How much is the initial cost for renting an apartment?
General guideline amount
The amount required to make a rental contract in Japan is generally 5 to 6 months of rent.
Actually, there is a possibility that it can be cheaper.
However, those who are unfamiliar with Japan or who do not have sufficient knowledge will be able to pay this amount.
What is the initial cost of rent?
This is the cost required when making a rental contract with real estate.
In this article, we have divided the initial costs into four types.
- “Advance payment of rent”
- “Basic items”
- “option”
- “Cost set by the landlord”
“Advance payment of rent”
It is common to pay in advance for one month after moving in. If you move in from the middle of the month instead of the beginning, you will have to pay the daily rent.
For example, if you move in on January 30, you will have to pay the rent for two days on the 30th and 31st and the rent for February in advance.
“Basic items”
This item is required for most properties.
Some properties may not be charged.
If you are billed for these items, you must “basically” pay.
Security deposit (しききん)
It`s for “Rent delinquency” and “repair costs in case of room damage.”
This is the money you will get back if you haven’t damaged or soiled your room when you move out.
But basically, you should think of it as non-returnable money.
This is because some contracts do not return this money after living for two years.
The market price is the rent for 1 to 2 months.
Gratitude money（れいきん）
It’s an old custom.
You give money to your landlord as a thank you for renting the room.
Recently, the number of properties that require gratitude money is decreasing.
The market price is the rent for 1 to 2 months.
Brokerage fee (ちゅうかい てすうりょう)
This is a fee for mediating the contract between the landlord and the renter.
Basically, it has been decided in past court trials that 0.5 months’ rent is appropriate.
But most real estate companies charge a month’s rent.
Guarantor Company（ほしょうがいしゃ かにゅうりょう）
The Guarantor company pays the rent to the landlord on behalf of the resident when the rent cannot be paid for some reason.
This money is the money you have to pay to the guarantor company.
The market price is 50% to 80% of the rent.
Fire insurance (かさいほけん)
The landlord requires the renter to pay for fire insurance. It is a must. (Basically)
In rare cases, the contractor must purchase fire insurance by himself.
In the case of an insurance company that`s introduced by a real estate, it costs 10,000 to 20,000 yen a year.
If you contract an insurance company yourself, there is a plan from 4000 yen.
“Option”
These services can be added depending on whether you need them.
Some properties or real estate may be charged without your consent at the time of initial cost billing.
Check your bill carefully.
Key replacement cost
The cost of installing a key that is different from the previous resident.
The market price is 10,000 to 15,000 yen for ordinary keys.
A special key costs about 40,000 yen at the highest.
House cleaning fee
There are two patterns of billing, before moving in and after moving out.
The market price changes depending on the plan of the real estate company.
- 1R and 1K properties for single living, approximately 30,000 to 40,000 yen.
- 1LDK to 2LDK for couples, about 40,000 to 70,000 yen.
- For families with 3LDK or more, 75,000 to 100,000 yen or more
If the cleaning company hasn’t cleaned it yet when you sign up, you can decline this item.
If it has already been cleaned, we cannot refuse it.
Indoor disinfection / antibacterial
Apply antibacterial paint to the wallpaper or spray it with a bactericidal spray.
The price is about 10,800 yen to 32,400 yen, which is high, and 16,200 yen is the most.
Pest control costs
It is the cost to exterminate and prevent cockroaches and mites.
Specifically, a cover is attached to fill the space between the pipe and the board, and spray insect repellent.
The market price is 10,000 to 30,000 yen.
Support service
The content depends on the real estate.
Most plans have the following contents.
- Emergency response when the key is lost.
- Responding to water leaks and clogging around water.
- Electricity and gas troubles.
- What to do if the glass breaks.
The market price is 15,000 to 20,000 yen with a two-year contract.
“Cost set by the landlord”
A special expense that the landlord has added specially.
They are repair contributions, etc.
Items that cannot be negotiated.
If you don’t like this cost, look for a different property.
How to reduce the initial cost
The initial cost amount in this article is the market price that the property will charge you first.
However, actually there are some items that can be cheaper by negotiation.
Many people don’t know that fact and just sign and pay for what the real estate claims.
You can check another article to see what items will be cheaper and how much they can be cheaper.
Summary
The quotes listed in this article are those if you did not negotiate anything.
The amount charged depends on the property and real estate.
Some real estate companies charge unreasonably high money in order to obtain high profits, so please understand these quotes well and approach the contract with knowledge.
Foreigners in particular may be charged a high amount of money because they do not know the market price.
I hope your room search will be successful.
