Renting in Japan: Prices, Contracts and Tips

For most Chinese newcomers, the surprise in Japan is not the monthly rent but the money due at signing: deposit (shikikin), key money (reikin), agent’s fee, guarantor-company fee and the first month’s rent. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) tells foreign renters to expect about four to seven months’ rent in total. In August 2026, the average asking rent for a studio apartment of 30 m² or less was about ¥114,000 a month in Tokyo’s 23 wards (about RMB 4,850), around ¥74,000 in Osaka and ¥66,000 in Fukuoka.

The good news is that Japan’s rules are clearly written. Agents’ fees are capped by law, the nature and return of deposits are spelled out in the Civil Code as revised in 2020, and tenants do not pay for normal wear and ageing. If you read the cost breakdown before signing, photograph the flat when you move in and push back at move-out, most disputes can be avoided.

Rent prices in Japan by city

The official benchmark is the Statistics Bureau’s Housing and Land Survey, run every five years. The 2023 survey put the national average rent for rented homes at ¥59,656 a month, 7.1% higher than in 2018. Private non-wooden buildings (apartment blocks) averaged ¥68,548 and private wooden ones ¥54,409. These figures cover every rented home in the country, including suburbs and older stock, so they are well below what new listings in big cities cost.

For what you will actually pay when searching now, portal data is more useful. The table below uses At Home’s August 2026 figures, which include rent plus management and common-area fees, the amount you pay each month. RMB values use the China Foreign Exchange Trade System central parity of 14 October 2026, ¥100 = RMB 4.2412, rounded.

At Home also reports that single-apartment rents in the 23 wards hit a new high in August 2026, the highest since its index began in January 2015, and that rents in Greater Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka were above last year’s level in every size band. On a tight budget, a single room in a wooden or light-steel “apaato” in the 23 wards averaged ¥77,438, noticeably cheaper than a mansion, though usually with worse sound and heat insulation.

Where Chinese residents live

Tokyo’s resident register counted 299,831 Chinese nationals (excluding Taiwan) on 1 January 2026. The wards with the most were Koto (20,585), Adachi (20,100), Shinjuku (19,778), Edogawa (18,429), Itabashi (18,167) and Toshima (17,077); Kita and Katsushika also have more than 14,000 each.

The numbers come from Tokyo’s statistics; the traits in the right-hand column are general impressions, not official findings. Outside Tokyo, Kawaguchi in Saitama (around Nishi-Kawaguchi) is often described as a Chinese community area, but we could not find verifiable current district figures. When choosing an area, commute time, budget and schools matter more; a large Chinese community means easier access to Chinese-language services, not cheaper or easier rentals.

Across Japan, the Immigration Services Agency reported 930,428 Chinese residents at the end of 2025, the largest foreign group. For visa types and the residence card, start with our Japan visa guide; for the big picture, go back to the Japan overview.

What you pay at signing: deposit, key money and agent’s fee

Japanese move-in costs have many line items with unfamiliar names. The table combines guidance from MLIT’s Apartment Search Guidebook, the Ministry of Justice and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government:

The agent’s fee cap comes from the fee notice under the Real Estate Brokerage Act. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government restated it on 11 March 2026 when it disciplined brokers, and advised tenants to confirm the fee before signing. If the “commission” plus “consulting” or “advertising” fees clearly exceed the cap, ask for a written explanation.

An illustrative example (worked from the fee rules, not a statistic): with ¥100,000 rent, one month’s deposit, one month’s key money, a 1.1-month agent’s fee, one month’s rent in advance and a 0.5-month guarantor fee, you pay about ¥460,000 (about RMB 19,500), before fire insurance and a lock change. That fits MLIT’s “four to seven months” estimate. The “one month deposit plus three months’ rent” pattern common in China does not really apply, so bring enough yen or funds you can transfer; see currency exchange and transfers from China.

Documents you need

According to MLIT’s guide for foreign renters, screening usually requires the documents below, and the agent will also ask about your name, job, household size, income, Japanese level and reason for moving:

If you are transferred by an employer, ask for employment and income certificates; see working in Japan. Since April 2020, an individual who guarantees a tenant’s future debts must have a maximum amount written into the guarantee, otherwise it is void. This has made personal guarantees more formal and guarantor companies more common.

Rental websites and the search process

The main Japanese rental portals are SUUMO, LIFULL HOME’S and At Home, which let you filter by station, commute time, rent and “foreigners welcome”. MLIT’s guide also points to the Anshin Net housing information system, which lists homes that accept foreign tenants. After picking a flat online, you normally go through a local real estate agent to reach the landlord, and many Chinese renters use Chinese-speaking agents. MLIT says it usually takes one to two weeks from application to moving in.

1. Shortlist onlineFilter by budget, commute and size
2. Contact an agent and viewViewings are free; you need not apply afterwards
3. ApplySubmit passport, residence card and proof of income
4. ScreeningLandlord, agent and guarantor company check you, usually 1–2 weeks
5. Explanation of important mattersThe agent explains the contract and fittings in person; make sure you understand before signing
6. Sign, pay, get keysPay move-in costs; each side keeps a copy of the contract
7. Register your address within 14 daysTake your residence card to the city or ward office

If you arrive without a flat, stay in a hotel or serviced apartment first and search on the ground; see our Japan accommodation guide. Note the Immigration Services Agency rule: mid- to long-term residents must register their address at the municipal office within 14 days of settling, and again within 14 days of moving into a new address. Bring your residence card.

