Renting an apartment in Japan as a foreigner: steps, documents and up-front costs

Yes, renting an apartment in Japan as a foreigner is routine. You need your residence card (在留カード) or passport, proof of income or enrollment, and almost always a guarantor or a guarantor company (保証会社). Expect to pay about 4 to 7 months’ rent at signing, and about 1 to 2 weeks from application to keys. These figures come from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省, MLIT), as of October 2026.

MLIT publishes an official Apartment Search Guidebook (部屋探しのガイドブック) in 14 languages, including English, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog and Indonesian. It is free, and you can point to passages at the agent’s counter. Most of this guide follows it.

How do I rent an apartment in Japan as a foreigner?

The process is the same for everyone. What changes for you is the screening, the guarantor and, often, language.

1. Search. Use property websites or walk into local agents. Agents post listings outside their offices, which gives you a feel for local rents. MLIT runs the Safety Net Housing site (セーフティネット住宅, Japanese only), which lists housing that accepts foreign tenants. For English-language portals and agents, see our guide to foreigner-friendly real estate agents.

2. Visit the agent. The agent will usually ask your name, job, who will live with you, your income, your Japanese ability and why you are moving. You may fill in an application the same day, so take your ID. If your Japanese is limited, MLIT suggests bringing someone who speaks it well. Some local governments and companies offer staff who go with you.

3. View. Viewing is free. Check the kitchen, air-conditioning and space for a fridge and washing machine. You don’t have to apply if you don’t like it.

4. Apply. Submit the tenant application and screening documents (below). This is where you name a guarantor or agree to use a guarantor company.

5. Screening. The agent, landlord and guarantor company check your application. If you pass, you can sign.

6. Contract and payment. Before you sign, the agent must explain the important points of the contract. Listen, and ask about anything unclear. Then you sign and pay, usually in cash or by bank transfer.

7. Keys. Ideally walk through the unit with the agent. Note damage, take dated photos and test the equipment. This protects your deposit when you move out.

What documents do I need for the screening (審査)?

MLIT’s checklist for the tenancy screening includes:

• To prove who you are: passport and residence card.
• To prove work or study: certificate of employment, certificate of school attendance, or your permission to work outside your status (資格外活動許可) if you work part-time on a student visa.
• To prove income: tax withholding slip (源泉徴収票), salary details, certificate of tax payment, or last year’s tax return.
• If you haven’t started work yet: a certificate of planned salary from your employer.
• Other: bank remittance records, a scholarship certificate, or a copy of your bank passbook showing savings.

If you use a personal guarantor instead of a company, they also provide proof of income and a seal registration certificate (印鑑登録証明書).

Do I need a guarantor to rent in Japan?

In practice, yes: MLIT says a personal guarantor or a guarantor company is necessary when you sign a lease in Japan. A guarantor (連帯保証人) is a person with enough income who pays if you don’t. Most foreign residents don’t have one, so they use a guarantor company instead.

A guarantee company is not insurance. If it pays rent on your behalf, it bills you for it later. MLIT lists registered guarantee companies that offer foreign-language support (53 entries as of September 30, 2026). We compare the main ones in guarantor companies in Japan.

How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Japan?

MLIT’s rule of thumb is 4 to 7 months’ rent due at signing. Here is what that money is.

Example: an apartment at ¥80,000 a month

This is our arithmetic using the figures above, not a quote:

• Deposit, 2 months: ¥160,000
• Key money, 1 month: ¥80,000
• Agent fee at the legal cap for the tenant, 0.55 month: ¥44,000
• Guarantee fee, half a month: ¥40,000
• One month’s rent in advance: ¥80,000

That is ¥404,000, about 5 months’ rent, before insurance, the common service fee and any other charges on the estimate. In Tokai, Kansai and Kyushu you may also see a fixed non-refundable part of the deposit (敷引き).

What is the legal cap on the agent fee?

Under MLIT’s fee notice for licensed real estate agents (宅建業法 報酬告示, last amended June 21, 2024):

• The agent can receive at most 1.1 months’ rent including tax in total for brokering a lease, from landlord and tenant combined.
• For a home, the agent can charge you at most 0.55 months’ rent including tax, unless you agreed to more when you asked them to find the apartment.

MLIT’s guidebook simply says the agent fee is “within 1 month rent”. The fee notice is the legal rule. If an estimate shows a full month, ask whether you agreed to that and when.

What is the difference between a regular and a fixed-term lease?

Before you sign, ask which kind of contract it is.

If you plan to stay for years, a regular lease gives you more security, because it renews unless the landlord has a justifiable reason.

What is a renewal fee (更新料)?

A regular lease normally runs for 2 years. Many contracts include a special clause requiring a renewal fee to the landlord when you renew. MLIT does not set an amount: it is whatever your contract says, so check the clause before you sign.

What should I check before signing?

MLIT suggests confirming:

• regular or fixed-term lease
• deposit, key money and any 敷引き
• whether there is a renewal fee, and how much
• whether the application fee is refunded if the contract doesn’t happen
• rules on pets, redecorating and people living with you (undeclared co-occupants can lead to eviction)
• how the deposit is settled at move-out, and the notice period, usually 1 to 2 months in writing

At move-out, you pay for damage you caused, not for normal wear and tear or aging. MLIT’s English restoration guide gives examples. A key replacement when the key wasn’t lost or damaged is the landlord’s cost. Your contract can still add special clauses, such as professional cleaning, so read them.

Is there an option with no guarantor and no key money?

UR rental housing (UR賃貸住宅), run by the public Urban Renaissance Agency, advertises no key money, no agent fee, no renewal fee and no guarantor. UR’s English pamphlet (information as of September 2022) says you pay a 2-month deposit plus the first month’s prorated rent and common fee. Foreign nationals must meet UR’s residency conditions and an income standard. Details are in our foreigner-friendly agents guide.

Next steps

• Choose a guarantor company: guarantor companies compared
• Get insurance: renters’ fire insurance
• Pay rent from a Japanese account: bank accounts for foreigners
• Renewing your residence card while renting: visa renewal in Japan

If you have a problem with a contract, the deposit or fees, MLIT points to the foreign resident consultation desks of local governments and international exchange associations. We describe the general rules and can’t give advice on your contract.