As the Japanese move-in process is complicated, there are many things you need to prepare to rent an apartment in Japan. If you do not want to end up homeless in Japan, make sure you have everything before flying out of your country because some documents are only obtainable there.
What you need to rent an apartment in Tokyo.
Upfront Cost
Is it true that you need a lot of money to move in Tokyo? Yes, it definitely is. If you are thinking just to dive into this country and start a new chapter of your life not considering the financial aspect, you would not even find a place to live.
There are ao many things you have to pay just to rent an apartment and they are far from reasonable. Let’s go through what you should expect prior to moving in Japan.
On top of the first month’s rent itself, you have to pay the deposits, key money, agency commission fee, an annual maintenance fee, property insurance, and key exchange fee.
Let’s just say a standard apartment in Tokyo costs 80,000 yen (=$800) a month, you have to expect 4.5 to 5 times of the rent to move in an apartment, which sums up to 400.000 yen ($4,000) as an initial cost. Let’s take a look at the detail
MUST PAY
MUST PAY
- Deposit (one month’s rent) = 80,000
- Key money (one month’s rent) = 80,000
- Agency fee (up to one and a half months rent) = 40,000
- First month’s rent = 80,000
- Fire insurance = 15,000
MIGHT PAY
- Maintenance fee = 10,000
- Key exchange fee = 12,000
Besides these fees, you might need to buy furniture and utensils, which results in costing you more.
Agent
Local
Many Japanese people usually use a local agency that covers the area they want to move to in order to look for an apartment. The Agency will give you some options based on what you wantand take you to a viewing of the apartment as early as the same day. If you like the apartment, you can make a contract right after.
When it comes to a specific area the Agency covers, they are likely to have much more options than online websites. So it’s always better to talk to them in person if you know which area you are going to live in.
However, most agencies do not have English speakers in their shops so using local shops would be very challenging unless you aren’t fluent in Japanese. I personally recommend you to use online websites or to bring a Japanese friend if you are not confident in speaking Japanese.
Online
Probably, the easiest and safest way to find an apartment in Tokyo is using a website.
Just type what you want and they are going to give you a list of apartments that fits your preference. What’s good with websites is you can talk to agencies and set everything up before you actually come to Japan. Many online websites have English pages and, unlike local agencies, they have multilingual staff as well.
ID
Long term
There are basically two things you need to rent an apartment in Japan.
1. Passport
2. Visa, residence card or student ID
You will be required to submit the color copies of your passport and the visa page, sometimes both.
Short term
If you are on a tourist Visa (shorter than 90 days stay), you won’t be asked to provide a guarantor, which gives you much easier ways to find a place to live.
Monthly apartments or share houses can be a good option too because they are usually fully furnished so you can skip a move-in shopping after you arrive in Japan where people do not speak any languages but Japanese.
Japanese phone number
Although it’s not 100% necessary to have a phone number to rent an apartment in Japan, in most cases you will be required to provide your phone number when making a final contract.
Plus, the communication between you and the agency will usually take place over the phone so it is definitely going to help you go through the whole process. So I highly recommend you to have a Japanese phone number once you get to Japan.
If you apply from your country, your current number would be fine, too.
Japanese bank account
You can always pay bills at any convenience stores (literally there are at every corner), however, many companies recommend you to have a Japanese bank account if you stay long-term because of its convenience. With a bank account, you can use automatic withdrawal so no need to go pay the bill every month.
Moreover, keep in mind that there are still many companies that don’t accept credit cards so make sure which payment method they prefer.
As well as above, you can use a wire transfer from an international bank; However, you will be charged any transfer costs.
Employer letter
The agency may ask you for the documents (such as an Employer letter, certificate of eligibility if you’re a student or invitation letter) that prove you have a legitimate reason to live in Japan.
These documents are mostly necessary for Visa application so do not forget to bring them to Japan.
Tax withholding slip or bank statement
Based on these documents, agencies will evaluate your financial status and decide whether it is stable enough to pay the rent every month. You will be required to turn in a copy of the past few months’ pay slip (usually 3 months) or your annual income slip or a copy of your latest bank statement or bank book if you are not employed.
An average Japanese agent sets 30% of your income as the threshold of maximum rent.
Example
So let’s say you make 300,000 yen ($3,000) a month, the rent should be lower than 90,000 yen ($900).
Be careful that some agents only take the income earned in Japan into consideration and do not accept the one from your country so try to avoid these agents if possible.
Emergency contact
Whether having an emergency contact in Japan or not really affect the evaluation for if you can or not rent the apartment so it is absolutely necessary.
If you do not have any friends in Japan, it is common to ask your employer or school to be the one if possible.
Though the company calls your emergency contact when troubles happen and if they can not reach you, it does not mean the person is joint surety who has responsible for whatever troubles you cause. They will just call the person so as to reach out to you.
Guarantor
This is one of the most stressful parts of the whole process. Just being able to make enough money and having an employer does not let you rent an apartment in Japan.
You need a guarantor who is a person or company that covers any costs you can’t pay. Your guarantor also has to be able to prove that the rent is no more than 30% of his/her earning.
For Japanese people, their parents or company usually play this role. Because being a guarantor comes with a big responsibility, it is not easy to find someone willingly take this role unless you have very close Japanese friends or family.
If you are a foreigner, the best bet would be asking your employer or school to be the one. You can also use a guarantor company if you do not mind paying extra money.
If you can’t find a guarantor or don’t want to pay the extra money, share houses and monthly apartmentsare recommended because they do not require you to have a guarantor.
Character reference
In most cases, agents will rarely ask you for a character reference but it is safer to have one with you when renting an apartment just in case.
Also having this might add plus points on your evaluation for the contract and help you go through the process smoothly.
Renting an apartment in Tokyo isn’t easy
This might sound like a lot to prepare and it actually is. However, going through this stressful process properly will protect your right and keep you from troubles. Luckily, you will be very unlikely to get scammed in Japan, do not hesitate to rely on your agent. Even though there will be a language barrier, they will try to help you.
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