F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is definitely possible for foreigners to rent properties in Japan. However, many owners will not accept foreign tenants so it is important to work with a housing agent to find properties that are openly willing to accept foreigners. Many properties posted on other websites such as Suumo are not specifically inclined to accept foreign tenants so utilizing an agency that specializes in foreign rentals can be essential to finding the right place.
It is indeed possible to apply to properties from overseas. However, not all owners or management companies will accept applications from overseas so it is important to look for properties that specifically will. Certain documents such as a COE will also be necessary; in the case of a working holiday visa, ultimately no COE is distributed so the actual visa on the passport would be required to apply instead.
Foreigners seeking to contract a rental property in Japan will need a valid long-term visa (or a COE if applying from overseas). The potential property options and requirements are subject to change depending on the individual’s status of residence. A valid long-term visa would not be required to purchase a property however.
The documents that will usually be required when applying to a property from overseas are a valid COE (or visa on the passport in the case of a working holiday visa holder), a picture of your passport photo page, a school acceptance letter or job offer documentation if applicable, and a screenshot of the bank account balance of the individual who will be paying the initial move-in costs in order to demonstrate to the management company that the individual has an adequate amount of funds.
The documents that will usually be required when applying to a property while currently residing in Japan are a valid residence card, a health insurance card, a picture of the photo page of your passport, a school acceptance letter or student ID card (if you are on student visa), a job offer/contract listing salary information or payslips from the past three months (if you are on a work visa), a screenshot of the bank account balance of the individual who will be paying the initial move-in costs in order to demonstrate to the management company that the individual has an adequate amount of funds.
In the case that you come to our office to sign the contract for the property, you may be asked to bring certain documents and identification with you. This may be subject to change depending on what the owner requests from the tenant, but most often you would be asked to bring self-identification (residence card and passport) as well a juuminhyou (住民票), a document that serves as a certificate of residence. The juuminhyou can be received from your local city ward office or in some cases can be retrieved from a convenience store if you happen to have a MyNumber Card.
This can be attributed to a multitude of reasons, but if there happens to be a difference between the price for a property listed online and the actual price, it could be the case that the price has increased since the listing had been posted and has yet to be updated. In other cases, regarding initial costs, it may be the case that not all fees may be listed, so it is integral to consult an agent to understand the actual initial costs for a given property. It is always best to refer to the official housing zumen (図面), created by the management company for more accurate fees and pricing models.
Standard housing contracts in Japan generally last a period of two years. Following the expiration of the contract, the tenant has the option to either vacate the property or renew the contract for another two years. In the case of renewal, the tenant will need to pay the associated renewal fee as well as fire insurance fee again to cover another period of two years. The specifics surrounding the renewal fee may vary depending on the specific property.
It is not necessary to be able to speak Japanese in order to rent an apartment in Japan. However, being able to speak even basic Japanese will prove useful when it comes to certain processes such as the housing screening. Some properties may be open to accepting foreign tenants, but of those, some may only allow individuals who are capable of speaking Japanese, so your options should increase if you do happen to be fluent in Japanese.
All foreign tenants in Japan are required to use a guarantor company, even if they already have a willing guarantor individual. However, some management companies may occasionally call for a guarantor individual in addition to the use of a guarantor company.
All applicants are required to have emergency contacts when applying to a property. Foreigners are often asked to have two emergency contacts; one individual who lives in Japan and one family member who lives in their home country. Regarding the former, the individual generally does not need to be Japanese per se, but certain owners may request the applicant to have a Japanese emergency contact in certain instances. The emergency contact also cannot be any of the tenants; it needs to be a separate individual. The emergency contact also cannot be an entity such as a school or company, and needs to be an individual. Basic information such as name, gender, date of birth, address, phone number, and relationship to the applicant would be asked for. Emergency contacts are not guarantors and hence do not bear any financial responsibilities.
Altogether, the process should take roughly two weeks given that no significant issues arise. After submitting an application for a given property, a housing screening will be conducted where the prospective tenant will be asked to verify some information. Upon passing the housing screening, an invoice will immediately be prepared by the management company and the tenant will be asked to pay initial move-in costs. After the payment of initial move-in costs is confirmed, the management company will then begin preparing contract documents. Following this, the contract is to be signed and the handover of the key will be arranged.
It is best to begin looking for a property around a month or so prior to your desired move-in date. The application, screening, payment, and contract process collectively take around two weeks so looking for a property about a month in advance would be optimal. Upon passing the housing screening, owners will generally not wait an extended period of time and will ask the applicant to contract the property immediately. If your move-in date is far into the future, it would be best to wait until around a month or so prior to said prospective move-in date to begin the search.
