Housing in Japan
If your stay in Japan is rather a short-term stay it is not valuable to rent an unfurnished flat. The starting cost to equip your flat are high. An alternative is to rent a fully furnished apartment or guest house.
Some service providers for furnished apartments are:
- Space Design
- The weekly mansion (only in Japanese)
If you are planning to stay longer it might be suitable to rent a flat through a real estate agency. Usually flats are rented for two years. After this time a contract renewal fee of one month rent is issued.
You will face the following costs:
1. A fee of 1-2 monthly rents for the real estate agency (JP: chukai tesuryo).
2. A security deposit of 1-2 months’ rent (JP: shikikin).
3. And a gratification present of 1-2 months for the land lord which will not be refunded.
4. Eventually a cleaning fee after moving out.
As in Japan earthquakes frequently occur we do not recommend old wooden houses for housing. It is more secure to rent a flat build of concrete and steel and it should not be older than 20 years.
By renting a flat an important consideration is mobility. A very convenient way of commuting is through train. Especially in the big cities car driving is not a recommendable way to commute. The accommodation should be located close to a train station.
Some real estate agencies are the following:
- Housing Japan
- Real estate Tokyo
The costs to centralized located flat for a one room flat is around 100.000 yen (around 1.000 €).
Property expenses
In Japan the monthly rent does not contain electricity, water and gas costs. Before you move into your flat you should call the local provider. Real estate agencies can provide you with the relevant telephone numbers.