TV drama "Dwelling Narrowness" expresses the real estate rental dilemma of young professionals. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A recent survey conducted by the Chinese online classifieds service 58.com suggested that a significant number of young people in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen live in rented homes.

According to Beijing News, which reported on the survey, 41.69 percent of married couples surveyed said they rent their home, and 60.26 percent of those renting a home said they will continue to do so over the next three to five years.

Macdonald of Savills China Research said the rising mobility of white-collar workers in large Chinese cities will result in more people living in rented homes, as happens in many cities elsewhere.

Chen Sheng, president of the China Real Estate Data Academy, says the government should consider adopting policies that provide tenants and homeowners with equal benefits in terms of education and social welfare.

He Wei and Pan Yixuan in Shanghai contributed to the story.