CHOOSE AN AREA
Test the whole daily route
Check travel time at the hours you will actually commute. Include school or childcare, clinics, groceries, late-night transport and evacuation routes.
Check the official hazard mapHover, focus or tap a stage to see its contents. Saving progress affects only this browser.
RENTING IN JAPANChoose the home.
Choose the home.
Understand the contract.
Compare the location, total cost and lease conditions before you apply. Keep every document and record the condition of the room from your first day.
FROM SEARCH TO MOVE-IN
Seven steps to a safer rental decision
Property availability and screening decisions belong to the landlord or agent. This checklist helps you prepare consistent information and compare offers on the same basis.
SET THE REAL BUDGET
Add initial and monthly costs
Do not compare rent alone. Request an itemized estimate before applying and mark which charges are refundable, recurring or optional.
Use the cost checklistPREPARE DOCUMENTS
Keep names and addresses consistent
An application may request identity, residence, employment or school, income, co-occupant and emergency-contact information. Ask what is required before sending sensitive documents.
Share documents only through a verified recipient.VIEW THE PROPERTY
Check what photos cannot show
Test noise, sunlight, mobile signal, water pressure, appliance spaces, storage, locks, shared areas, waste rules and the route from the station.
Measure furniture and appliance spaces.APPLICATION & SCREENING
Clarify the guarantor arrangement
A personal guarantor or rental guarantee company may be requested. Confirm the provider, initial fee, renewal fee and contact obligations before agreeing.
Official multilingual housing guideBEFORE SIGNING
Read the explanation and lease together
Compare the address, term, renewal, cancellation notice, prohibited use, occupants, pets, repairs, insurance, fees and move-out conditions with what you were told.
Open the lease checklistON MOVE-IN DAY
Record the starting condition
Photograph and list marks, damage, missing items and equipment problems. Submit the agreed condition form promptly and keep proof that it was received.
Compare moving volume and costsINITIAL COSTS
Ask for one itemized estimate.
Names and amounts vary by property. Ask what each payment covers, whether it is refundable, when it is due and what happens if the application or contract does not proceed.
Read the English Apartment Search GuidebookRentMonthly amount and the first payment period
Common service feeBuilding or shared-area management charge
Security deposit · 敷金 (shikikin)Money held against unpaid rent or agreed move-out charges; ask how the balance is settled
Key money · 礼金 (reikin)Non-refundable payment to the landlord when required
Agency fee · 仲介手数料Fee paid to the real-estate agency; this is the usual listing term rather than 紹介手数料
Guarantee feeInitial and renewal charges if a guarantee company is used
InsuranceRequired coverage, period and renewal
Other chargesKey change, cleaning or support fees stated in the documents
READING A JAPANESE LISTING
Decode the room before you visit.
Real-estate labels are useful shortcuts, but they do not prove comfort, sound insulation or equipment. Confirm the floor plan, construction field, actual room and contract documents.
Kitchen in the main room
One living/sleeping space with a kitchen area and no separate kitchen door.
Kitchen is separated
One main room plus a kitchen separated by a door or partition.
One room plus DK
One independent room and a dining-kitchen area. Check the actual square metres.
One room plus LDK
One independent room and a combined living, dining and kitchen area.
Japanese-style room
Usually a room with tatami flooring. It may use fusuma partitions and an oshiire-style closet. Ask how tatami stains, dents and replacement are treated at move-out.
Woven floor mats
Softer than hard flooring and sensitive to moisture, heavy furniture, spills and cigarette odour. Measure the room in square metres as tatami-size conventions can vary.
Western-style room
Usually a room designed for beds and other Western furniture, commonly with hard flooring rather than tatami.
Hard-finish floor
May be wood, engineered material or another finish. Check scratches, sound transfer and whether protective pads are expected.
引き戸 · hikido
A door that slides sideways. Confirm where furniture can stand without blocking its track.
襖 · fusuma
An opaque paper-covered sliding partition, often between Japanese rooms. It is lighter and offers less sound isolation than a solid wall.
スライド扉
A general sliding door. Materials and sound blocking vary; test the door and track during viewing.
ドア · hinged door
A swing door. Check the opening direction, clearance, locks and whether it collides with furniture or fixtures.
BUILDING WORDS & STRUCTURE
“Mansion” does not mean a luxury house.
Japanese listing names do not map perfectly to housing terms used overseas. Use the name for orientation, then verify the structure, number of floors, age, insulation and the actual unit.
Usually a multi-unit building
In Japanese real estate, this commonly means an apartment/condominium-style building, often reinforced concrete or another substantial construction—not a large detached luxury residence as “mansion” means in English.
Closest overseas idea: apartment or condominium buildingUsually a smaller rental building
This often refers to a low-rise rental building, commonly wood or light-gauge steel. The label alone does not guarantee size, age, price or sound insulation.
Closest overseas idea: small apartment block or walk-upOften found in low-rise buildings. Sound, temperature and earthquake performance depend on design, age and renovation—not the word “wood” alone.
