When looking for a home in Japan, there can be a lot to consider. It can be unclear what different listings will actually charge, and how much you will need to pay when you move-in. Below, please find a breakdown of some different phrases you see, and what to keep track of when looking for homes.
家賃 (Yachin) – Rent
This is your basic monthly rental payment for the room or property itself. However, please note that this is rarely what your final monthly bill will be.
管理費・共益費 (Kanrihi・Kyoekihi) – Maintenance
In addition to rent, this monthly fee is usually called the maintenance fee. This fee covers upkeep of the building and is used for cleaning of the common areas and so on. It is almost always needed for any apartment building, but may not be needed for stand alone houses.
敷金 (Shikikin) – Deposit
The deposit is usually calculated based on the basic rent fee. It’s often listed as 1 to up to 3 months rent. This is paid to the management upfront, and then upon move-out any cleaning fees or damages are deducted from this total and the remainder is returned to you. Please note that if you have pets there may be additional deposit required other than what is listed at the top of a listing.
礼金 (Reikin) – Key Money
To put it simply, key money is a gift to the owner of the property. As with deposit this is calculated based on the basic rent fee and is typically 1-3 months rent. This money is paid at move-in and kept by the owner. No portion of this will be returned regardless of the condition of the house when leaving. While this kind of payment may be illegal in other parts of the world, it is a standard part of Japanese real estate and can be tough to avoid.
As with deposit, those with pets may be asked to pay an additional month’s rent in key money to allow for animals to be kept.
保証金(Hoshokin) – Deposit
While there are regional variations on how this is handled, for the most part this can be considered similar to the deposit above. The key difference between Hoshokin and Shikikin is that there is usually a set amount of the Hoshokin which will not be returning regardless of the condition at move-out. This will vary from property to property so please check when looking at a home.
敷引き・償却 (Shikibiki・Shokyaku) – Repayment
Related to the deposit above we have repayment. This is a set portion of the deposit which will not be returned regardless of the condition at move-out. This means that any fees at move-out, (cleaning, repairs, etc.) will only be charged if they exceed the repayment amount. As such this can be either good or bad for renters.
Generally speaking these are the items listed at the top of most Japanese real estate websites. However, there is one more fee that will always be needed for any standard rental property.
仲介手数料 (Chukai Tesuryo) – Agent Commission
This is the money which goes to the real estate agent. This covers their staffing fees and so on, to allow them to help you find a home. This is almost always one month’s rent plus 10% tax. Under Japanese law it may not exceed one-month’s rent, but some agents may charge less, or offer other incentives instead.
These are the basic fees that you can expect to encounter with any Japanese property, all of which will have an effect on your initial payment when signing a contract. However, there are other fees which may be needed as well, that will vary more from property to property.
While we will discuss these other fees later, for now, please keep an eye on the above when considering your budget and looking for a home.
