Rental Support
For arrival, study, work, relocation, and family changes, we organize budget, area, commute, school, guarantor, initial costs, and application conditions before proposing suitable rental options.
Requirements
Budget, area, layout, move-in timing, pets, guarantor, and screening.
Costs
Key money, deposit, guarantor fee, insurance, cleaning, and monthly costs.
Application
Documents, application, screening, contract check, and move-in steps.
Typical Rental Process in Japan
- 01Initial consultation to confirm budget, area, timing, and other preferences.
- 02Screen properties and check foreign resident, student, or overseas eligibility.
- 03Prepare identity, financial, school, or employment proof and submit the application.
- 04Management and guarantor screening usually takes 3 to 7 business days; holidays or additional documents may extend the timeline.
- 05After approval, receive important matters explanation, sign the lease and related documents, and pay initial costs.
- 06Receive keys, move in, and follow residence and move-out rules.
Initial Costs and Screening
Initial rental cost in Japan is usually more than one month of rent. One-time costs, move-in month costs, and potential move-out costs should be checked separately.
Common cost items
- Deposit: held for cleaning or repairs and may be partially refunded.
- Key money: paid to the owner and usually non-refundable.
- Brokerage fee: often one month rent plus consumption tax.
- Guarantor fee: without a co-guarantor, the initial fee is often 50% of the monthly total; 100% is common for foreign applicants.
- Insurance, lock replacement, cleaning, disinfection, and 24-hour life support services vary by property.
Screening is not only about funds. Residence status, income stability, contactability, emergency contact, communication, and guarantor acceptance are reviewed.
Screening points
- Identity and residence: passport, residence card, visa type, period of stay.
- Income or funds: salary, job offer, scholarship, bank balance, or support source.
- Contactability: Japanese phone, email, contact hours, and contract understanding.
- Emergency contact: domestic contacts are often easier; overseas contacts need confirmation.
- Available property range: some properties may not accept foreign nationals, students, short stay, overseas applications, or corporate contracts.
Costs and screening are not fixed rules. Even similar properties can differ depending on management company, guarantor company, owner policy, and applicant background. We check application feasibility before recommending.
Guarantor Company and Personal Guarantor
Most rental contracts require a guarantor company, which independently screens payment risk. A personal guarantor may still be requested by the guarantor company during screening.
A guarantor company and personal guarantor are not always alternatives. The fee rate may be lower with a guarantor and higher without one. For foreign applicants, a 100% guarantor fee is also common.
Being asked to add a guarantor during screening does not necessarily mean poor personal credit. It is often a risk-control requirement from the guarantor or management company.
Contract, Cancellation, and Residence Rules
Contract and residence notes
- Contracts are usually in Japanese. Terms are often two years, but one-year or fixed-term contracts may exist.
- Move-out notice is usually one to two months depending on the contract.
- Move-out often includes room restoration, cleaning, equipment damage checks, and key return.
- Rules on garbage, noise, and common areas are strict; violations may lead to compensation costs or forced termination.
Cancellation after approval
- After approval, the management company may stop marketing the property.
- The owner and guarantor have already made decisions based on the application.
- Cancellation without a valid reason may lead to fees, actual loss claims, or lower approval chances with the same companies.
Applying to Multiple Properties
In principle, we do not recommend applying to multiple properties at the same time. Multiple guarantor screenings may be seen as unclear intent or higher risk. Canceling after multiple approvals may also create fees or affect later applications.
It is fine to prepare backup options, but simultaneous applications should be discussed in advance. If necessary, please tell us before proceeding.
What to Prepare Before Applying
- Share nationality, visa, period of stay, school, or employment honestly.
- Do not hide income, work, source of funds, or number of residents.
- Prepare identity, income or funds, school or employment proof in advance.
- Before applying, reconfirm intent, move-in timing, and initial cost budget.
- Be prepared for additional guarantor, documents, or condition changes.
- A rejection does not always mean personal credit issues. It may be property availability or guarantor judgment.
Initial Cost Calculator
Break down rental move-in costs into prorated rent, contract costs, guarantee/insurance, and other one-time charges.
01 | Monthly & Move-in Costs
02 | Contract Costs
03 | Guarantee & Insurance
04 | Move-in & Other One-time Costs
Move-in / Monthly
Contract Costs
Guarantee & Insurance
Move-in & Other
This is an estimate. Proration uses a 30-day basis. Actual charges, required items, and refund terms depend on the listing, guarantor, management company, and final contract.
Applying Directly from Overseas
Applying before arriving in Japan is possible in some cases, but it is a special route. Applicants often do not yet have a Japanese phone number, Japanese address registration, or a Japanese bank account for rent withdrawal, which makes both screening and contracting more difficult.
Main difficulties
- Screening: guarantor and management companies may find it difficult to confirm contact stability, life base in Japan, and payment continuity.
- Contract process: explanation, identity check, signing, key handover, and move-in timing require remote support from the property side.
- Payment: without a Japanese bank account, initial remittance and future rent payment method must be confirmed in advance.
For this reason, many management companies and owners do not support direct overseas applications, so available options can be very limited. We first confirm which properties can accept this route, then screen realistic choices based on arrival timing, visa documents, school or employment proof, funds, and emergency contact.