Renting an apartment in Japan can be an interesting and stressful situation, though it is possible for it to be utterly stress free and simply. Though the factors leading to either outcome are mostly out of your control. You really need to know what you want before looking, also the more flexible you are with the location you want to live in the easier it will be for you to find somewhere. There are some agents who specialize in finding apartments for foreigners. I would suggest having a look at some of their websites to see if there is anything that grabs your attention. If you have read anything about rent here I’m sure you will have heard of the possibility of paying the equivalent of 6 months rent upfront in cash, before moving into your new place. This is not a myth, in some instances you will have to pay reikin (key money) shikikin (deposit which can be several months worth of rent) and an agency fee. Key money is an archaic system where you basically “gift” the owner of your property for allowing you to stay there and pay them rent. It is becoming more frequent for key money to be completely omitted, though it usually results in slightly higher rent, though I personally would rather pay 5000 yen extra a month rather than a month or twos rent upfront.
As mention previously the deposit is usually one or two months rent, though I recently saw an advert asking for eight months rent in advance!! You are supposed to be able to get this deposit back, however some unscrupulous landlords, might use any small mark on the wall or floor (even if they were they when you moved in) to keep the deposit for repairs. It would be a good idea if you aren’t fluent in Japanese yourself to take along a friend or colleague who can argue your case if needs be.
Also as one final attack on your wallet, when your contract needs renewing (usually in 2 years) You will need to pay an additional fee equal to one months rent. One possible reason for this is that is very difficult for a landlord to evict an occupant even if they are several months in arrears. That is why many landlords will require you use a guarantor company or have a private Japanese citizen act as guarantor for you. So in the event that you don’t pay the will have to pay for you.
The price you will pay in rent varies greatly depending on where in Tokyo you choose to live and how close you are to the nearest station. Also most Japanese apartments come as bare-bones setups, so you will need to purchase everything you will need, sometimes including light fixtures. Furnished apartments are available, they are often aimed at the foreign market, but they will be more expensive.
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