Japan Apartment Xpress

Posts Tagged ‘apartment’

Apartments are usually rented through real estate agents rather than landlords. Real estate offices can be recognized by listings of available apartments in their show windows. They also advertise on signs in the neighborhood and in various publications.

Not at last, entering a rental contract with a conventional real estate company is very expensive. A number of refundable and non refundable fees have to be paid, often totaling three to ten months’ rent, depending on the company and apartment:

• Reservation fee (tetsukekin)
• The tetsukekin is paid when you apply for an apartment, and before the actual rental contract is signed. It serves as a guarantee for you that the apartment is not given to somebody else, and for the agent that you do not change your mind. It is refunded after the actual contract is signed and is usually equivalent to about one month’s rent.
• Deposit (shikikin)
• The deposit is used to cover eventual future damage to the apartment. The deposit minus the cost for repairs is refunded when you move out. The deposit is usually equivalent to several months’ rent.
• Key money (reikin)
• This is a non refundable payment to the landlord in the amount of up to several months’ rent.
• Service fee (chukai tesuryo)
• This is a non refundable payment to the real estate agent in the amount of at most one month’s rent.

In most cases, apartments come unfurnished, utilities are not included in the rent, and pets are not allowed.

Reference: Tokyo Guest House at http://www.share-style.net/

For visitors and long-time residents alike, finding a place to live within Japan can be a difficult experience. There are several different types of housing available to the expatriate community.  Apartments and houses are available by individual renters as well as agencies.  Unfamiliar residences may include the “guesthouse” and the “short term mansion”.  Let’s explore exactly what these residences mean, and what’s it’s like to live there.

A guesthouse:

The guesthouse, often referred to as a “gaijin house”, or “foreigner house” is larger building with several different private rooms that usually have a bed, desk, and storage space.  Tenants have a room to themselves, and share communal spaces like bathrooms, showers, and kitchens.  There are guesthouses all over Japan, and prices for these rooms can vary widely depending on the age of the building, the location, and utility prices for the area.

Even cheaper still are dorm-style rooms in guest houses – these rooms are large rooms within a guesthouse that are typically filled with several bunk beds.  There may also be some storage space available.  Many tenants share this room – it is essentially used only as a sleeping place. This is one of the cheapest options for people living in Japan, though it may not be preferable for many.

Living in a guesthouse requires sharing many amenities.  Depending on the nature of the people in the house at the time, it may be a fun atmosphere, or it may be noisy.  It is difficult to determine before you arrive, but you are almost guaranteed to come away with good stories, regardless of your experience!

Apartments and Mansions:

Japan’s living spaces are notoriously small.  This doesn’t, however, mean that the quality of the living space may be in any way diminished.  Apartment style living in Japan comes in several different iterations.  Typically, residences listed as “apartments” are buildings made from wood.  The buildings are often older, and may not be as well insulated as other building types.  Recent renovations to apartments have made them very nice places to live, and they are often cheaper than their mansion style counterparts.

Mansion style residences are just like apartments, save for their concrete structure.  These buildings are well insulated against both heat and cold, and they are typically newer.

The sizes of apartments and mansions are usually the same – it’s possible to find very small and very large homes in either type.  Mansions are often slightly more expensive than the apartments in terms of rent, but you may find that what you pay in rent you make up for with utility bills!  It is up to the tenant to decide what style of residence meets his or her needs.

The next time you visit Japan, keep these things in mind – find the place to stay that’s right for you!

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