The Ultimate Guide to Renting an Apartment in Japan: Tips, Tricks, and Layouts

Japan offers an incredibly safe society, with a rich cultural heritage, mouth-watering cuisine, and many unique opportunities for study and business. Whether you move to Japan for work or cultural interest, one of the most challenging things to do is find a place to live.

This guide will find everything you need to know to start your apartment hunt on the right foot.

How does the apartment rental process work in Japan?

Suppose you are going to rent a property. In that case, whether it’s a house or an apartment in Japan for a long-term or short-term stay, you’ll probably end up paying a commission fee to a real estate agency or a broker, even if you find an apartment yourself on the internet.

It’s scarce to find apartment owners that rent out directly, so resorting to an agency will save you time when it comes to finding something that will suit what you are looking for.

Not all real estate agents, even in Tokyo, speak English. Still, thanks to bilingual brokerage assistance services, they act as interpreters to ensure good communication between you and your agent, or you can always bring a Japanese-speaking friend with you!

Calculate what kind of apartment and location you can afford

It should be no surprise that living in Japan can be incredibly expensive, especially in the more popular urban cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, or even in prefectures such as Kanagawa. Renting a one-room apartment in central Tokyo can cost you around ¥120,000 a month. You must decide early on how much you are willing to spend on rent. About 30% of your gross monthly income is recommended.

Remember that location will significantly affect the rent price, especially if the apartment is near a major train station or a major metro line such as the Yamanote Line in central Tokyo. Japanese people will often pay a premium to live within a 5-minute walk from the station.

Be clear about your requirements

Before heading to the real estate agent’s office, list what you need in your new apartment or house. Do you need to live near a station? Do you need a pet-friendly place? Here are some things to consider:

The location: General area, near a station, proximity to the supermarket, etc.

Building type and year of construction, bicycle/car parking area, auto-lock security system, potential noise (proximity to main roads, entertainment districts, etc.)

Apartment – Floor preference (no ground floor, higher than the second floor, etc.), size, room layout, balcony, built-in storage, natural light, etc.

Of course, specific criteria will be more important to you than others, so be sure to let your real estate agent know which matters most. Be clear about which are essential to you and which you could live without.

Other options to consider: furnished or unfurnished apartments

Most long-term apartments for rent in Japan come unfurnished, with a few notable exceptions; Gaijin houses, for example, usually have a bed, table, chairs, and other furnishings. Gaijin houses are shared homes with several studio apartments in which all facilities, kitchens, and common areas are shared. These types of homes are trendy options for foreigners such as students, travelers, and people staying on working holidays visa.

In addition, some buildings are only rented out to company employees. If your company offers you accommodation, it will most likely be an already furnished house. LeoPalace21 tends to be the most common housing service available for company apartments. They tend to be 1DK (floor layouts are explained below) with paper-thin walls and are what you call a very “cozy” home.

Japanese Apartment Layouts

Japanese real estate agents use LDK, a unique abbreviation to describe apartment layouts. It stands for Living, Dining, and Kitchen area, and it’s preceded by the number of rooms, excluding the bathroom and/or toilet.

Some other standard Japanese apartment layouts are:

• 1K: A one-room apartment with a kitchen.
• 1DK: A one-room apartment with a dining and kitchen area.
• 1LDK: A one-room apartment with a living, dining, and kitchen area.

Be aware that floor plans are usually not drawn to an exact scale. They are only to give you an approximate idea of what an apartment looks like.

Here is a Japanese-English Japanese room guide:

Viewing prospective apartments

After stating your preferences, the agent will search for apartments that match your criteria. They will print out floor plans of prospective properties. Each floor plan will show each room’s size, the building’s age, area, distance to the nearest station, etc. Room sizes are displayed on the plain in the measurement 畳 or 帖, which is 1.65m2 (5 feet 5 inches). After choosing a couple of apartments you are interested in, the agent will take you to view them.

Seeing potential apartments is exciting, and it can be hard to remember small details later.

Take plenty of photos for your references, and don’t be afraid to ask the agent to see the apartments again.

Don’t forget to check out the neighborhood too. After viewing the room, take the time to walk around the area to see where the closest supermarket, convenience store, and post office are located.

Japanese apartment renting contract requirements

Once you have decided on a suitable apartment, the next step is to have all the paperwork ready.

