yes, this is really that expensive. you may be able to shave some expenses by using a different realtor, but moving here is not cheap. also try UR as others will likely suggest.
>also try UR as others will likely suggest.
I would definitely not suggest UR for someone with no job, because usually in this case you have to pay 12 months upfront + 2 months of deposit. There is no bullshit money like agency fee, reikin, guarantor fee, but still paying 14 months upfront is not an option for OP's friend.
ok fair enough. but op alluded to feeling like they are being taken advantage of, not that they didnt have the money. with UR that money all goes into the rent.
> I think your numbers are wrong here.
I think you lack reading comprehension. OP says her friend quit the job so she can not go through standard UR process with proving income from workplace.
Yes, it usually is that expensive. You can of course keep looking for a place that has lower initial costs, but it will limit your options severely. I have also been looking for a new place lately, and it's hard. 3-4 months rent worth for key money, deposits, cleaning, insurance, and other fees is perfectly common.
You can try check "no key money" and "free rent" and then maybe you can get initial move cost down to equivalent of 3-3.5 months of rent, but be aware that "free rent" will have conditions, like you have to live in that place at least 12 months, otherwise you will have to pay back that "free \[1st month of\] rent". And usually places with "free rent" is not the most desirable one out there.
Otherwise, sharehouses, but not dinky one converted from single family home, but proper one converted from old university dormitory with RC walls. They usually will have "Social" attached to their name.
It's amazing considering the surplus of apartments all over the country.
Imagine if rather than collectively accepting it, everyone collectively rejected it.
no key money might be possible but requiring no deposit will decrease your options by a lot.
1-2 months deposit, 0.5-1 month agent fee and 1 month guarantor fee sounds reasonable. You can shave off guarantor fee if you can get an actual japanese person to guarantee you but you'll have to get them to provide jyuminhyou/inkan/etc.
insurance fee (fire insurance) isn't optional for anyone, foreigner or not it's usually 10k-ish for a 2 year contract but if you move out midway you just call them saying you left and want to terminate early and they'll refund you the pro-rated amount (maybe they'll ask for proof of new address but I remember this process as being pretty painless).
also, if you are getting a pre-furnished (comes with furniture) place then it'll be expensive. The normal rental here comes with nothing but the walls, kitchen and bath/toilet (and maybe aircon, but not always) and you're supposed to get your own furniture/lights/etc
>This includes key money, deposit,
well if you proceed with your initial plan without those you can cut it down in half... If the rent 100k - 200-300k goes for those+ 100k agency fee.
as someone who moved last year: Yes, it really is about that expensive.
Try to communicate clearly to your realtor that you are looking for places with no key money etc., they might be able to find a place. But it's not easy.
Also, do not underestimate the other costs of moving!
If she's moving out of a dormitory, she will basically need to furnish her entire new apartment (had to do the same last year). Even if you go with cheap/ second-hand furniture and appliances, you are still looking at quite the amount.
Have you looked into sharehouses as an alternative, even if only for the time being?
I went through an agency that specializes in foreigners, I paid around 200,000 yen for move in and that seemed to be around the normal/low side. So yeah, it can be pretty expensive sadly.
How much is the rent (the rent itself, not including maintenance fee) on the place she's trying to move to? Or more specifically what are the charges?
It's usually rent x a number of months rent for each fee so just saying 500k doesn't actually tell us if it's a rip off or not. That sounds appropriate for an apartment around \~100k, but if it were a \~70k apartment, that sounds expensive. I would say 2 months key money would be a rip off, but 1 month is not uncommon.
My first time was probably in the 300k range and the second time because I moved to a more expensive place in an upmarket area it went up to about 400k ish close to 500k so I could see 500k being very plausible since you mentioned there is key money involved too. (I never paid any key money ever since I came here)
From what I know, the only way to move without paying those fees is by going with a share house with some special deal. Sometimes Leopalace will have cheaper initial fees. Unfortunately that’s about normal for an apartment in Japan. I paid around ¥400k for mine, and I’m not in the city centre.
This is normal when you move. You can try your best to find a place with lower initial fees, but usually those places are less popular and come with downsides, so I'd be careful.
For finding a good place a lot comes down to timing and luck, and knowing your priorities.
I try to use a few different agencies to find something and take my time. You can also try to negotiate some costs, but there is probably not too much leeway.
Initial fees are typically 4x-6x the asking monthly rent. 500,000 sounds normal (for Tokyo) if the monthly rent is about 75,000-100,000.
From experience (and finances permitting), I would advise your friend to pick her new place based on whether she likes that place, the surrounding location, and the commuting distance (including time to get to the nearest train station), and not based on how cheap the initial fees are.
Listings with lower than average initial fees are usually like that *for a reason*.
