What is Key Money? What is Disinfection Fee? There are lots of move-in fees in Japan that are new to most foreigners. In this article, we will explain all the fees, and we'll give you tips on how to lower some of these fees.
When we receive an inquiry from a client we usually ask what their monthly budget is, but we also ask how much they have saved for moving. Why? Because in Japan, move-in fees are ridiculously expensive.
Normally, move-in fees are about 4 to 6 times the monthly rent. So if you are looking for a property with a monthly fee of about 100,000 JPY then you should expect to pay about 400,000 to 600,000 JPY for move-in fees.
However, if we know from the beginning that 200,000 JPY is how much you have saved for moving, then we can immediately cross off properties with a monthly fee of 100,000 JPY and instead look for properties with a lower monthly fee.
Another option is to look for properties with NO deposit or NO key money if you want to lower the move-in fees. At Rent 365 Tokyo, you can find lots of properties with NO deposit or NO key money. Looking for apartments with 1 or 2 months FREE rent is another way to lower the total move-in fees.
Contact our agent at Rent 365 Tokyo and tell us what your monthly and move-in budget is and we will help you find foreigner friendly properties that fit your price range. You can also browse our website and look for properties with NO deposit or NO key money. We are just one phone call away from helping you find your home away from home in Japan.
Contact Information
Homepage: rent365tokyo.com
Email: rent365tokyo@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +81 080-3177-5492
| Average Fee | Description | Tip |
Deposit (敷金) | 1~2 months rent | refundable fee paid to owner as collateral for rent obligations in case you default on payments or as collateral for repair costs in case you damage the property | choose properties with NO deposit if you want to lower the move-in fees. however, please note that most properties with NO deposit will require the cleaning fee upfront |
Key Money (礼金) | 1~2 months rent | non-refundable fee paid to owner as gratuity for allowing you to rent their property | choose properties with NO key money if you want to lower the move-in fees |
Commission Fee (仲介手数料) | 1 month rent + tax | fee paid to agent for helping you find and visit a property, explain the important matters of the contract, and supporting you with housing issues that arise after signing the contract | at Rent 365 Tokyo we let you choose how much you want to spend on commission fee. click HERE to learn more about our commission fee system |
Guarantor Fee (保証料) | 50~100% of rent and maintenance fee | fee paid to guarantor company for acting as your guarantor in case you default on payments or damage the property | |
Insurance Fee (保険料) | 15,000~40,000 JPY | fee paid to insurance company for coverage of fire, water, and theft. earthquake coverage is usually not included, but can be added for an extra fee | |
Key Change Fee (鍵の交換料) | 15,000~30,000 JPY | fee paid to mgmt company for changing the lock, which in turn will prevent the previous tenant from possibly entering your apartment or house | if you are not concerned about the possibility that the previous tenant may have a spare key, then ask if it is possible to leave the same lock and waive the key change fee. some mgmt companies will waive it while others will not |
Advance Rent and Maintenance Fee (前家賃と管理費) | 1 month rent and maintenance fee | fee paid to mgmt company. in japan, it is common to pay next month's rent and maintenane fee in advance at the time of the contract. so if you decide to move in on the 15th of september (which is my birthday), you will be required to pay half of rent and maintenance fee for the month of september plus one whole month of october's rent and maintenance fee at the time of the contract | |
Other Fees | | | |
Disinfection Fee (抗菌料) | 10,000~20,000 JPY | fee paid to mgmt company for exterminating pests as well as disinfecting and deodorizing the property before you move in | like key change fee, some mgmt companies will waive this fee if you ask while others will absolutely require that you pay this disinfection fee |
Application Fee (契約料) | 10,000~20,000 JPY | fee paid to mgmt company for drafting and printing the contract | |
Cleaning Fee | 30,000~ JPY | fee paid to mgmt company for cleaning the property after you vacate. cleaning fee is ususally deducted from deposit after you move out, but with most NO deposit properties you will be required to pay the cleaning fee at the time of the contract | |
Support Fee | 15,000~20,000 JPY | fee paid to mgmt company for supporting you 24 hours a day with any housing issues, such as lost key or water leakage | |
Comments