RENT in japan
SERACH
Residence
Business units:
Office, stores, restaurants, etc.
Business buildings:
Usually an entire building for short-term stay purpose
or
Sublet usage
Set examples: EARLY / MIDDLE / LAST 10 days of February 2022
In the very beginning, it’s necessary to understand the time spanning of the entire rental application:
- Search: 1~14 days
- Apply: 1~7 days
- Application review: 2~14 days
- Contract: 2~5 days
- Before move-in (key receiving): 1~3 days
Total: 1 week~1 month
to successfully move into an ideal apartment.
Possible effect parameters:
- Room waiting for last tenant’s move-out.
- Room pending for overall. cleaning/renovation. (usually 2 weeks+)
- Application declined.
Professional SUGGESTION: 1 month before start searching and move in
Deposit:
A universal known term that usually deposit for move-out cleaning or other damages recovery.
*Key money:
Gift money in Japanese language
Rental properties with key money are regarded to be higher valued than properties with same monthly rent. (usually on interior quality, size, overall condition of the building, etc.)
Guarantor company fee:
Normally 40%~100% of monthly cost (rent+maintenance)
A guarantee system involved a third party to assist on smoothness of rent transaction and to avoid financial controversy between owners and tenants.
There’s a guarantor examination which is simply a phone-call conversation with the representative within 5 minutes. (Conversation about: Confirmation on application done from the applicant, basic personal information of applicants, income, etc.)
All conversation will be in Japanese. (The only step that requires Japanese skill in most rental application)
New key set:
Key exchange fee, 19,800~40,000 JPY depends on lock condition
A one-time payment for the lock and keys.
Insurance:
14,500 JPY~ depends on insurance coverage
The assigned insurance company’s duty on the asset coverage for both owners and tenants.
24h support service: 16,500 JPY/2-year
or
500 JPY/month
A customer service assigned by property managers on:
- Utilities
- Facilities repair
- Emergency situation
Cleaning fee:
35,000 JPY~ depending on area size and condition of the unit
A prepaid room professional overall deep cleaning deposit for move-out if no deposit charged on initial payment.
Agency fee:
1 month rent
A commission of agency’s authorization of an official rental transaction and registration record in a safe matter. Agency fee is no more than 1 month rent by the Real Estate Law in Japan.
Other fee:
- Paperwork preparation→property manager
- Fire extinguisher kit→property manger
- Anti-bugs/virus sterilization→property manager
- Others
APPLY
Individual or corporate
Individual application:
Applicant who is contracted to rent the property.
Corporate application:
Company that employs occupant or family member who is reside in Japan with income that meets the financial qualification.
Situations for corporate application:
- Occupants who are not valid resident card holders.
- Employers who are already contracted on accommodation solutions for occupants.
- Property used to live: Resident use
- Property used for business
- Property used as SOHO: Home and office use
Students:
- Resident ID
- Student ID
- School’s Approval/Admission Letter (optional depending on properties)
- Insurance card (optional)
- Bank balance (optional depends on properties, more than 6 times of applied property rent required)
- Agreement letter from parents (For applicant who’s age is under 20 full years old)
Non-Students:
- Resident ID
- Insurance card
- Bank balance (optional)
- Certificate of income and withholding tax (Gensenchoshuhyo, for applicants who have income)
- Final tax return sheet (Kakuteishinkokusho, for applicants who are not under one employer. ex. freelancers)
- Employment contract
- Payslips of latest 3 months
Company application:
- Company profile
- Joint-guarantor information
- Certificate copy of commercial registration
- Income statement
- Others
From additional occupants:
- For individual application:
Same information required as applicant - For corporate application:
Same information required as the 1st occupant
Emergency contact:
A third person who is connected with applicant
Joint-guarantor contact:
When joint-guarantor person required to complete an application, the joint-guarantor is subjected to be applicant’s relatives who meets the qualification to rent. Requirements are same as the applicant.
Contact with manager (optional depending on properties)
Property manager might contact applicant directly before application review by guarantor company and owner examination. This step positively effects the examination result.
APPLICATION REVIEW
A direct confirmation operation with applied guarantor company:
A casual, 5min~10min, phone conversation with the guarantor representative confirming on:
- Applicant’s basic personal information
- Applicant’s financial condition
- Relationship with joint-guarantor, if applied, and emergency contact
- Others
- The owner is a person: May be requested a face-to-face interview/causal conversation.
- The owner is a company: May receive a voice call from the manager for application’s double checking.
CONTRACT
Decide the exact starting date, so the property manager will calculate and prepare for the payment of actual initial cost.
In this step, applicant can order starting utilities, internet, moving, and other services.
Preparation for contract signing and key receiving:
- *Inkan (Hanko, a personal stamp)
- *Certificate copy of residence (Juminhyo, a paper issued from current address ward/city office)
- Certificate copy of Inkan (Inkantorokushomeisho, a paper issued from current address ward/city office, optional)
- Color copy of ID
An invoice from the property manager, guarantor company, and insurance company with every item listed in a transparent format.
Payments can be made by cash or Japanese bank transfer.
Payment by bank transfer should be made before the due date/time.
An official rental contract includes:
- Contract
- Important Terms of Rental
- Agreement of anti-conflict terms
- Guarantor company’s application copy and contract
- (Depending on guarantor company) Payment method selection paper: A physical letter to fill bank information for future automatic rent paying or an instruction of how to sign up payment process.
- Insurance letter (Insurance application/contract/coverage list)
- 24h support guidebook (if applied)
- Property rental service guidebook
- Additional services
- Others
MOVE-IN
Keys can be received:
- Along with contract signing
- 1 day before exact move-in day
Agency fee to Ash. will be charged after key delivery.
There is a key receipt comes along with the key set. It’s a paper required to be signed and stamped by Hanko.
Within 10 workdays or 2 weeks from exact move-in day, an inspection checklist is required to fill up on damage and scratch as record to protect from additional charge when move-out.