Housing
Renting, guarantors, and practical housing advice.
Guide to Japan's main housing options for newcomers — share house, traditional apartment, and monthly mansion — covering costs, procedures, and what to expect at each stage.
Explains the difference between monthly mansions and midterm stays in Tokyo: fees, regulations, no-guarantor options, and practical considerations for 30–180 day rentals.
Practical guide covering how to search, apply, and sign a lease in Japan as a non-Japanese resident.
Step-by-step walkthrough of Japan's rental process for foreigners: costs, documents, guarantors, lease terms, and common pitfalls.
Practical look at share-house living in Japan — average costs, pros and cons versus renting solo, and how to find a good fit.
Step-by-step guide to the apartment search process in Japan as a foreigner: real-estate agents, required documents, fees, and what to watch out for.
Official Urban Renaissance Agency page for non-Japanese residents — no key money, no guarantor, no agent fee.
Complete guide to finding rental housing in Japan as a foreigner 2025. Costs, requirements, neighborhoods, application process, and successful strategies.
In Japan, renting an apartment typically involves multiple parties, including the landlord, the real estate agency, the property management company, and a guarantor company. Working with a real estate agency is standard practice, as they handle.
Prepare documents and guarantor requirements for renting in Japan as a foreigner, including residence, income, emergency contact and screening details.
Complete guide to finding an apartment in Tokyo as a foreigner. Learn about rental costs, required documents, guarantor system, best neighborhoods, and negotiation strategies for expats.
Complete guide to renting an apartment in Japan as a foreigner. Learn about upfront costs, key money, guarantor requirements, documents needed, and tips to find foreigner-friendly housing.
End-to-end walkthrough of renting in Tokyo as a foreigner: searching on portals, viewing, document checklist, approval timeline, and what to expect at contract signing.
Explains the up-front costs of renting in Japan — key money (reikin), deposit, brokerage fee — and how the guarantor company system works for foreigners without a Japanese co-signer.
One of Japan's largest furnished-apartment providers, popular with newly arrived foreigners: no key money, no guarantor required, English contracts available.
Everything involved in moving between apartments in Japan: choosing a moving company, lease termination, key-money refunds, and the address-change paperwork.
Apartment Hunting Do's and Don'ts in Japan
(blog.gaijinpot.com)
GaijinPot's practical do's and don'ts for apartment hunting in Japan as a foreign resident.
How to Rent an Apartment in Tokyo: A Guide for Foreigners
(tokyocheapo.com)
A practical walkthrough of the Tokyo rental process for foreigners, from agency visits to the up-front costs to expect.
Covers the realistic options if you don't want to use a guarantor company: UR housing, employer-backed leases, and guarantor-free listings.
Japanese Culture Specific “Guarantor System”
(u-tokyo.ac.jp)
Explains why landlords ask for a guarantor and what a guarantor company actually does - written for incoming staff/students, but the logic is the same for anyone renting.