Renting tips: contracts, renewal and leaving

The most common lease is the ordinary lease (futsu shakuya), usually for two years; unless the landlord has a justifiable reason, it can be renewed. A fixed-term lease (teiki shakuya) simply ends at expiry with no automatic renewal, and may be slightly cheaper. Before signing, check which type it is, whether there is a renewal fee, whether pets or extra occupants are allowed, and the repair terms at move-out.

To leave, you normally give one to two months’ written notice to the landlord and agent, as set in the contract. Fire insurance is usually required at signing; whether it covers your own furniture and appliances depends on the policy, and our Japan insurance guide explains the wider system. To see how rent fits into a monthly budget, read cost of living in Japan.

Getting your deposit back: the 2020 Civil Code revision

Article 622-2 of the revised Civil Code, in force since 1 April 2020, defines the deposit for the first time: whatever it is called, money handed to the landlord to secure rent and other lease debts is a deposit, and when the lease ends and the property is returned, the landlord must refund the balance after deducting what is owed. The revised Code also states that tenants are not obliged to restore normal wear and ageing.

MLIT’s reference material on the restoration guidelines (March 2023) explains how costs are split:

• Normal wear and ageing (such as sun-faded wallpaper or furniture dents) is the landlord’s cost, because it is covered by the rent;
• Damage from the tenant’s intent, negligence or misuse (graffiti, smoke stains, mould from ignored condensation) is the tenant’s cost;
• Even then, depreciation applies: wallpaper has a 6-year useful life, so after 4 years the tenant bears only about one-third;
• Tenants normally pay only for the minimum repair of the damaged part, not a whole room of wallpaper “to match the colour”.

Special clauses that add to the tenant’s burden are not automatically valid: MLIT’s guidance says they must be necessary and reasonable, and the tenant must understand and agree to them. In some regions (mainly Tokai, Kansai and Kyushu), “shikibiki” contracts deduct a fixed amount from the deposit at move-out, so ask before you sign.

Common scams and disputes, and how to avoid them

Rental-housing consultations registered in the National Consumer Affairs Center’s PIO-NET system numbered 13,273 in 2023, 13,312 in 2024 and 14,711 in 2025 (the counting method changed in February 2023). Under the earlier method, the Center’s February 2023 warning said restoration disputes accounted for about 13,000–14,000 consultations a year, roughly 40% of the more than 30,000 rental cases a year at the time, with typical cases including air-conditioner cleaning charges not in the contract and pre-existing floor scratches blamed on the tenant.

Rent or buy?

Most newcomers rent for the first two years and consider buying once they know the area and have a stable income; see buying property in Japan. Rental rules differ a lot even between neighbours; compare our South Korea renting guide.

FAQ

Can international students rent without a job in Japan?

Yes. MLIT’s list of screening documents includes a certificate of enrolment, and students usually use a guarantor company or have their school, relatives or friends act as guarantor. Screening may be stricter, so budget for the upfront costs.

Do I always have to pay one month’s rent as an agent’s fee?

No. The legal cap is 1.1 months’ rent including tax for landlord and tenant combined; for homes it is in principle 0.55 months per side, and an agent can charge you the full 1.1 months only with your consent obtained in advance. Ask before signing and compare agents.

How soon is the deposit returned?

Under the Civil Code the refund obligation arises when the property is returned; the exact timing depends on the contract. Ask for an itemised bill at move-out and challenge deductions for normal wear using MLIT’s guidelines.

Sources

1. MLIT: Support for foreign nationals looking for rental housing (Apartment Search Guidebook) (accessed October 2026)
2. MLIT: Apartment Search Guidebook (Chinese PDF) (accessed October 2026)
3. MLIT: Apartment Search Guidebook (Japanese PDF) (accessed October 2026)
4. Immigration Services Agency: Living support guide, housing chapter (public, UR and private rentals) (accessed October 2026)
5. MLIT: Reference material on the Guidelines on Restoration Disputes (March 2023) (accessed October 2026)
6. Ministry of Justice: Civil Code rules on leases changed from 1 April 2020 (accessed October 2026)
7. Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Administrative action against real estate brokers (11 March 2026) (accessed October 2026)
8. Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Rental Housing Trouble Prevention Guidelines (4th ed., Dec 2022) (accessed October 2026)
9. Immigration Services Agency: Notification of change of residence (mid- to long-term residents) (accessed October 2026)
10. Immigration Services Agency: Guidebook on Living and Working (accessed October 2026)
11. National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan: Rental housing consultations (updated 31 July 2026) (accessed October 2026)
12. National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan: Beware of restoration disputes in rental housing (1 Feb 2023) (accessed October 2026)
13. Statistics Bureau of Japan: 2023 Housing and Land Survey, basic tabulation summary (25 Sep 2024) (accessed October 2026)
14. At Home: Asking rents for rental apartments in major Japanese cities (August 2026) (accessed October 2026)
15. Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Foreign residents by municipality and nationality (1 Jan 2026) (accessed October 2026)
16. nippon.com: Foreign residents top 4 million (Immigration Services Agency data, 27 Mar 2026) (accessed October 2026)
17. UR Urban Renaissance Agency: UR rental housing (accessed October 2026)
18. Xinhua: RMB central parity rates (14 Oct 2026) (accessed October 2026)