How important is it to live “near” the nearest station when choosing an apartment in Japan?

When apartment hunting in Japan, many people consider proximity to the nearest station to be a make-it or break-it factor. This is with good reason. If you spend anywhere from 30-minutes to an hour or more riding the train to... More

GaijinPot Housing Service

How to Rent an Apartment in Japan from Overseas

Despite what you may have heard, it is possible to rent an apartment in Japan from overseas, before you even land here. First, let’s deal with the question of why many agents in Japan do not answer emails or inquiries from outside the... More

Renting an Apartment as a Foreigner

How the Japanese Government is Trying to Convince More Landlords to Rent to Foreigners

If you have ever tried to rent an apartment in Japan as a foreigner and have been rejected because of your nationality, you may be surprised to learn that Japanese landlords face serious, long-term headwinds with respect to renting out... More

Yokohama Apartments for Rent: Top 5 Picks This Month for Living in Yokohama

For several years running, Yokohama has been voted by locals as one of the best places to live in the Greater Tokyo Area. This beautiful bayside city is very popular with foreign residents, who are drawn by its numerous international-standard... More

Tokyo Short Stay Apartments and Guest Houses: This Week’s Top 5 Picks

Sometimes you just need a place to hang your hat for a bit before you settle down into a more permanent situation…Here are our picks for the Top 5  Tokyo short stay apartments of the week, chosen from over 940 short stay apartments currently... More

LeoPalace21 Reveals Defects in Buildings Constructed in 2018: Another 3,700 Buildings Affected

In a fresh blow to its brand, LeoPalace 21, the operator of over 30,000 budget apartment units across Japan, announced on April 10th that it has uncovered shoddy construction in another 3,784 buildings, bringing the total number of buildings with... More

What percentage of apartments in Japan do not require a deposit and key money ?

In this article, we give an overview of the main move-in costs required for renting an apartment in Japan and how common it is for a deposit and key money to be a requirement. Of the move-in costs usually required... More