In Japan, due to the high cost of land housing is very expensive and reasonably priced apartments are usually small. Another downside is that in large cities, especially Tokyo, reasonable priced housing can be found long distances from the center of the city. Renting an apartment or a house usually requires requires a deposit (shikikin) equivalent to one or two months rent and key money (reikin) which also ranges from a half to 2 months rent. The deposit should be refundable provided you clean the apartment or house thoroughly when you move out and there isn't any major damage. Do not expect to get the key money back. Recently more and more landlords have been waiving the key money to lure tenants. Partly due to the influence of foreigners complaining about the exorbitant rates.
Most rental units are found through real estate agents (fudousanya-san). It is a good idea to decide what you are looking for in housing; size, number of rooms, location, price, etc. before you go to see an agent. A good place to get information on rental units is "Apaman" or "Chintai" magazines. They come out weekly and have very easy to read listings of rental units throughout the area surrounding where they are sold.
It is a good idea to concentrate your housing search in a specific area. Be aware that a change in distance from the center of the city will reflect directly on the amount of rent you will have to pay.
It is helpful to find an agent that understands the particular needs of foreigners. Good agents will make sure that all the utilities are ready to use as soon as you move in.
Landlords are often reluctant to rent to foreigners. There are many reasons for this. One is the fact that the landlord will more than likely not speak the tenants native language and if the tenant can not speak English they worry over the communication barrier. Another is cultural differences regarding everyday life. You may think that what you do in the privacy of your own home is nobody's business but your own but the fact is a foreigner's landlord will worry about whether the tenant is removing his or her shoes before entering and many other small things that can cause problems. Another reason landlords do not like foreign tenants is that tenant rights are very strong in Japan so once a tenant begins renting, if there is any trouble between the landlord and the tenant the landlord will have trouble evicting a problem tenant.
In most cases a landlord will require you to have a sponsor, someone who will act, if necessary, as go between between you and your landlord. This often true, even for young Japanese people who are renting for the first time. Often your employer will be willing to sponsor you. If not, try to find a Japanese person who is willing to help. Some companies offer cheap housing for their employees. Other companies offer housing in return for a certain number of hours of labor per week.
For a foreigner who has just arrived in Japan it is often difficult to find housing and a Japanese person who will sponsor them. Gaijin house can offer a way out of this dilemma. Gaijin houses are usually house or apartments that offer rooms specifically for foreigners. The rooms usually include a common kitchen and bathroom facilities. They often rent by the week. Many will find living in a Gaijin house similar to the housing situation they experienced when they were university students. They offer a unique opportunity to meet people from many different countries. You should take care in choosing a gaijin house. Due to the high turnover in residents proper upkeep can be lacking. Cleanliness depends on the efforts of all the tenants.
An alternative to taking up residence in a gaijin house is to employ a service that offers sponsorship.
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