UPDATE | June 07, 2022
日本で部屋（家）を借りたいと思っている外国人の方に向けて、まずは海外と日本の賃貸契約に関する違いを解説します。その後、実際に部屋を借りるまでの流れを外国人専用の物件サイトとあわせてご紹介します。外国人が日本で賃貸契約をする際に一番ネックになる「保証人問題」の解決策や、外国人に多いトラブルなどよくある悩みも一通り解説。これを読めば、日本で部屋（家）を探して、借りて住むまでの手続きがわかります。
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From an overseas perspective, Japanese rental contracts can be unique and surprising. Here, I will tell you the points that you absolutely need to know.
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"Key money" is paid as a thank-you for renting a room to the owner (landlord, landlord) when concluding a contract to rent a room (house) and is not returned. The amount is generally one to two months' rent, but some properties have "zero key money".
A "security deposit" is a set of money to be paid to the owner in advance in case the room needs to be repaired, such as when the rent is delinquent, the walls of the room are soiled, or the floor is damaged. Like "key money", it is paid when you conclude a contract to rent a room and is sometimes called "security deposit".
When you leave the room, you will be deducted the required amount and the rest will be returned, so it is a good idea to pay the rent properly and use the room cleanly.
When renting a room in Japan, you will need a "guarantor". This applies not only to foreigners but also to Japanese.
The guarantor will pay the rent and repair costs on behalf of the borrower if the borrower is unable to pay the rent, or if the room is soiled or the equipment is damaged and repairs are required but the cost cannot be paid. increase.
This is an important point when making a contract, so I will explain it in detail later.
If your rental contract expires and you want to continue renting the same room, you will need to pay a "renewal fee" when you renew your contract. And this money will not be returned either.
In some countries, it is common to live with someone, such as sharing a room or living in a share house, due to various reasons such as high rent overseas, but in Japan it is basic to rent a property for living alone. Although things have changed recently, room shares and share houses are still a minority.
In addition, here are some words you should know about when renting a house.
It is a monthly fee that is paid separately from the rent and is used to manage and maintain common spaces (stairs, corridors, elevators, garbage dumps, etc.).
When you rent a house, you pay the real estate agent who went in with the owner and proceeded with the procedure. One month's rent is the market price, and it is common to pay when you conclude a contract.
This is always done when you make a contract to rent a room.
・物件の基本情報や設備について
・ Thing about property safety
・ About the amount and payment of rent
・ Thing about contract
・ Prohibitions and precautions when living in a room
There is an explanation about what is especially important.
When you leave the room, return the rented room to the state when you moved in. The cost of repair will be paid from the security deposit deposited at the time of contract. The target is intentional or carelessness of the borrower, such as scratches on the floor, tar and smell of cigarettes, and dents on the floor due to the placement of furniture, faded wallpaper, etc. due to aging. not.
When you move out, you often have trouble, so it is recommended that you check the walls and floor for dirt and scratches when you move in, and if so, take a picture and record it.
This is insurance that you take out just in case when you rent a room. In many cases, you are advised to take out fire insurance that is affiliated with a real estate company, and many people do so, but you can also find and contract an insurance company or plan yourself.
The contents of fire insurance vary depending on the company, but in many cases the following three are included in a set.
・ Household goods insurance
Compensation for damage to your household goods (home appliances, furniture, art, jewelry, etc.) due to fire, lightning strike, explosion, flood, water leak, etc.
・ Tenant liability insurance
It compensates for the cost of restoring a rented room in the event of damage to the rented room due to a fire, explosion, or water leak.
・ Personal liability
It compensates for troubles (familiar accidents) in daily life. For example, medical treatment costs and consolation fees for the injured person, repair costs for damaged items, and damages incurred when the item is destroyed are covered.
Here, let's take a look at the overall flow of what order and what is required to actually conclude a rental contract in Japan.
1. Contact the real estate company
2. Get introduced to the property
3. Make a contract
4. Precautions when moving in
The overall flow is from 1 to 4 above. Then, I will explain in detail one by one.
When renting a room in Japan, it is common to find a room through a real estate company and exchange contracts, rather than interacting directly with the owner.
When contacting a real estate company, you may go directly to the store, but it may not be possible to deal with foreigners, so it is better to contact us by email or phone in advance and make an appointment before visiting. Probably.
In particular, there are many difficult words for contract procedures, so if you are worried about procedures or communication in Japanese, you can go to a real estate company for foreigners.
