Renting an apartment in Japan: a Guide
Moving to Japan for studying or working?
Whichever is your purpose when it comes to rent a place you should know a few things about it.
First of all Japan and Tokyo, specifically, is an overpopulated city with limited residential zoning, therefore do not expect to find the same spacious rooms, houses or apartments you are used to in your home country.
Once you accepted this, renting a place might be a really stressful experience if you wish to do it on your own without any knowledge about it. In western countries it is likely that, when you rent out a place, you just have to pay the deposit and the rent. In Japan things work “slightly” in a different way.
First, let’s start with five points you should know
1. Don’t wait!
Apartments in Tokyo, especially newly build ones in central locations go very quick. And when I say very quick I mean within one day!
It is very possible that you just have done a viewing and still thinking about taking it, while someone else has already decided for the apartment.
First come, first serve. If you really like a place, be quick! This rule is especially true for the moving season (see point 4)!
2. Fill in the application form!
Every Japanese real estate agency will ask you to fill in a rental application form. They usually have prepared their own forms and will send them to you via mail or give them to you on the day of the viewing. This is to inform the agency about your working place, your income and your visa status. Those application forms are necessary to let you apply for an apartment. However, it won’t guarantee you that you will get the apartment! If the application form is in Japanese, ask a Japanese friend to help you, or search on our website www.japanroomfinder.com for English-friendly property. ;)
3. Viewings are good, but not necessary!
As already stated above — apartments go very quick. Some Japanese people even don’t consider to go for viewings, since they just need a place to live in a certain area. If you have found an apartment which interests you and it is located in a popular area (eg. Shibuya, Roppongi, Ginza), better decline the viewing and immediately fill in the application form. Always keep in mind — You are not the only one applying for this place!
4. February and March are the most busy moving season!
If you need to move in March, be prepared that most places will be gone very quickly. Start searching early and apply immediately when you find something you like. Moving in other seasons is, of course, possible. However, since there is a high rotation of available apartments in March, you might be also lucky and find a good place in a central location!
5. Be prepared for high initial cost!
Japan has all kind of fees and you need to prepare initial cost, if you are ready to move in. The usual fee will include the first rent, a deposit, key money and an insurance fee. Some other fees which might additionally apply are a cleaning fee, a management fee, a brokerage fee, the guarantor fee and a contract renewal fee. All agencies will inform you about the fees, always ask for the initial cost when you decide for an apartment. Expect it to be usually double than your monthly rent, sometimes even more. Depending on the size and location of the apartment the initial cost can vary.
Let’s suppose you find some attractive places that fulfill all your requirements at the real estate agency you visited: room size, rent, distance to the station and to work place or school.
Let’s start with some useful words:
- 賃料 (Chinryou) or 家賃 (Yachin) : rent
- 敷金 (Shikikin) : deposit
- 礼金 (Reikin) — Key Money : “Reward”, gift to the owner
- 管理費 (Kanrihi) : monthly management fee
- 保証料 (Hoshyouryou) : guarantor fee in case you do not have a guarantor like Japanese company you are working for or Japanese relatives or friends ,that would act as your guarantor.
- 鍵交換費用 (Kagikoukanhiyou) : change of lock fee
- 清掃費 (Seisouhi) : cleaning fee
- 家財保険料 (Kazaihokenryou) : furniture insurance
- 仲介手数料 (Chyuukaitesuryou) : real estate agency fee
- 合計 (Goukei) total cost
- 預かり金 (Azukarikin) : advance payment
- 清算金 (Seisankin) : total remaining to pay
Reikin/Key Money/ Thank You Money: depending on the apartment and the location you might have to pay up to three times your monthly rent to the landlord. You don’t get anything in return, but simply thank the landlord for trusting you with the apartment. Many foreigners struggle with the custom of Reikin and many Japanese people itself see it as a useless tradition but unfortunately, traditions don’t change that easily. Lately, there are more places on the market where you don’t have to pay Reikin to the landlord but they are hard to find. Especially when you are looking for a place in a more popular area, because the landlord will be able to easily rent out his/her apartment regardless of requesting key money.
Guarantor Fee: Do you remember when you rented an apartment as a student and the landlord requested your parents serving as guarantors in case you wouldn’t be able to pay? The Japanese system is something similar although even adults with a high and stable income are requested to have a guarantor. This is a again a strange tradition foreigners have difficulties with but at least Japanese people have the same problem…Landlords are scared of their tenants disappearing or not being able to pay the rent and thus you will need a guarantor in most cases. Some landlords are satisfied if you present them a friend or a parent as guarantor but in many cases you will need to make a contract with a special guarantor company. The cost for this insurance contract can be up to one month rent (one-time only).
