Renting an Apartment in Japan: As told by an international real estate professional
So, you're planning on moving to Japan? We've got lots of information for you here on what your life here will be like. Actually, renting an apartment as an international resident of Japan can be more difficult than for Japanese nationals, and a lot of people end up having some trouble with it. What kinds of trouble, you ask? Today, we have Liu Mumu assistant manager of the Global Trust Network Co., Ltd. (GTN) Marui Namba Office, a company providing all-around support for internationals living and renting apartments in Japan, here to talk to us about her experience.
Support for Students and Professionals from All Around the World:
What kinds of people do you usually work with at GTN?
If you're talking about the whole company, Chinese and Korean clients make up about 20% of our business. They are followed by individuals from Vietnam and the United States at about 10% each. The rest is made up of a mixture of different nationalities, but it can really depend on the office.
In Tokyo, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese clients make up the majority, but at the Namba Marui Office where I work, we have about 10% Indonesians who come directly to us. So, it's a little different. Actually, there's a language school that works with an agent in Indonesia, so we get a lot of students from there.
In terms of residency status, about 60% are students, 30% are working professionals and 10% are technical interns.
I came to Japan right after graduating from high school. When I first got here, I lived in a dormitory for international students, but I moved out about 6 months later. I ended up finding a place of my own, but it was a lot of work!
Things International Residents Have Trouble with when Looking for a Place to Live in Japan:
Can you tell us a little bit about what kinds of issues people from overseas have when looking for an apartment in Japan?
The way I see it, there are two main categories: Issues during the apartment search and after moving in.
There are four types of issues I see during the apartment search.
The first type is issues with up-front payments. In Japan, before the lease starts, you often have to pay a lot of different fees: contract fees, security deposits, accident insurance, key replacement and guarantor fees. This is uncommon for people from some countries, so it makes them wonder why they have to pay all of this money.
The first time I moved in Japan, I didn't really understand why I needed to pay a guarantor company a fee for guaranteeing that I would pay my rent, but I went ahead and paid anyway.
Next, a lot of people aren't aware that Japanese rental apartments don't come with furniture or appliances. In many countries, furnished apartments are pretty common. Even in my hometown, Beijing, the landlord designs the interior of the apartment, so it's common for them to have furniture and appliances.
The third type is that some people don't realize that they need to pay their water, gas and electricity bills. I had clients in the past who weren't aware that they needed to fill out the appropriate paperwork on their own and didn't have water, gas or electricity in their home for 6 months. In one case, a client didn't know what the bill looked like, and so they kept throwing them away.
The fourth type of issue that can come up is that some people are unaware that they need to change their address when they move. That is to say, they need to go to the post office and fill out the necessary paperwork to have their mail forwarded to their new address. After moving, they also need to go to the local government office to have their address changed on their zairyu card and also change their address at their bank. In China, the government doesn't keep records on rental residences, so at GTN we make sure that we tell them that they need to complete that paperwork. If they don't, they may not receive notices about rent or might even have problems with automatic payments.
From the perspective of international residents, a lot of people don't understand why there are rental agencies, property management companies or guarantor companies in Japan and feel really frustrated. For example, in China there aren't any property management companies and not nearly as many rental agencies as in Japan. In most cases, you negotiate with the landlord directly and record the agreements in the lease, and the landlord gives you the key of the apartment. It takes about 5 minutes. (lol) Even for a while after I first came to Japan, I didn't really understand the application procedures and payments.
What I really struggled with was finding a guarantor. Since landlords and management companies always wanted me to have a Japanese citizen as my guarantor, I was only able to pass the screening for one apartment after several viewings. The amount of responsibility that a guarantor has to take on can make it hard to ask Japanese citizens, though.
Since I couldn't find a Japanese national, I had to go through a guarantor company in the end. That company ended up being GTN, and thanks to their support, I was able to move into a new apartment.
Growing Up with Different Rules Can Lead to Issues
It seems like sitting down with clients and explaining the rules and answering their questions before they move helps take care of any issues in advance. So, what kinds of issues do you hear about?
The most common issues are about taking out the trash. The rules are different in each area and can be really complicated - some local governments even require bottles to be sorted into 3 different types!
When I lived in the international dormitory, we had a facility manager who took care of all of the trash. So, when I rented an apartment under my own name, I didn't know anything about trash rules. My neighbor even scolded me for throwing away clothes and food waste in the same bags. (lol) At the time, I just couldn't understand what their problem was, but now I'm grateful for the experience.
The next one is paying the rent. In Japan, most people pay their rent in advance. However, some clients think that they paying retroactively and get behind on their payments. Some people who work part-time jobs while going to school without getting any financial assistance from their parents aren't financially able to pay rent every month and want to pay for several months in a lump sum or just forget to pay altogether.