Recently, it is also common to search the Internet for a property that meets your desired conditions and make an appointment with the store that handles the property. You can also search for properties for foreigners on the Internet, so let's proceed according to your own situation.
Here are some of the major Japanese real estate companies that sell properties that foreigners can also rent.
https://www.able.co.jp/feature/foreigner/
Founded over 50 years ago. We have a wealth of experience in developing business centered on rental brokerage that connects people who want to rent a room with the owner of the room through Japan's largest network.
https://www.chintai.net/feature/foreigner/
Based on "house" and "room", it provides various services and contents centered on Web media. One of them is website management, where people who want to rent a room can find a room under various conditions.
https://www.homes.co.jp/
Unlike the above two, it is not a real estate company but a real estate / housing information site, but you can find a real estate company that will help foreigners to find a room.
Next, I would like to introduce a room search information site specializing in foreigners.
https://www.best-estate.jp/ja/
The site itself is multilingual and has staff from each country, so even if you don't understand Japanese, you can search for a room, make inquiries, and consult.
The site itself is multilingual and has staff from each country, so even if you don't understand Japanese, you can search for a room, make inquiries, and consult.
Real estate companies have a lot of information about rooms they can rent. If you tell us your desired conditions such as "rent", "area you want to live in", "floor plan", "size", "distance from the nearest station", etc., we will introduce the properties that meet the conditions.
Even if you have a room called "This is" that you found on the Internet, it is a good idea to tell them the conditions and have them search for it. Sometimes you will be introduced to a room that is not listed on the internet but is in good condition.
When considering a property, the following points should be confirmed properly.
In addition to the monthly rent, there are also properties that require a security deposit, key money, and brokerage fees to be paid at the time of contract, as well as key exchange fees and cleaning fees. Even if the rent is cheap, make sure that you don't have to spend more than your budget before you start living.
Also check with your guarantor to see if you need fire insurance to sign a room rent contract. If you need it, it's a plus and it costs money. In Japan, there are many cases where both are "necessary".
It is easier to live if you have convenient access to school and work as well as the distance from the nearest station. Ask a real estate agent who is familiar with local circumstances such as transportation expenses to tell you if you can use trains and buses.
Where are the facilities necessary for living, such as supermarkets and other shops where you can buy food and daily necessities, and nearby hospitals? Also, check what kind of atmosphere the city is, what kind of area it is, and how safe it is.
In addition, you may be able to find out about the sunlight, size, atmosphere of the room, etc. by actually visiting, so it is recommended that you go to see the room as much as possible.
If it's difficult, some real estate companies will send you pictures and videos of your room or show you your room online, so take advantage of those services as well.
If you find a room you like, you need to apply for a move-in and pass the examination. The owner gives permission to rent a room to this person. In the examination, you can see whether the rent will be paid properly and whether it will cause trouble with the neighbors. Therefore, in addition to Basic information such as your name, date of birth, and current Street address, you need to provide information such as your annual income, place of employment, and years of service. It takes about 3 to 10 days for the examination.
After successfully passing the examination, we will make a contract to rent a room. You don't have to be careful when you live in the room, such as how to pay the rent, the contract period, the procedure when you want to cancel (you want to stop living and leave the room), and the special provisions ("Do not keep pets", "Prohibit playing musical instruments", etc. Check the contents of the contract, such as "Don't do it", and sign the contract if you are satisfied.
If you need to set up a guarantor or apply for fire insurance, we will do it at the same time.
Once your contract is complete, prepare to move according to your move-in date. The key will be received from the real estate company and entered the room on the day of the move.
部屋に入ったら、汚れているところがないか、エアコンなどの設備がきちんと使えるかを確かめ、もし気になる点があれば不動産会社に連絡しましょう。
Electricity, gas, and water services are basically stopped on the day of the move. Contact your company to get access to these essential infrastructures. (Some companies can complete the procedure before moving)
Please also refer to this article for moving.
[Life in Japan] Preparing to move for a new life
You can read more about electricity, gas and water infrastructure in this article.
When a foreigner rents a room in Japan, the bottleneck is the rule that a guarantor is required, which is unique to Japan. Therefore, I will explain in detail what to do if there is no one who can be a guarantor.
As explained in another item, the reason why you need a guarantor to rent a room is that the renter is behind in rent, the cost of polluting the room, etc. is the cost to restore it to its original state. This is because it has the role of taking over the payment in case of emergency such as not being able to pay.