Wanted: 2SLDK — what?
Can’t make sense of the special terms Japanese use to describe the apartment? Here is some help:
Houses in Japan are categorized in アパート (apaato) and マンション (mansion)
- アパート (apaato) building of 2 floors (the first floor, in Japan, is on the ground floor)
- マンション (mansion) buildings over two floors
In Japan, they use a RSLDK measuring system to describe the floor plan of a property. Here are the exact meanings:
- R : Room
- S : Storage Room
- L : Living
- D : Dining
- K : Kitchen
Regarding the size of these rooms, you should know that they are measured in 帖 (じょう — Jou).
1 JO is also called 1 tatami and a surface area of 91 cm x 182 cm or about 1.6 square meters. Here are some examples:
- 4,5 帖 : 7,2 m²
- 5帖 : 8 m²
- 6 帖 : 9,6 m²
- 8 帖 : 12,8 m²
- 12帖 : 19,2 m²
There are two types of room style:
- 和 室 (washitsu): room with a tatami floor and often sliding doors in the pure traditional Japanese style.
Many foreigners like to have washitsu rooms but be careful: you cannot put every piece of furniture on the tatami mats and if you damage them, you have to expensively replace them. Second, you have to keep them clean, because if you don’t, mold and small insects will start living in and under your tatami. Many Japanese people nowadays prefer western-style apartments.
- 洋 室 (Youshitsu): Western-style room
Western-style rooms and apartments are the most common and popular ones. Easy to clean and you can put every type of furniture on the floor.
Last but, not least, the number of rooms is expressed by the number in front of the letters above. Here are some examples:
- 1LDK : 1 room, 1 living, 1 Dining Kitchen
- 2DK : 2 rooms, 1 dining kitchen
- 3 SLDK : 3 rooms, 1 storage, 1 living, 1 dining kitchen
Studio flats, a “one piece apartment”, are indicated by the name ワンルーム (One room).
Let’s see one concrete example:
アパート (apaato)
3DK : 3 rooms, 1 Dining Kitchen
5 min to the bus stop on foot
Total size: 57,00 m²
Living + Dining Kitchen : 7.13帖 (11,4 m²)
Room 1 (洋室) : 6 帖 (9,6 m²)
Room 2 (洋室) : 6 帖 (9,6 m²)
Room 3 (和室) : 6 帖 (9,6 m²)
Monthly Rent (賃料) : 79,000 Yen
Monthly management fee (管理費) : 3,000 Yen
Building date : 1988
Bathroom & toilet separate, balcony
Example:
敷金 (Deposit) = 0 Yen
礼金 (Gift to the owner) = 0 Yen
賃料 (Rent) = 79,000 Yen
管理費 (Monthly Management fee) = 2,000 Yen
保証料 (Guarantor Agency Fee) = 0 Yen
保険料 (insurance) = 20,000 Yen
仲介手数料 (Real estate fee) = 42,660 Yen
合計 (Total cost) = 143.660 Yen
預かり金 (Advance payment) = 0 Yen
清算金 (Total remaining to pay) = 143.660 Yen
Usually the contract lasts 2 years after which you can renew it, or move out. If you wish to move out before the contract ends, you might loose the deposit. Better be quite sure about the choice then, because if the deposit is 2 months rent you might loose quite a lot of money. You also might have to pay a contract renewal fee as well as key money. Yes, again another round of key money because you are again grateful to the landlord for letting you stay another two years.
How to make the best choice then? Choose an accommodation according to your priorities.
If you want to be as closest as possible to the station because you commute every day early in the morning, choose one within 5 minutes walking distance to the station. However, many Japanese prefer living close to the station and therefore apartments closer to the station will be more expensive.
If you wish to save money but still need to commute every day then choose an accommodation well served by bus and or with bicycle parking available.
If you care more about the size of the room and prefer to save some money than usually the further you go from the station the cheaper it is, unless of course you choose a super luxury accommodation.
One other tip to save money if you’re not superstitious is to consider a jiko bukken property. Jiko Bukken — What’ s that?
A jiko bukken is a property where the former occupant died of unnatural causes, such as suicide, murder, fire.
By law, all real estate agents must tell you that you are viewing a jiko bukken property. Due to the superstitious nature of many Japanese people, jiko bukken properties can usually be rented at a substantial discount. As long as you don’t mind the occasional strange noise in the night, a jiko bukken might be a great way to save some money on the rent. ;)
