Methodology and things to consider
By now you’ve probably already been told a few times that living in Tokyo was going to be an expensive endeavor. After all Tokyo ranks as the 10th most expensive city in the world for housing. However, prices are not equally high throughout the city. The more central or the bigger and prices grow tenfold like each level on the Richter’s scale. Yet, Tokyo has housing options for every budget. If location is a must, small affordable places exist. But if size matters more, places outside of the most central wards or share housing are options to consider. The search can be overwhelming but with the right methodology, you’ll find your dream place in (almost) no time!
If you answered no to any of those questions, renting an apartment won’t most likely be the best choice for you because apartments usually come with a 2-year lease, and proof of regular incomes is a make-or-break criteria for any Japanese apartment owner.
If you answered no to any of those questions, renting an apartment won’t most likely be the best choice for you because apartments usually come with a 2-year lease, and proof of regular incomes is a make-or-break criteria for any Japanese apartment owner.
Other more suitable options exist though. They all offer long-term stay without the commitment, as well as bypassing many of the initial set up costs for apartments.
Share houses – Shared accommodations with rooms for rent. Usually lounge, kitchen, shower rooms and bathrooms are shared with other house residents. Some players also offer shared rooms for lower budgets. Specialized houses reserved for women or professionals exist as well. Recommended share houses are:
The plus is properties categorized according to interests. This makes it easy for food lovers, designers, language students and others to find share houses where people have similar interests to theirs. Rent begins from ¥25,000/month.
One of the pioneers in share houses with an international staff and a large choice of properties. They offer shared rooms, shared houses with private rooms, fully furnished apartments as well as vacation homes for families. From ¥37,000/month for rooms and ¥90,000/month for apartments.
Beyond traditional share houses, they also propose social residences with multi-purpose studios and workspaces where people with similar or complementary skills can form communities. Rent starts from ¥30,000/month for rooms and ¥80,000/month for fully-furnished apartments.
Serviced apartments – Fully furnished apartments to rent by the month. They are convenient accommodation solutions for professionals with contracts lasting a year or under, and they can be a good transitional accommodation for longer contracts. Most of them are equipped with a full kitchen, Wi-Fi and in-apartment washer and dryer. Recommended share houses are:
They have 800 properties across Tokyo, in the city’s most central wards. Beyond apartments, their service also includes individual rooms in guesthouses with shared amenities. Rent starts at ¥60,000/month for rooms and ¥65,000/month for apartments.
They offer upscale apartments for professionals in hotels/residences all located in the heart of Tokyo. Across 11 properties, they propose apartments for independent travelers, residences for families and premier accommodations for premium quality seekers. Rent begins from ¥200,000/month.
32 unique apartments are listed on their website, all located in some of the most central and happening locations in Tokyo. Rent begins from ¥200,000/month.
With that said – if your mind is still set on getting your own place, the next couple of tips are for you. There are two ways you can go at this, and I recommend doing both simultaneously. That will give you a wider range of choices and the ability to react quickly – because as you will see the market moves fast.
Doing your own search is key to getting a good understanding of what’s out there and not folding as soon as you hear about a place opening up. You need to know what’s within your reach if you want to get the best out of this hunt.
Doing your own search is key to getting a good understanding of what’s out there and not folding as soon as you hear about a place opening up. You need to know what’s within your reach if you want to get the best out of this hunt.
There are a couple of websites that apartment owners and agencies looking for tenants use to post the latest ads. Below are three sites I recommend using. Although you’ll find duplicates across the websites, they have plenty of unique ads too and are definitely all worth scanning.
Just a quick warning, all 3 sites are in Japanese so I trust that you already have that Google translation extension installed on Chrome, right?
Here’s how the search goes.
1. Price
By default, the search only accounts for the cold rent so make sure to tick the ‘Including administration expenses‘ box as this is a recurring expense that will be part of your rent each month. This fee goes to the building management company for the upkeep of the building, building amenities, and common areas.
It’s worth noting that a rent not exceeding 30% of your monthly income – beyond being a sensible advice – makes you a more suitable candidate in the eyes of the landlord that will examine your application. In short, if you have a net monthly income of ¥300,000, try aiming for a rent + administration expenses cost under ¥90,000.