In order to be recognized as a guarantor, it is necessary to meet the conditions required by the owner and real estate company, such as having a certain income and being a relative of the borrower (within 2 life), but most of the relatives are overseas. Not only foreigners in Japan but also Japanese people have become quite strict.
If you can't have a guarantor, consider either looking for a room that you can rent without a guarantor or using a guarantor.
There are some properties that you can rent without a guarantor, so one way is to look for them.
Introducing a site where you can search for properties that do not require a guarantor.
https://suumo.jp/chintai/nj_112/
A comprehensive information site about real estate and housing. You can search for properties all over Japan, and the number of listed properties is No. 1. There is also a lot of information to help you find a home.
You may be able to rent a room by using a guarantee company. This business was created not only for foreigners but also for Japanese people who have no relatives around them, or whose parents are retired and do not have a certain income, and who cannot make a guarantor due to various reasons.
By paying the guarantee commission fee to the guarantee company, the guarantee company will take over the response in case something goes wrong. The guarantee commission fee is 0.5 to 1 month's rent, and a renewal fee of about 10,000 yen may be charged every 1 to 2 years after moving in.
Depending on the property, there are cases where the use of the guarantee company is NG due to the intention of the owner, so let's check whether the desired property can be used by the guarantee company. If it is OK, when you apply for moving in, you will also apply for the service to the guarantee company.
The guarantee company generally uses the company specified by the real estate company that introduced the room. There is a company that offers a guarantor agency service for foreigners, and you can apply for a guarantor and search for a property together without exchanging Japanese, so I think it would be a good idea to use such a company.
https://www.gtn.co.jp/business/rent-warranty/tenant/
Available in more than 19 languages including English, Chinese, Cantonese, Taiwanese Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Nepali.
I would like you to take various procedures and be careful even after you have safely started living in your new home. I have summarized that foreigners often get into trouble due to differences in lifestyle and customs with Japan.
Do not lend it to another person without permission. Also, as mentioned when explaining important matters at the time of contract, the number of people who can live in the room is decided. If you have a room for one person, you cannot live with your friends.
Sounds and voices are prone to trouble with people next door and people living on the upper and lower floors. Japanese people generally tend to prefer a quiet environment, so don't bother by listening to music in a loud noise, making a loud noise in movements such as walking or closing the door, or speaking in a loud voice. be careful.
I think there are different payment methods for rent, such as handing over, bank transfer, and credit card payment, but please try to pay properly on the designated date. Generally, you will have to pay in advance for the next month by the end of the previous month.
It is necessary to separate the garbage by type, and the day and method of taking out the garbage are determined by the type of garbage. It depends on the area, so be sure to follow the rules of where you live.
Please also refer to this article for garbage disposal.
Japanese lifestyle series 2nd | Be careful! Japanese garbage dump
In particular, clean the area around the water such as the bath, washbasin, kitchen, and toilet. If the drain is clogged after cleaning, it may lead to a big accident such as water leakage downstairs.
Any act that damages or changes the room, such as nailing the wall, puncturing it, or painting it to change color, is a modification and must not be done without permission. If you want to do it, be sure to check with the owner and get permission.
It's an essential part of life, so it doesn't stop if you're a little late in payment, but if you don't pay, you won't be able to use it.
If you will be away for a long time, such as when traveling or returning to Japan temporarily, contact the owner or real estate company and be careful not to have trouble paying rent or utilities.
When renting a room in Japan, you will need a security deposit / key money and a guarantor. In addition, there are rules unique to Japan, such as a "renewal fee" when renewing a contract, so be sure to understand the meaning of commonly used words before you start searching for a room.
When renting a room in Japan, the procedure is roughly as follows.
1. Go to a real estate company.
2. Search by having the property introduced based on the desired conditions.
3. Once you have decided on a room, apply for a move-in. If you can pass the examination safely, you will be contracted.
4. Prepare for the move and get the room key on the day of the move.
When a foreigner rents a room in Japan, the biggest bottleneck is that there is no "guarantor", but this can be solved by looking for a property that does not require a guarantor or by using a guarantor.
Currently, there is a guarantee company specializing in foreigners, and we provide encouraging services to foreigners, such as support in languages other than Japanese, so I think it is good to use such a company.
Even after you start living in a new house, you need to be a little careful not to get in trouble. Let's live by observing the set rules such as payment of rent and utility charges (electricity, gas, water), noise and garbage disposal, cleaning, etc.
アクセス日本留学Editorial Department.アクセス日本留学" where foreign students can request materials to find Japanese schools, and hold "advancement information sessions for foreign students".
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