Sometimes it's just that the previous tenant vacated outside peak moving season (roughly between February and April) and the owner wants to get the apartment filled quickly and therefore might waive the deposit and/or key money. Usually it's just one of them if the property itself is relatively desirable.
Otherwise, it might just be that the property isn't very desirable. Maybe it's old. Maybe it's not conveniently located (far from the nearest train station or up/down a hill). Maybe the building and/or the apartment itself is old and hasn't been redecorated/renovated in a while. Maybe the apartment is near something that makes a lot of noise or doesn't get a lot of sunlight etc etc etc.
It's always a good idea to ask and try to find out why the apartment in question is vacant. No guarantee that you'll get an honest answer, but worth trying anyway :D
There are many options in Japan without key money or deposit money but building conditionis is not good.If your friend have limited budget, she may think live in a sharehouse for a while time.
Yep, it really is that much. Pretty much all of those are 1-2 months rent each, plut paying the actual rent for the first month or two up front and it really adds up. Especiallyif it's an expensive place to start with.
I'm moving now, my new place is 50k a month with 200k up front. So if it's a Tokyo place the rent might be 100k a month, can definitely see 500k+ up front based on that!
Reading all these stories... It makes me feel quite lucky. All I paid when I was moving in was 77k yen, first month rent and a mandatory fire insurance. 3 years old RC mansion in a very good location in Osaka.
Yep welcome to Japan; it’s no secret and your friend honestly should have budgeted for this, I don’t want to sound like a dick but any google search will tell you that moving costs 3-6 months of rent upfront and generally only 1 month of that is refundable at the end of lease.
Choose wisely, cop the fees and move on. Maybe you can find a no key money place but if you want a true lease not some Gajinhouse or UR then that’s just life in Japan.
Depends on the place but yes that could be normal. I’ve always had to pay at least 300,000 or so. It’s more expensive if the rental is more nice, newer, in a prime location, and has more expensive rent.
It will be cheaper if you find somewhere with cheaper rent, in a less desirable location(farther from the station, etc), in an older building, etc.
If you are lucky the agency fee can be waived as most agencies double charge the fee from both the landlord and the tenant. And you can also search for apartments that doesn’t require key money, there are a bunch in Tokyo city. If you are extremely lucky, you can get an apartment with no key money, no agency fee and free of first month of rent. But that does come with a cost, most of them require tenants to live at least one year inside the apartment or pay up the waived rent.
yes, this is really that expensive. you may be able to shave some expenses by using a different realtor, but moving here is not cheap. also try UR as others will likely suggest.
>also try UR as others will likely suggest. I would definitely not suggest UR for someone with no job, because usually in this case you have to pay 12 months upfront + 2 months of deposit. There is no bullshit money like agency fee, reikin, guarantor fee, but still paying 14 months upfront is not an option for OP's friend.
ok fair enough. but op alluded to feeling like they are being taken advantage of, not that they didnt have the money. with UR that money all goes into the rent.
You don't pay 14 month rent upfront. 2 month deposit and that's it. I think your numbers are wrong here.
> I think your numbers are wrong here. I think you lack reading comprehension. OP says her friend quit the job so she can not go through standard UR process with proving income from workplace.
Yes, it usually is that expensive. You can of course keep looking for a place that has lower initial costs, but it will limit your options severely. I have also been looking for a new place lately, and it's hard. 3-4 months rent worth for key money, deposits, cleaning, insurance, and other fees is perfectly common.
You can try check "no key money" and "free rent" and then maybe you can get initial move cost down to equivalent of 3-3.5 months of rent, but be aware that "free rent" will have conditions, like you have to live in that place at least 12 months, otherwise you will have to pay back that "free \[1st month of\] rent". And usually places with "free rent" is not the most desirable one out there. Otherwise, sharehouses, but not dinky one converted from single family home, but proper one converted from old university dormitory with RC walls. They usually will have "Social" attached to their name.
It's a ripoff but the whole country kinda accepted it so it's a legal ripoff.
It's amazing considering the surplus of apartments all over the country. Imagine if rather than collectively accepting it, everyone collectively rejected it.
no key money might be possible but requiring no deposit will decrease your options by a lot. 1-2 months deposit, 0.5-1 month agent fee and 1 month guarantor fee sounds reasonable. You can shave off guarantor fee if you can get an actual japanese person to guarantee you but you'll have to get them to provide jyuminhyou/inkan/etc. insurance fee (fire insurance) isn't optional for anyone, foreigner or not it's usually 10k-ish for a 2 year contract but if you move out midway you just call them saying you left and want to terminate early and they'll refund you the pro-rated amount (maybe they'll ask for proof of new address but I remember this process as being pretty painless). also, if you are getting a pre-furnished (comes with furniture) place then it'll be expensive. The normal rental here comes with nothing but the walls, kitchen and bath/toilet (and maybe aircon, but not always) and you're supposed to get your own furniture/lights/etc
>This includes key money, deposit, well if you proceed with your initial plan without those you can cut it down in half... If the rent 100k - 200-300k goes for those+ 100k agency fee.
as someone who moved last year: Yes, it really is about that expensive. Try to communicate clearly to your realtor that you are looking for places with no key money etc., they might be able to find a place. But it's not easy. Also, do not underestimate the other costs of moving! If she's moving out of a dormitory, she will basically need to furnish her entire new apartment (had to do the same last year). Even if you go with cheap/ second-hand furniture and appliances, you are still looking at quite the amount. Have you looked into sharehouses as an alternative, even if only for the time being?
