How much does it cost to move in?
In Japan, moving into an apartment often costs several months of rent before you even buy furniture. Enter your numbers to compare a studio apartment (1R or 1K) with a share house.
Studio apartment
¥565,500
to move in · ¥1,680,500 in the first year
Share house
¥120,000
to move in · ¥780,000 in the first year
With these numbers, a share house costs ¥445,500 less up front.
Breakdown
| Deposit (shikikin)1 month of rent. Part of it is usually returned when you move out. | ¥80,000 |
|---|---|
| Key money (reikin)1 month of rent. Not returned. | ¥80,000 |
| Agency fee100% of one month’s rent, plus 10% tax. | ¥88,000 |
| Guarantor company fee50% of one month’s rent plus the management fee. | ¥42,500 |
| Fire insuranceUsually covers 2 years. | ¥20,000 |
| Lock change | ¥20,000 |
| First month’s rentRent and management fee, paid in advance. | ¥85,000 |
| Furniture and appliancesMost apartments come without furniture. Set this to 0 if you already have it. | ¥150,000 |
| Total | ¥565,500 |
| Contract feeSome houses charge nothing. | ¥30,000 |
|---|---|
| DepositOften returned when you move out, minus cleaning costs. | ¥30,000 |
| First month’s rentRent and common fee, paid in advance. | ¥60,000 |
| Furniture and appliancesRooms and shared spaces are usually furnished. | ¥0 |
| Total | ¥120,000 |
The default values are typical examples, and every contract is different. This is an estimate, not a quote. The first-year total is the move-in cost plus 11 more months of rent and fees. For the studio, it also includes 12 months of utilities.
About the agency fee: under Japan’s rules for real estate agents, the total fee for renting a home is at most one month of rent plus tax. The agent can charge you more than half of that only if you agree to it.
Find a share house
Every share house on My Heya accepts inquiries in English.