The Ins and Outs of Apartment Hunting as a Foreigner in Japan

You’ve finally been able to accept your dream job here in Japan. You’ve got your arrival date to Japan and your orientation date as well. However, you still need a place to live. Depending on what industry you’re working in and your position, your job might have some sort of housing arrangement set up for you. There are various types of housing available in Japan for foreigners, including —family houses, share houses, UR housing, and even apartments. For many first-timers to Japan, your company will likely arrange some housing for you. For example, English teaching recruitment programs like Interac or Aeon often have contracts with share houses or apartments in the contracted area exclusive for teachers. Executives are also often offered company-sponsored apartments for the duration of their stay in Japan.
 
While it’s common to have your sponsoring company assist you with housing, not everyone will be offered those resources or even want them. While convenient, many rules and regulations are associated with company housing. Also, when you quit your job, you’ll be required to vacate the premises immediately, regardless of how long you plan to stay in Japan. So, if you’d like to have more freedom and extra privacy, it might be better to look for an apartment on your own.

What Kind of Apartment Should You Get?

Before you begin your search for your new home, it’s important to become familiar with the terminology used for housing in Japan. The two typical types of apartments in Japan are referred to either as アパート apaato or マンション manshon. An apaato often refers the apartment complexes with five floors or fewer. They’re usually older and have a reputation for being inexpensive. Mansion refers to newer apartments with more than five floors. These apartment complexes are often built within the last ten years and have a more contemporary design, thus making them more expensive.
 
There is also unique terminology used when referring to room size. While even the smallest American apartments still have designated areas for rooms like a kitchen and a bathroom, you might find that some Japanese apartments forgo those amenities to maximize living space. The abbreviations “R”, “L”, “D”, and “K” are standard terminology for Japanese apartments. R” for Room “L” for the Living room, “D” for the Dining room, and “K” for the Kitchen area, and these terms are preceded by the number of rooms.
 
1R= a one-room apartment
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
2LDK= a two-room apartment with a living, dining, and kitchen area
 
Keep in mind while the size of an apartment certainly does affect the cost, the location you’re searching in will greatly affect the prices. Most people want to live in the central areas of Tokyo and Osaka, but that could very well mean paying close to ￥100,000 a month for a room no bigger than 16m2.

When to Look for an Apartment?

Although the timeframe for an apartment search might be largely out of your control, there are some times during the year to consider when doing our search. The fiscal year ends in March in Japan which is also a time when a lot of new changes occur socially. People leave their jobs; college students start to settle into town or move for new jobs, etc. March to April is usually the hardest time searching for a new place since many landlords will raise prices to get the best deals for themselves. The summertime is when many overseas hires come to Japan since western schools often have graduations in May or June. The winter months, however, are regarded as the best times to move. Very few people move in December, and January is right before the busy season. Landlords will also offer special deals to help fill vacancies during this time as well.
 
Overall, you should start searching at least 90 days before your move date. Searching any earlier and you’ll risk your dream home being taken off the market, but delay the search, and you’ll be rushing trying to find a place that meets your standards. This will also give you enough time to pack your belongings, set up appointments with moving companies, and notify your landlord when you vacate the building.

How to Search for Apartments

For most, the search for a new apartment begins online. Sites like GaijinPot and YOLO Home have English websites to make the housing search easier for non-Japanese speakers. Their listings are more geared toward expats. A typical housing contract in Japan is 2 years, which might not be ideal if you don’t plan to stay in Japan for the entire time. So aside from regular housing, they have a wide variety of short-term listings available all across the country at different pricing levels, from day-to-day rentals to 6-month contracts. Although these sites are great, their listings can be limited and more expensive than those found on Japanese websites.
 
If you have some command of the Japanese language, it’s worth looking through some listings on Japanese websites. Suumo, Lifull Homes, and Chintai are popular to use among Japanese people. The listings on Japanese websites often have more variety in terms of location and pricing compared to those found on English sites.
 