Actually, when I first started living on my own, I also thought it would be cheaper to pay several months at once instead of paying bank transfer fees every month.
The next issue is noise. I think a lot of people believe that they should be able to do whatever they want in their apartment, since they're paying rent. They like to sing karaoke late at night, have parties or practice musical instruments. In Japan, though, you're not supposed to make noise between the hours between 11:00 PM and 8:00 AM, so most people keep the volume down on your TV and don't use their washing machines. Also, I don't think a lot of people realize how thin the walls are in Japanese apartments!
The last one is rules on having pets. There aren't a lot of apartments in Japan that allow pets. However, a lot of people think, "Well, it's my apartment. I can do what I want!" and buy a pet during their lease.
Taking Time for Each Client - GTN's Initiatives
Cultural differences can cause people to clash sometimes, right? Can you tell us more about what GTN does to close the gap?
When people move here for the first time and start their lives in Japan, they all come to GTN without any prior knowledge. Of course, some people do some research on their own, but it takes time to get used to how things work here. We offer our home search and rental guarantor services to people from overseas all across Japan, but to be honest I think our clients have less issues than clients who find an apartment through other real estate agencies.
The "secret" to our success is that we explain everything to our clients. Before, I talked about how GTN spends a lot of time explaining everything clearly. We really do sit down with each of our clients and explain the rules, their rights and contacts for when they have a problem to make sure that they're really aware of everything. Plus, we've also made animated videos and manuals for commons problems living in Japan to make sure they are aware. I think this really helps them out.
Having support is the key. Currently, we employ 40 staff members who speak 19 different languages. If a client is confident in Japanese, we tell them how to contact the management company, but we also provide assistance over the phone or e-mail if they are unsure about something.
Apart from that, we provide multi-language support for international employees of other companies to help them get used ot their new companies as well as cellphone service, credit card assistance and other support geared toward international residents. We've also launched a service to help people get settled in over the first 14 days after they arrive in Japan, since there is so much to help them get set up. There are a number of companies and schools that use this service for their international employees.
3 Important Points for Finding an Apartment
What kind of advice do you have for people who are thinking about looking for an apartment in Japan now?
I have 3 points.
The first one is: Know the market price. You don't have to be an expert, but it's good to know what the current average rent is in the area where you want to live. If you're aware of this and adjust your expectations to this, it's easier for agencies to show you apartments that will fit your needs, and you'll have a better experience overall. You can find this information by doing a quick online search with keywords "average rent" and the area where you want to live. For example, if you type in "Shinjuku" and "average rent" in Japanese, you'll be directed to rental prices by area on the LIFULL site.
The second point is having a general overview of what it means to rent an apartment in Japan. As I mentioned before, you should be aware that Japanese apartments aren't usually furnished and that you will need to apply for your utilities (internet, gas water and electricity) on your own. If you are aware of all of that, you will know what to do after you move in and approximately how much it will all cost.
The third point is making your decision based on your own lifestyle. So, if you know in advance that you want to live with someone else, have a pet or practice musical instruments, you should let your real estate agent know early on.
In Japan, trust goes a long way. For landlords, it's not just a question of renting you an apartment, because you have the money to pay for it. They are also concerned about if you will pay your rent on-time every month and follow the rules set in the lease.
Starting Your Life in Japan with Good Communication
What kind of living environment do you want to create for international residents of Japan at GTN?
I hope that international residents and Japanese nationals will be able to communicate with one another and develop even more respect for each other's cultures.
I love living in Japan, so my motivation for working at GTN is to make sure that no one has a bad experience and ruin their impression of Japan. I want to contribute to creating a place where international residents aren't treated as "foreigners," but rather as other respected members of society. Then, they can tell their friends and families in their own countries how great Japan is and how friendly Japanese people are.
Non-Japanese residents might have trouble understanding the language and culture here, but I hope that Japanese nationals will have compassion and help them adjust.
Bringing Cultures Together with Respect
At the end of the interview, Ms. Liu said, "Talking to people from all around the really is a lot of fun!" with a big smile on her face and talked about how much she enjoys the chance to learn about new cultures. Culture is something that people build up over centuries. And you can't maintain the same lifestyle as in your own country when you move somewhere with a different culture. But, by understanding our differences and communicating with each other, we should be able to accept each other. This is true for Japanese people living overseas as well. No matter if we are Japanese or from somewhere else, I really believe that we can still live together happily if we treat each other with respect.
Profile
LIU Mumu
Born in 1990 (Beijing, China)
- Moved to Japan in 2010 for university after graduating from high school.
- Joined GTN after 5 years of education in Japan (including language school) and graduating from Jumonji University.
- Moved to the Rental Department after working for a year in the Life Support Department helping international residents solve issues and doing translation work.
- Currently the assistant manager of the Osaka Namba Marui Office.
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