Each real estate agency or housing service agency will have different requirements, but all will need the following:

• Two forms of ID – Passport, residence card, or student ID
• A domestic (Japanese) phone number
• Your own and emergency contact (a Japanese person is preferred)
• A Japanese bank account – This is to pay for the initial move-in costs and monthly rent. In rare cases, you may be able to pay for the upfront costs (as described further below) by credit card or cash. But your monthly rent must be paid by domestic means. In your application, you will be asked to fill out an automatic withdrawal form so that the rent will be automatically deducted from your account on the day that it is due.
• A copy of recent pay slips or bank statements – This is to prove that you can pay the rent each month.
• Letter of employment or certificate of eligibility – this only applies if you are a student.
• A guarantor – A guarantor acts like insurance and guarantees the landlord that any outstanding dues be paid. Ideally, your employer will be your guarantor.

Your guarantor will have to prepare the following documents:

• Proof of residence (住民票)
• Income statement (源泉徴収表)
• Personal seal/Name stamp (印鑑証明書)

But if you don’t have anyone to ask, you can use a guarantor company (which the agent will recommend) for a fee.

Don’t Forget about the Move-In Costs!

Japan has a much higher upfront cost for moving into a new apartment than many other places in the world. Things can add up pretty quickly!

These initial costs can include:

• Rent Advance 家賃 – Up to 2 months’ rent is paid up-front.
• Security Deposit 敷金 – A security deposit equivalent to one to three months’ rent is given to the landlord. When you move to a new residence, the money is used to pay any outstanding rent, make repairs and clean the apartment as necessary. The balance, if any, is refunded to you when you move out.
• Guarantor Company Fee 保証料 -This initial fee ranges from 50% to even 100% of the rent plus consumption tax (10%).
• Insurance Fee 保険料 – This covers any water or fire damage. It starts at ¥20,000 and can go up depending on the apartment.
• Agency Fee 仲介手数料 – Agents often charge one month’s rent commission plus consumption tax. *Cleaning Fee – This is for the realtor to clean the apartment after you leave. It starts at ¥20,000.
• Common maintenance Fee 共益費- This pays for the maintenance of the common areas (hallways, elevators, etc.) in your building. Sometimes this is already included in the rent and is not shown as a separate fee.
• Key Money 礼金 – This is a gratuity you pay to your landlord and is non-refundable. It’s usually about one to two months’ rent; it’s typically much higher in Kansai.
• Changing Lock Fee 鍵交換代 – This is to change all the locks so that you can have comfort knowing that you have the only key. It starts at ¥15,000. *Depending on the property, these fees are negotiable.

Read the rental agreement carefully and ask your realtor about any fees you are unsure about. You won’t necessarily have to pay these fees as it depends entirely on the apartment. However, you should be prepared to pay approximately six months’ equivalent rent before signing the rental agreement to cover the upfront costs.

See below for some example deals of moving costs based on a ¥60,000 rental.

Here is an example of renting costs for Tokyo apartments

Good Apartment Deal in Tokyo For limited options:

Average Apartment Deal in Tokyo For more option selections:

Expensive Apartment Deal in Tokyo: These deals mainly apply to larger apartments, pets, or highly desired areas:

Tips on finding a cheap apartment in Tokyo

As mentioned before, location plays a huge factor in the overall price of a place. Choosing an apartment further away from the train station, further away from the city center and in an older building will allow you to save money. Living in a more rural area often makes for a much cheaper alternative.

Sometimes you can find 2LDK apartments for just ¥50,000!

Also, the time you begin your apartment hunting can affect the prices you’ll find on the market. Between January and March, the rental prices for apartments are higher due to the large number of newly hired college graduates seeking a new place to live. During this time, the negotiation period is less than a week as apartments fill up quickly. Once this period dies, due to the low demand for apartments between April and July, property owners are pushing real estate agents to fill up their available properties.

Property owners often offer no key money, lower rent, or invest in upgrading certain properties to make them more appealing to future tenants. Another cheap alternative is a Jiko Bukken (事故物件), a “black property.” These apartments are often in great locations, spacious, and have very reasonable rent. But what’s the catch?

Typically, in these apartments, a suicide or deadly accident has occurred hence the heavily reduced price. Agents are legally obligated to inform the next tenant that moves into the property after the incident. However, there is no further obligation to notify any future tenants. These places are always completed renovated to make them more attractive. The only thing to consider is, are you afraid of ghosts?

Commonly Asked Questions about renting an apartment in Japan