3. Floor type
Properties in Japan are described by the number of rooms and presence of Kitchen, Dining and Living areas. For example:
Sometimes an ‘S’ for Storage finds its way there too.
As capable and willing as you might be, you will eventually hit a wall without the help of a professional. Between the language barrier, the administrative requirements and the Japanese way of doing business, turning a finding into a tangible lead is nearly impossible.
As capable and willing as you might be, you will eventually hit a wall without the help of a professional. Between the language barrier, the administrative requirements and the Japanese way of doing business, turning a finding into a tangible lead is nearly impossible.
To find an agent, you can turn to friends, colleagues, your embassy or do an online search. One agency I do recommand is ‘Balleggs Shinagawa’ as I have used their help. Iwata san and her team were dedicated, accommodating and speak English very well.
After building your profile, your agent will start showing you options and if you followed tip #2, this is where your experience searching will make a difference. You’ll know right away which ones you should give a shot at visiting and which ones to eliminate.
Most importantly, I encourage sharing your own findings with him/her, as they will be able to check availability and arrange visits. This is the biggest benefit of combining tips #2 and #3. The secret to getting yourself a gem is reactiveness because those places disappear fast. Be quick to spot one and get a real estate agent quick to contact the owner and organize a visit.
Note that in Japan there are no anti-discrimination laws for rental applications, so you might hear a few times “sorry no gaijin”. Alternate versions such as “no pets”, “no kids” or even “no men” do occur too. Don’t discourage yourself though and keep an eye on the market regularly.
Brace yourself for the move-in costs and be ready to negotiate. Beside the rent itself, one of the reasons why renting a place in Japan is expensive is because initial set-up fees are costly.
Brace yourself for the move-in costs and be ready to negotiate. Beside the rent itself, one of the reasons why renting a place in Japan is expensive is because initial set-up fees are costly.
Below are the fees you will most often find:
Although they aren’t part of the initial set-up fees, two other fees need to be considered from the beginning as well:
The Japanese love paperwork. To pass the screening process and fast track your application, I highly recommend being prepared as early as you can. To help you with that, I’ve listed below all the documents you will need.
The Japanese love paperwork. To pass the screening process and fast track your application, I highly recommend being prepared as early as you can. To help you with that, I’ve listed below all the documents you will need.
1. Japanese mobile phone number on which you can receive calls
The maintenance company will request a mobile number to reach you. They even called me prior to signing the contract to see exactly how much Japanese I could speak. They were nice about it though and didn’t mind that a colleague helped me a bit.
2. Japanese emergency contact info: Name in Kanji, Birthday, Address, Phone number, Name of workplace
A native Japanese speaker is requested to act as a main point of contact if you are unreachable or if important information you won’t likely understand needs to be passed down to you. That’s not something you can ask anyone as it implies responsibilities, so if you just arrived your best bet is to ask your employer. Note: Your private guarantor can also be your emergency contact.
3. Japanese bank account information
Although you don’t technically need to have a Japanese bank account to apply for an apartment, you will need one to pay your rent. Your real estate agency will therefore be asking you to provide it within the next weeks.
4. Copy of your passport
5. Copy of your residence card (both sides)
6. Copy of your insurance card (both sides)
7. Copy of your work contract or letter of employment with salary information (if you are on a working visa)
8. Proof of enrollment (if you are on a student visa)
If you are providing a private guarantor, he/she will need to provide the following documents:
9. Proof of residence (住民票 – juminhyo)
To obtain a juminhyo, your will need to register your residency at your local ward office, which will in return deliver this document for about ¥300.
10. Income statement (源泉徴収表 – gensenchuhyo)
They can ask their company HR for this.
11. Name stamp (印鑑証明書 – inkanshomeisho)
They will need to fill the Hanko registration application either beforehand or at the ward office.
After successfully passing the screening process, you’ll need to register your new address at your local Ward Office and provide one last certificate:
12. Proof of residence (住民票 – Juminhyo)
Make sure to request 3 copies. Your real estate agency, bank and workplace all need one. I recommend doing this as soon as you are confirmed for the apartment to give yourself time to open your bank account.