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FAQ

How much does it cost to move in?

It really depends on cases and conditions, but in general, tenants need to pay the following costs to move in;
  • ・ 1st Month Rent on Daily Basis
  • ・ 1st Month Management Fee on Daily Basis
  • ・ 2nd Month Rent
  • ・ 2nd Month Management Fee
  • ・ Key Money (¥0 - 2 month's rent)
  • ・ Deposit (¥0 - 2 month's rent)
  • ・ Agency Fee (1 month's rent plus tax, None for UR housings and specific buildings)
  • ・ Guarantee Fee (50% - 100% of rent and management fee)
  • ・ Renter Insurance Premium (¥15,000-¥30,000)
  • ・ Key-lock Changing Fee (If any, ¥15,000-¥30,000)

For example, if you move in a rental unit with the conditions as below;

  • ・ Rent : ¥100,000
  • ・ Management Fee :¥5,000
  • ・ Key Money : 1 month
  • ・ Deposit : 1 moth
  • ・ Lease Starting Date : Middle of the month

The estimate would be;

1st Month Rent on Daily Basis ¥50,000
1st Month Management Fee on Daily Basis ¥2,500
2nd Month Rent ¥100,000
2nd Month Management Fee ¥5,000
Key Money ¥100,000
Deposit ¥100,000
Agency Fee ¥108,000
Guarantee Fee (50% plan) ¥52,500
Renter Insurance Premium ¥20,000
Key-lock Changing Fee ¥15,000
Estimate ¥553,000
Above is just an example of total move-in cost.
There are many rental units whose total move-in costs are lower.

What is management fee?

Management fee or maintenance fee is the monthly fee to maintain common areas such as the lobby of building, corridors, elevators, etc. and caretaker's cost if any.The fee does not include utility fees.

What is key money?

Key money is non-refundable money given to landlords upfront.
The amount is 0 up to 2-month's rent.
It is unique to the Japan's leasing practice that has been conducted for many years.
The housings in high demand tend to require this money equivalent to 1-2 months' rent.

What is deposit?

Deposit is refundable money given to management firms or landlords upfront.
The amount is 0 up to 2-month's rent.
It will be returned to tenants when moving out.In most cases, a cleaning fee is deducted from the deposit.
If there is any damage to the rental units, the repair costs will be charged.

What is agency fee?

Agency fee is to be charged by the real estate agents at the time of closing the deals.
The fee is usually the amount equivalent to 1-month rent plus a 8% consumption tax.
The amount charged depends on properties, for example, we do not charge this fee for the UR residences that are sponsored by the government.
Also, we offer lower agency fees on some specific properties, please feel free to ask about it with our agents.

What is guarantee fee?

For those who don’t have the joint guarantor, there is a system available that some companies, what we call “Guarantor Company” or “Guarantee Company, will act as the joint guarantor upon the fee that is usually 50% up to 100% of the rent and the maintenance fee, and a ¥10,000 annual renewal fee (the fee varies from company to company).
Management firms or landlords are using this system rather than asking for joint guarantors in recent days.
Please note that some management firms or landlords require both an individual joint guarantor and a guarantor company.

What is renter insurance premium?

Every tenant has to purchase a comprehensive renter insurance premium that covers damages against rental unit, building, landlord, relative parties, your belongings, yourself, etc. during the lease term.It is usually designated by the management firm or the landlord.

What is key-lock changing fee?

Key-lock changing fee or replacement fee is to be charged upfront in some cases.
The key-lock is usually replaced with new one after the tenants move out.
The fee is charged to either the new tenants or the previous tenants depending on the management firm's policy.
Some landlords cover the fee instead of requiring the tenants.

What do your agents act for me in looking for a rental unit?

Our agents assist you to finalize the lease contract through the entire processes from the beginning of search to your move-in.
We also arrange the utility(gas, water, and electricity) and the internet settings.
Since our agents can speak English fluently, you will not face any difficulties at each stages.

What is joint guarantor?

Joint guarantor co-signs the lease contract for the singer and is fully responsible for any liabilities specified in the contract.
For example, in the case that the signer delays the rent payment or cannot pay the rent, the joint guarantor has to cover the rent under the law.
For this reason, the joint guarantor’s monthly salary is also supposed to be 3 times more than the monthly rent.
This person must be Japanese citizen in most cases.

What is cleaning fee?

Cleaning fee is the cost to clean the rental units after the tenants move out.
The amount will be usually determined on the basis of the size of the rental units.
For example, in the case of a 20sqm unit, it might be charged from ¥30,000 to ¥40,000.

What is lease term?

Basically 2 years.
There are 2 types of the lease contracts, renewable and fixed-term.
In the case of renewable lease contract, you can extend the term every 2 years by paying a renewal fee that is basically the amount equivalent to 1 month or 1.5 months of the new rent.
In the case of fixed-term lease contract, you basically CANNOT extend the term initially set, however, there are some exceptional cases where you can extend the term by paying some fee.

Can I terminate the contract before the expiry of the lease?

Yes, you can.
You can move out even though the lease still remains by notifying the landlord 1 or 2 months prior to your desired move-out date.
However, if you made the lease contract under the specific conditions such as no key money or 1-month free rent, there should be a penalty.
For example, you might find many conditions that if you make the contract under 1-month-free-rent conditions and move out within 1 year, you need to pay a penalty of the amount equivalent to 1-month rent.

What is the difference between individual and corporate contract?

Individual contract means that an individual person is the one who signs the lease contract.
Corporate contract means that a company is the one who signs the lease contract for their employees as corporate housing.

Do you offer rental furniture and appliances?

Yes, we do.
Since furnished rental units are not quite so common in Japan, you have to choose a furnished unit from a small number of choices.
If you use our rental services, you can have more options to choose from.
The cost depends on what furniture and appliances to rent and how long.
For example, if you rent very basic ones (fridge, washer, microwave, TV, bed) for 1 year, it costs about 7,000yen monthly.

What kind of documents need to be prepared?

Basically, the following items need to be prepared by respective parties;

■ Individual Signer
・ Copy of IDs
・ Copy of Income Statement (e.g.; Tax Withholding Slip, Latest 3-month Payment Slips, Bank Statement, etc.)
・ Copy of Employment Certificate (e.g.; Offer Letter, Employment Contract, Certified Letter from Company, etc.)
・ Original Certificate of Residence (The ward office where you live in or those branches issue it for you.)
・ Original Certificate of Registered Seal Impression or Signature (If required)

■ Corporate Signer
・ Statement of Financial Accounts
・ Original Certificate of Corporate Registration
・ Original Certificate of Registered Seal Impression
・ Company Brochure

■ Cohabitant (in case of Non-Japanese)
・ Copy of IDs
・ Original Certificate of Residence (The ward office where you live in or those branches issue it for you.)

■ Cohabitant (in case of Japanese)
・ Copy of IDs
・ Original Certificate of Residence (住民票)

■ Joint Guarantor (Co-signer)
・ Copy of IDs
・ Original Certificate of Residence (住民票)
・ Original Certificate of Registered Seal Impression

■ Emergency Contact Person
・ No documents required but the basic information such as name, address, birth date, work place, phone number, etc.

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