卿少納言

卿少納言

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Guide to Renting in Japan

#日本#博客53
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The document provides essential preparations for renting in Japan, particularly in Tokyo. It recommends a comprehensive overview of rental prices in Tokyo's 23 wards and useful resources for finding rental properties. Key points include: 1. **UR Group Housing**: Offers a structured rental process with specific income and rent requirements for new graduates. It’s advised to check their official website for detailed information and procedures. 2. **Choosing a Rental**: Tips include researching properties online, understanding commuting times, and considering shared housing for cost-effectiveness. It emphasizes the importance of proximity to train stations. 3. **Sharehouses**: These are a viable option for those without company assistance, offering similar prices to UR housing without extra fees. However, they come with shared facilities and potential communication barriers. 4. **Rental Websites**: Several websites for finding sharehouses and rentals are listed, including those with English and Chinese support. 5. **Direct Rentals**: Communicating directly with landlords or agents is possible but requires good Japanese language skills and market knowledge. 6. **Cultural Considerations**: Some landlords may prefer not to rent to foreigners, and there may be additional costs like key money. Overall, the document serves as a guide for navigating the rental market in Japan, especially for newcomers.

The most important preparations for going to Japan.

Streamlined Version#

First, I recommend this article that provides a systematic overview of the rental market in Tokyo: What is the average rent for apartments in the 23 wards of Tokyo?.

This image is very useful for those unfamiliar with Tokyo; it can be referenced when choosing an apartment.

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Secondly, I recommend this article Collection ▏ Summary of Useful Websites for Renting in Japan: it discusses common rental methods in Japan and organizes links to official websites.

UR Group Housing#

Do not confuse it with "group housing" in the Chinese internet; it's easy to find related reviews on Zhihu, so I won't post them here, just discuss some important points.

There are certain requirements for rent and income; according to the official website, new graduates can generally freely choose properties with rent below 200,000 yen. (If sharing with three people and wanting to be closer to the city center, this is especially important.)
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UR Group Housing also has other regulations; if interested, check the official website at https://www.ur-net.go.jp/chintai/rent/requirements/.

The general process provided by the official site: https://www.ur-net.go.jp/chintai/rent/ (Following the official process, even in Japan, you will deal with an agent (UR store consultant), so if the company helps you contact the agent, it saves some effort.)

The official site provides a Chinese PDF that explains a lot of key information, which is more detailed than what is found on domestic platforms like Zhihu.

How to choose an apartment:

  1. Wait for the agent contacted by the company to recommend (I do not recommend this passive approach; what if the agent takes advantage of your lack of knowledge…)
  2. Directly search on the official website https://www.ur-net.go.jp/chintai/kanto/tokyo/area/ (on one hand, to understand the market, on the other hand, to prepare early)
    1. According to the official process, we can directly hand over the properties we are interested in to the agent and let them help us contact and negotiate.
    2. How to assess commuting: copy the address of the apartment, then go to Bing Maps to calculate how long it takes to get there by "bus." If you have time, you can study the suggested routes and check the departure times on apps like Yahoo! Transit · Transit NAVITIME · Transit Guide, to estimate how late you can stay in bed (big mistake) and how late you can work before having to walk back (missing the last train… sad).
      1. Here are some recommended rental locations suitable for commuters working near Shinagawa:
        1. Kawasaki (30 minutes direct via Keihin Tohoku Line, plus, you can pilgrimage to GBC every day during your commute, doesn't that excite you?)
        2. Takashimadaira (40 minutes direct via Mita Line; Takashimadaira is the starting station, so it's easier to find a seat)
    3. Pay attention to the distance to the station; this is crucial, and it is recommended to keep it within 10 minutes (preferably 5 minutes).
    4. It is advisable to share an apartment, as it will indeed be cheaper.

Sharehouse#

If there is no company arranging an agent, I might just go all in on a sharehouse for the following reasons:

  1. The price is similar to UR Group Housing, without the various key money and other complications;
  2. You can get the keys right after completing the procedures at the company, and then you can move in (according to UR Group Housing's official information, it generally takes about 10 days from submitting the application to receiving the keys; it is currently unclear if the agent contacted by the company can help us, who have not yet entered the country, complete this 10-day process in advance).
  3. Most layouts will have shared appliances (washing machine, microwave, refrigerator, air conditioning, etc.), saving a significant amount of expenses.
  4. Some companies include "electricity" and "internet fees" in the rent, so there won't be too much psychological pressure when using air conditioning, and it also saves the trouble of setting up internet service.

Disadvantages:

  1. The kitchen is generally shared, so if you want to cook for savings, you may need to avoid peak kitchen usage times (otherwise, you will have to wait in line).
  2. Roommates in shared housing can be hit or miss, as it's hard to judge them through a network connection, and agents also find it difficult to provide specific evaluations.
  3. Many people renting sharehouses in Japan are from Southeast Asia and Europe; when communication in Japanese is difficult, you might have to use English to communicate 2333.

I have only recently started researching sharehouses, mainly after reading this article Personal Experience + Friends' Feedback: Is GGHouse in Tokyo Reliable?: it is a very detailed experience post, but the article was written in 2019, and now it is 2023, so there may be some changes.

Official website: https://gghouse.co.jp/zh-hans/

P.S. This company can be consulted through WeChat; if you are interested in sharehouses, you might want to give this a try.

Other companies: (Reminder, all are overseas websites; if you cannot bypass the firewall, you will basically be unable to access them) Collection ▏ Summary of Useful Websites for Renting in Japan

  1. Tokyo Sharehouse
    Website: https://tokyosharehouse.com/
    A larger sharehouse website in Tokyo; also, the site has listings for sharehouses.

Note that the official website does not have Chinese; only Japanese :)

  1. SHARE PARADE
    Website: https://sharepare.jp/

The official website has Chinese; the consultation method is via email.

  1. TOKYOSTAY
    Website: http://www.tokyostay.co.jp/

Hmm… the above webpage is invalid, https://www.tokyustay.co.jp/e/hotel/GO/, although the official website has Chinese, many interfaces are still only in English and Japanese; also, this only supports stays of up to 31 days; if you exceed that, you need to fill out an application form. (If you cannot get the keys in advance, you might consider this as a temporary solution.)

  1. OAKHOUSE

Website: https://www.oakhouse.jp/cn/

The official website has Chinese; the consultation method is to register an account.

  1. Sakura House

Website: https://www.sakura-house.com/jp/

The official website has Chinese; additionally, the official answered a very important question: if I arrive at Narita Airport at 5 PM, will I have time to complete the relevant procedures? The official response was: it is recommended to come tomorrow (sad).
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Renting#

The classification is a bit strange, but I can't think of a more accurate description 2333.

In simple terms, it means directly communicating with Japanese people (landlords/agents) about renting. Generally speaking:

  1. There are higher requirements for Japanese language skills, and you also need to have a certain understanding of the Tokyo rental market; otherwise, it is easy to "be sold and still help count the money" (laugh).
  2. Some landlords do not want to rent to foreigners.
  3. Most require key money and other complicated fees, and unlike UR Group Housing, which refunds based on the inspection at the time of moving out, these are generally non-refundable.
  4. There is basically no furniture.
  5. If booking from China, you need to find a relatively reliable agent (I don't have one either, shrug~).

Own House#

To briefly explain: this is about finding Chinese people who have already bought (or rented) houses in Japan to share.

Since I consider myself somewhat socially anxious, and I have previously been taken advantage of by a "fellow countryman," I haven't done much research in this direction.

If you are interested in this direction, you can try hi 龟龟 - In Japan, Xiaochun Network, and other forums for Chinese people in Japan.

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