Renting an apartment in Saitama as a foreign resident
Start with the line and station you will commute from; it narrows the search faster than anything else. From Saitama City you can reach central Tokyo on the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, the Utsunomiya and Takasaki lines (Ueno-Tokyo Line), the Shonan-Shinjuku Line, the Saikyo Line and the Saitama Rapid Railway, among others. One approach is to work back from the station nearest your office and pick a line with few transfers.
When you find a home you like, check the conditions and the move-in cost before you apply. You will usually need your residence card (zairyu card), your passport, a certificate of residence (juminhyo) if you already have an address in Japan, proof of income such as a withholding tax slip, pay stubs or a job offer letter, and your employer's details. If you have only just arrived and have no pay stubs yet, a job offer letter or employment contract is sometimes accepted instead. Some properties or guarantor companies ask for more.
Some properties require you to use a guarantor company, which charges a fee. Whether you also need a personal guarantor depends on the property, and you may be asked for an emergency contact in Japan. Conditions differ, so ask us about a specific home before you apply.
Move-in costs cover the deposit (shikikin), key money (reikin), the first month's rent, the agency fee, the guarantor fee, fire insurance, a lock change and similar items. Totals of around 4 to 6 months' rent are often quoted, but the total varies a lot with whether there is a deposit or key money. The deposit is settled and returned when you move out; key money is not returned. Our listings show each item and its amount, and we don't charge an application fee.
Before you sign, a licensed real estate transaction specialist explains the important terms of the lease. Leases usually run for two years, and whether there is a renewal fee or a renewal administration fee is written in the lease. With us, you can sign electronically.
After you move in, register your new address at the city or ward office. Each city sets its own garbage sorting rules and collection days; in Saitama City you can look up your area's days on the city website. In buildings we manage, our resident portal shows your collection days, a photo of the collection point and the emergency contact, and lets you issue your own proof of residence and proof of rent payment.
When you move out, give notice by the deadline in your lease; one month is common. Normal wear and tear and ageing are, as a rule, not charged to you (Civil Code Article 621). Any special terms, such as a cleaning fee, are written in the lease. In homes we manage, you or someone on your behalf can attend the move-out inspection, and you receive the photos compared against the move-in record. Restoration costs are split according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).
We work in English from your first message through the viewing and the contract explanation. Message us on a weekday between 9:00 and 18:00 and we'll reply within an hour.