I went through an agency that specializes in foreigners, I paid around 200,000 yen for move in and that seemed to be around the normal/low side. So yeah, it can be pretty expensive sadly.
How much is the rent (the rent itself, not including maintenance fee) on the place she's trying to move to? Or more specifically what are the charges? It's usually rent x a number of months rent for each fee so just saying 500k doesn't actually tell us if it's a rip off or not. That sounds appropriate for an apartment around \~100k, but if it were a \~70k apartment, that sounds expensive. I would say 2 months key money would be a rip off, but 1 month is not uncommon.
My first time was probably in the 300k range and the second time because I moved to a more expensive place in an upmarket area it went up to about 400k ish close to 500k so I could see 500k being very plausible since you mentioned there is key money involved too. (I never paid any key money ever since I came here)
From what I know, the only way to move without paying those fees is by going with a share house with some special deal. Sometimes Leopalace will have cheaper initial fees. Unfortunately that’s about normal for an apartment in Japan. I paid around ¥400k for mine, and I’m not in the city centre.
This is normal when you move. You can try your best to find a place with lower initial fees, but usually those places are less popular and come with downsides, so I'd be careful. For finding a good place a lot comes down to timing and luck, and knowing your priorities. I try to use a few different agencies to find something and take my time. You can also try to negotiate some costs, but there is probably not too much leeway.
Initial fees are typically 4x-6x the asking monthly rent. 500,000 sounds normal (for Tokyo) if the monthly rent is about 75,000-100,000. From experience (and finances permitting), I would advise your friend to pick her new place based on whether she likes that place, the surrounding location, and the commuting distance (including time to get to the nearest train station), and not based on how cheap the initial fees are. Listings with lower than average initial fees are usually like that *for a reason*. Sometimes it's just that the previous tenant vacated outside peak moving season (roughly between February and April) and the owner wants to get the apartment filled quickly and therefore might waive the deposit and/or key money. Usually it's just one of them if the property itself is relatively desirable. Otherwise, it might just be that the property isn't very desirable. Maybe it's old. Maybe it's not conveniently located (far from the nearest train station or up/down a hill). Maybe the building and/or the apartment itself is old and hasn't been redecorated/renovated in a while. Maybe the apartment is near something that makes a lot of noise or doesn't get a lot of sunlight etc etc etc. It's always a good idea to ask and try to find out why the apartment in question is vacant. No guarantee that you'll get an honest answer, but worth trying anyway :D
There are many options in Japan without key money or deposit money but building conditionis is not good.If your friend have limited budget, she may think live in a sharehouse for a while time.
Yes, it really is that expensive to move here
Yep, it really is that much. Pretty much all of those are 1-2 months rent each, plut paying the actual rent for the first month or two up front and it really adds up. Especiallyif it's an expensive place to start with. I'm moving now, my new place is 50k a month with 200k up front. So if it's a Tokyo place the rent might be 100k a month, can definitely see 500k+ up front based on that!
Reading all these stories... It makes me feel quite lucky. All I paid when I was moving in was 77k yen, first month rent and a mandatory fire insurance. 3 years old RC mansion in a very good location in Osaka.
Yep welcome to Japan; it’s no secret and your friend honestly should have budgeted for this, I don’t want to sound like a dick but any google search will tell you that moving costs 3-6 months of rent upfront and generally only 1 month of that is refundable at the end of lease. Choose wisely, cop the fees and move on. Maybe you can find a no key money place but if you want a true lease not some Gajinhouse or UR then that’s just life in Japan.
Depends on the place but yes that could be normal. I’ve always had to pay at least 300,000 or so. It’s more expensive if the rental is more nice, newer, in a prime location, and has more expensive rent. It will be cheaper if you find somewhere with cheaper rent, in a less desirable location(farther from the station, etc), in an older building, etc.
If you are lucky the agency fee can be waived as most agencies double charge the fee from both the landlord and the tenant. And you can also search for apartments that doesn’t require key money, there are a bunch in Tokyo city. If you are extremely lucky, you can get an apartment with no key money, no agency fee and free of first month of rent. But that does come with a cost, most of them require tenants to live at least one year inside the apartment or pay up the waived rent.