Initial move-in costs are costs associated with contracting and moving into a new property. In most cases, initial move-in costs will be approximately, or sometimes exceed, four to five times the monthly rent plus management fees amount. For example, or a property with a monthly cost of 60,000 yen, it is unsurprising that initial costs would hover around 300,000 yen. These costs are generally non-negotiable and applicants cannot pick and choose what they want to pay. As such, when attempting to move, it is important to ensure that one has an adequate amount of money to pay initial move-in costs.
Initial move-in costs entail numerous expenses, the most common of which will be detailed in this section.
Deposit (敷金) : Many apartments may require a deposit; in most cases it will be returned once the tenant moves out. Generally, the deposit may end up being the equivalent of one month’s rent, but in some cases may be more.
Key Money (礼金) : Many apartments may require key money; unlike the deposit, key money will not be returned once the tenant moves out. Generally, key money may end up being the equivalent of one month’s rent, but in some cases may be more.
Usage Fees (使用費) : Usage fees are mandatory and consist of the rent for the remainder of the month that the tenant moves in plus the rent for the following month.
Fire Insurance (火災保険) : Fire insurance is always mandatory and usually covers a period of two years. The coverage is usually not only limited to just fire, but may cover other types of disasters such as flooding or robbery to a certain extent as well. It is usually paid as a lump-sum payment as part of the initial costs, but occasionally it may be charged as a monthly expense instead.
Key Exchange (鍵交換費) : Key exchange fees are a one-time expense, covering the cost of replacing or changing lock(s) on the doors.
Emergency Support (24時間安心サポート) : Most apartments require the use of emergency support; tenants can use this in the case of any emergencies or if something within the property needs to be repaired. It is usually paid as a lump-sum payment as part of the initial costs, but occasionally it may be charged as a monthly expense instead.
Guarantor Company Fees (保証料) : All foreign tenants in Japan are required to use a guarantor company, even if they already have a willing guarantor individual. The rates for the fee vary depending on the specific guarantor company and usually range from 40% to 100% of the monthly rent plus management fees. In most cases, the management company will specifically designate which guarantor company is to be used; the staff of most guarantor companies are only capable of speaking Japanese, there exist a few for foreigners that may offer multilingual support, such as GTN.
Cleaning Fees (清掃費) : In many cases, tenants will pay a cleaning fee used for cleaning purposes when the tenant eventually vacates the property. In most cases, the cleaning fee will be included with the initial costs, but sometimes it may be charged when the tenant vacates the apartment instead; the timing of the charge is up to the management company.
Processing Fees (仲介手数料) : This is the portion of the initial costs that our agency keeps. It will always be 110% of the monthly rent amount; the 10% on top is for tax purposes.
Beyond this, depending on the specifics surrounding the property in question, there may be other fees that may be charged as part of the initial cost, but the ones listed above are the most common.
There do exist properties in Japan that are pre-furnished, but the vast majority of properties in Japan are unfurnished. If you do happen to be specifically searching for a furnished apartment, we can assist you in finding such, but do be aware that potentially options will be more limited compared to unfurnished apartments.
The vast majority of properties in Japan will unfortunately not allow for pets as they are often strictly prohibited. In the cases of apartments that may be open to allowing for pets, tenants are often charged additional fees associated with such. In most scenarios, the fee ends up being the equivalent of an additional one month’s rent per pet. Some pet-friendly properties may also place a restriction on the number of pets and specific species of animals that would be allowed.
The use of musical instruments is strictly prohibited in the vast majority of properties in Japan. This is due to the sound pollution and potential disturbance that they can cause to neighbors. The sole exception are electronic keyboards that are capable of headphone connection; this would not be a disturbance as sound would not be projected outwards. Properties that allow for instruments are exceedingly rare, and as such, it is highly recommended to look for a rental studio elsewhere to practice musical instruments.
Tenants will need to contact the owner/management company and inform them of their intention to vacate the property. This generally needs to be done in writing, not verbally or through other means. At the time of contract, some management companies may provide a document to submit to them when the time comes to vacate.
Most apartments require tenants to give a notice of at least a month in advance before vacating the property. In the case that adequate notice is not given, the tenant will generally be forced to pay a penalty fee; in most cases, this penalty fee may range between one to several month’s rent depending on the specific circumstances. When notice should be given should be detailed in the contract documents.