing provident fund;
• If the applicant's spouse also participates in the withdrawal, the spouse shall also provide the above-mentioned materials;
• A completed "Housing Status Information Inquiry Form".

 

Processing time

If the applicant provides complete application materials or information, the Shanghai Provident Fund Management Center shall decide whether to approve the withdrawal within three working days of accepting the application, excluding the time required to verify property ownership, rental, and marital information, and notify the applicant. If there are doubts about the submitted materials, the center may require additional original supporting documents.

 

Note

The Shanghai Provident Fund Management Center will periodically verify applicants' rental information with relevant authorities. If the rental address is found to be inconsistent with the information provided, the withdrawal arrangement will be terminated in accordance with applicable regulations.

Applicants must confirm their rental information annually. If the information changes, they must promptly update or terminate their withdrawal arrangements. Failure to confirm the information within the required period will result in termination of the withdrawal arrangement.

1. If the applicant's spouse also participates in the withdrawal, they must complete the withdrawal procedures together in a single application.

2. The monthly withdrawal amount for each household (including single-person households) shall not exceed the actual rent expenses. The monthly withdrawal limit was raised from 3,000 yuan (about $448) to 4,000 yuan (about $598) on Nov 1, 2024.

 

Updated Oct 10, 2026

 

Source: Shanghai Provident Fund Management Center