Last year I made the big move from the inaka to Tokyo, and I’m here to tell you about it! So in this video I’ll go over how to rent an apartment here in Tokyo along with some advice on how to go about it, prices, and the reality of foreigners renting in JP.
I try to go over various methods you could take to getting an apartment whether you speak Japanese or don’t and what to do when you first arrive! It is definitely confusing and it won’t really all make sense to you until you actually go through the process yourself 😂 In America, renting a place was much easier than in Japan but of course it’s a completely different system here!
I do go over racism and discrimination in this video, so be warned. I didn’t want to sugarcoat the reality of renting here. All foreigners are at a disadvantage when renting since there’s no laws against discrimination, but as a white woman I have an advantage that is important to address! Although I cannot speak to the experience of other people renting here, it is definitely not impossible no matter what you may look like, so don’t be too scared!
Please let me know if you have any questions down below in the comments! It can be really confusing and I probably missed some stuff 😩 I tried to include a lot of screenshots because I realize a lot of what I say won’t make any sense to people who don’t live here 😅
Please make sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more content about Japan and my life here in the future 🥰 It really helps me out!!
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27 Comments
No sound?
I'm ok with a small 1R apartment as long as the price is low. However, the build should be modern, having the electronic toilet seat.
Awe man, I found an apartment I really love on Gaijinpot 🙁 is it really that bad?
Tysm I’m in a share house my company provided me I was forced to sign a 3 months contract or they wouldn’t hire me so now that the contract is over I can find my own apartment which now that I’m thinking about it is expensive I can afford an apartment but now I need to buy furniture and a bed which I don’t have much money for my original share house came completely furnished like when I say I’m,a be sleeping on the floor and eating instant Roman just to save up for some furniture I’m being serious😭. And oh yeah the discrimination is scary I’m Latin American but I think it’s easier for me then it would be a black person for example while it’s also harder for me then if I were white .
ok, i liked all the videos but hearing the phrase "white privilege" raises some flags.
Just got called out on the Gaijinpot apartments 😂 Thank you for the great video. Moving to Tokyo in October so this video is a huge help🌻
as a black (mixed) trans guy I’m excited to see what my experience will be like 💀
Oh Japan doesn't accept black people. Its like that huh… What about light skinned black people? lmao
Hi Allison. My question is how much do you pay for a guarantor? Is it a monthly fee or a one time fee?
One thing I would add to your recommendation of Suumo (or other online apartment search sites) is that even when I sent desired apartments to an agent he said none of them were available. I find it hard to believe that 100% of my choices had sold out the day I found them and sent them in. Apparently Japanese prefer to go in person and be blindsided by apartment options so they accept that what’s online is basically “fake” or window dressing to get you in the door. Also I was in a similar corona+ one day to look situation as you so I sent the guy which apartments I wanted and what my parameters were in advance. He waited until I arrived to call them all in front of me and hear a lot of them say “no gaijin” even though I was going to work at a prestigious school. This was in Hamamatsu, so I’m wondering is a Tokyo is more accepting of foreigners. Last thing, what size layout is your 8万 place? I’m having a hard time gauging what are normal prices for various layouts (not downtown Tokyo, but more suburban).
It's such a shame that just being white grants you more housing opportunities in Japan opposed to being black 😓
I can't just change my skin color at the snap of my fingers.
Thank you Allison for keeping it 💯re: the discrimination that happens . So sad people of color are judged harshly solely for having darker complexion…… makes me NOT want to visit Japan 🧐 but tbh in America and all over the world my race is unfairly viewed with negativity….. so, I can’t escape it….. and folks always acting like we’re making this ish up!! #walkadayinmyshoes
$800 a month and $8000 for the whole move including fees really isn't very much at all. I had expected substantially higher costs for living in Tokyo. Very interesting
Expensive doesn't even begin to explain it, you are basically throwing away thousands of dollars that you will never see again just because they can charge you. From lock change, gift money, guarantor (which is basically a predatory advance system), cleaning, deposit, and another one months rent every two years, not to mention having to furnish EVERYTHING yourself, it is no wonder why share houses are getting really popular with Japanese nationals. My Japanese teacher told me that there is a saying "people become poor moving in Japan" .
Thank you so much for the honesty!!
Glad I watched this, was planning on using something like gaijinpot to find a place in march but going to a sumo seems way better
Very helpful video. Real estate varies so much from one country to another and there are things that you could never « guess » until you go through the process yourself (or watch this video) 😊 Thank you for sharing !
Japan rules such a stupid because if you don’t working can’t rent apartment anywhere, and also expensive pay for nothing things
$800 a month is good for Tokyo, that's around £700 (give or take) which wouldn't even get you a 1 bed flat in London
I admit it: I'm an inveterate thrifter and trash picker.
When I lived in Japan, there was an online group of ALTs that announced events and classes (I wasn't an ALT, but I was able to join the group). AND when people were moving back home, they'd sell their stuff. I got a lot of furniture that way and it was really cheap. I got an older fridge that was about twice the size of a dorm fridge for $30. When I upgraded to a better fridge a couple years later–well, that's how my husband and I met! Group members would also sell their cars, and those were also so cheap–much cheaper than a used car in the USA.
But here's the hitch, paying shaken 車検 on that car can cost you. Disposing of that old appliance can also be quite expensive–you have to pay to recycle those things–for the fridge the fee was $70! (But my employer actually paid that fee.)
In Japan, getting rid of old stuff is difficult. The bigger it is, the harder it is to get rid of. So often people will just GIVE you stuff. And in my town, there was a "big trash night" where people could pile up old stuff in a vacant lot for disposal. I got some amazing old wooden chairs from the trash pile–I cleaned and polished them up and bought new cushions. I got a restaurant stainless steel prep table. I got a sewing machine from the recycle bin. I sold all these things to ALTs when I left. I got a pile of really cool dishes from a restaurant that had gone out of business–free. If you're coming to Japan, look into it!
Btw, I was there for 6 years, so finding great stuff does take time, as every thrifter knows.
Stigmatised homes would be much cheaper
My rent is going to be about the same as yours. My set up costs aren't quite as bad as yours (about $1000) less. However, I'm going to have to buy my furniture, fridge, washing machine etc when I get there, so I will be going to Nitori and Hard Off. How much do things like gas, electricity and internet cost to set up?
The rent isn’t that much different than in large cities in the US. We have to pay first, last and security here. And unless you live in a high rise, you have to have gas, water, electric, and internet set up. While I’ve never heard of a lock change fee, many apartments here do require that you get renters insurance. And, our rent is so much more expensive. If I wanted to move into a new apartment tomorrow, the cheapest 1 bedroom I could find in a safe neighborhood would be over $1200. So I’d pay $3,600 (first, last, and security) plus hiring a mover (low end $500). Then paying for all utilities to get set up.
Hello, thank for ur video ! I have a question tho is 80 000 yens easily obtainable through 1 baito ?
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Any recommendations for moving with children. As in accommodations for staying until we get housing.
I know this video is 2 years old, and this is a long shot, but what sorts of information does the guarantor agency end up needing from you? I'm just trying to make sure I'm as prepared as possible. Thank you so much for posting all the information you do, if you've covered this somewhere and I missed it I apologize.