Once you’ve narrowed down your top choices to a small list, it’s time to reach out to a realtor. There should be a button on the apartment listings that allows you to inquire further about the place. This will put you on the mailing list for the realtor in charge of that location, and you’ll be able to communicate with them about what you’re looking for.

Working with a Realtor

Realtors 不動産fudouyasan are the people who will handle the communication between you and the landlord until you sign the contracts. The realtors connected to the English-speaking sites will likely be fluent in English, but if you inquire through a Japanese website, they likely will have very limited English communication skills. After sending an inquiry, a realtor will ask you for time for an in-person consultation. They’ll invite you on a tour of the new place and will also show you some alternatives to the apartment you inquired about.
 
This stage can be exhausting, but it’s important to go and see these places in person. Pictures can be deceiving, so don’t assume the place will be exactly what you saw online. This is a good time to build a strong relationship with your realtor since they’ll advocate on your behalf to the landlord. You’ll want to be honest about the qualities you’re looking for in a new place and any possible concerns you might have before signing any contracts. This is also a time to ask questions about the neighborhood, safety, and the types of tenants in the building.
 
Although it’s becoming less tolerated, housing discrimination is still legal in Japan. Landlords can deny housing to anyone based on nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation. In a survey conducted by the Ministry of Justice in 2016, 40% of foreign respondents reported they experienced housing discrimination while renting an apartment in Japan. Many landlords fear that foreign nationals will leave suddenly without paying rent or that they cannot understand Japanese. While listing on English-speaking sites will likely have more inclusive property owners, it doesn’t hurt to double-check with the realtor on the landlord’s preferences before wasting your time.

The Cost of Moving-In

After settling on a new place, now it’s time to talk about money. Monthly rent prices are relatively low compared to western countries, but the cost of moving in is considerably higher than many would expect. A ￥70,000-monthly apartment in Tokyo could very easily cost ￥300,000~￥500,000 just in move-in fees alone. A good rule to keep in mind is to expect to pay at least four months’ worth of rent upon signing the papers. The move-in fees will normally consist of the rent, key money, security deposit, real-estate fees, guarantor fees, fire insurance, key exchange, and contract fees.
 
Rent 家賃yacchin: The monthly cost of the apartment. This can sometimes include monthly management fees
 
Key Money 礼金 reikin: Separate from the rent and security deposit, this is essentially a type of “gratitude money” to the landlord for allowing you to live there. It is against the law to require key money, but it’s still a very common practice today.
 
Security Deposit 敷金 shikikin: This is typically one to two months’ worth of rent. The money is for cleaning and repairs to the room. The deposit is usually partially returned after deducting cleaning expenses when the tenant moves out.
 
Real Estate Fees 仲介手数料 chuukai tesuuryou: This is money paid to the real estate firm for handling the contracts between you and the property owner. The cost is usually about one month’s rent.
 
Guarantor Fees 保証人費用 hojounin hiyou: Most apartments require a guarantor for tenants renting the place. A guarantor is a person who will act as insurance for you if you fail to pay the rent or leave without fulfilling your contract. A company can act as a guarantor on your behalf, and the fees are between 50% to 120% of your rent.
 
Fire Insurance 火災保険 kasaihoken: Fire insurance covers any damage done to the room via fire or water. Some places will let you opt-out of purchasing insurance. However, we recommend purchasing insurance since damages to the room can be very costly. Fire Insurance typically costs about ￥20,000 for two years.
 
Key Exchange Fee 鍵交換費用 kagikoukan hiyou: For security reasons, the room key is exchanged for new keys and is paid by the tenant. The fee is usually around ￥10,000 to￥ 20,000.
 
Searching for an apartment can be tough, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the Japanese language and culture. However, if you take the time to research and learn the system, your search will be a little easier. The key to finding a great home is persistence and preparation to invest more time than you originally anticipated in the search.