One month deposit plus three months rent is standard in Beijing.
Tips
culture
In Chinese cities, the standard rental arrangement is 押一付三 (yā yī fù sān) — one month's rent as deposit, pay three months upfront. In some cities it's 押一付一 (deposit one, pay monthly).
usage
押金 (deposit for goods/rental) vs 定金 (dìngjīn, earnest money — non-refundable) vs 订金 (dìngjīn, booking deposit — refundable). The distinction between 定金 and 订金 is a classic exam question.