May be light- or heavy-gauge steel. Ask which type and test sound transfer inside the actual unit.
Reinforced concrete, common in many “mansion” buildings. It may reduce some sound, but windows, walls and unit position still matter.
SUNLIGHT & DIRECTION
Direction is only the first clue.
Ask which window or balcony the direction refers to. Visit at a useful time and check the floor, neighboring buildings, eaves, season and ventilation before judging sunlight.
Often valued for longer daytime sun, but shade from nearby buildings can change the result.
Morning sun can suit early schedules; the room may receive less direct sun later.
Afternoon sun can be bright and warm. Check summer heat and curtain or shade options.
Often receives less direct sun. Check brightness, condensation, ventilation and drying space.
VIEWING & EQUIPMENT
Confirm what is installed—and what can be added.
Equipment shown in photos may belong to a previous tenant or may not be covered by the landlord. Check the equipment list, working condition, repair responsibility and permission for installation work.
クーラー・エアコン
Confirm which rooms have a unit, whether it heats as well as cools, its age, who repairs it and whether another unit can be installed.
和式・洋式・ウォシュレット
Confirm Japanese squat or Western seated style. A washlet/bidet seat may be included, left by a previous tenant or absent; test it and check repair status.
Can a line reach this unit?
“Internet available” may not mean fibre reaches the room. Confirm building support, in-unit connection, provider choice, installation date, drilling permission, fees and included-service speed limits.
喫煙・禁煙物件
Confirm rules for the room, balcony and common areas. Smoke and odour damage can affect restoration charges even when smoking is not completely prohibited.
Confirm the start procedure, provider options where applicable, breaker capacity and whether major appliances can run together.
Check city gas or LP gas, the designated contact, opening appointment, appliance compatibility and safety inspection.
Confirm the responsible water bureau or building billing method, start procedure, billing cycle and emergency shut-off location.
Separate “building-ready,” “line in the room” and “internet included.” Obtain installation permission before construction or drilling.
LIVING WITH NEIGHBORS
Written rules and quiet habits both matter.
There is no single nationwide quiet-hours rule for every building. Follow the lease and building notices, and reduce avoidable noise and odours especially late at night and early in the morning.
Separate and set out garbage correctly
Rules differ by municipality and sometimes by building. Confirm category, bag type, collection day, time, collection point and oversized-waste reservation before putting anything out.
ゴミ分別 · collection day · collection placeKeep late-night and early-morning noise low
Voices, parties, televisions, instruments, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, running children, baths and slamming doors can travel to adjacent units.
Check the building’s stated quiet hours.Prevent sound complaints
Test walls, windows, doors and floor sound during viewing. Use rugs and furniture pads where permitted, and contact management calmly through the stated channel if a problem continues.
Record dates and facts rather than confronting a neighbor.Control cooking, smoke and other odours
Use ventilation and follow smoking rules. Strong cooking smells, tobacco smoke, garbage and blocked ventilation can lead to complaints or cleaning costs.
Balconies and corridors may have separate restrictions.LEASE CHECKLIST
Match every promise to a written term.
Ask for time to read and obtain an explanation of unfamiliar language. Keep the signed lease, important-matters explanation, estimates, receipts and contact details together.
Who may live there?
- All occupants listed correctly
- Home office or business restrictions
- Pets, instruments and smoking
- Guest and subletting rules
What and when will you pay?
- Rent, common fee and payment method
- Contract and renewal period
- Renewal or administrative charges
- Late-payment consequences
Who contacts whom?
- Emergency and maintenance contact
- Repair responsibility
- Insurance claim procedure
- Existing damage record
How does the lease end?
- Required notice and method
- Early-cancellation conditions
- Inspection and key return
- Deposit and restoration settlement
Do not transfer money from an informal message alone.
Verify the property, company, recipient account, payment purpose and cancellation terms using the contract documents and a known contact channel. Keep a receipt or transfer record.
MOVE IN · LIVE WELL · MOVE OUT
Keep evidence from the first day to the last.
- 01Move in
Photograph the room, test equipment, submit the condition checklist, set up utilities and confirm waste-disposal rules.
- 02During the lease
Report leaks, damage or equipment failure through the stated contact and keep dated messages. Do not make alterations without permission.
- 03Before leaving
Give notice in the required form and time, arrange utilities and moving procedures, and ask how the inspection will be conducted.
- 04After handover
Keep the inspection record, keys receipt and final settlement. Ask for an itemized explanation of charges you do not understand.
OFFICIAL STARTING POINTS
Use the guide in your strongest language.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism provides rental-search and move-out materials in 14 languages. For local procedures or support, also check your municipality and the Foreign Resident Support Portal.
Choosing a real-estate agentVerify licence, language support, fees and responsibilities Moving in JapanCompanies, household volume, prices and quotes Daily essentialsBedding, furniture, appliances and 100-yen shops MLIT multilingual rental guidesSearching, contracting, living and moving out Foreign Resident Support PortalGovernment living information Japan Links DirectoryMunicipalities, schools, work and safety