What’s next? Once you have a property you like, it’s time to introduce yourself and make an offer.
Firstly, you will need to submit an application form with your details (i.e. name, address, occupation, place of work, income, and an emergency contact person etc.) along with a copy of your identification (i.e. passport, Japan residence card, driver’s license etc.).
Secondly, this is when you would confirm the rental conditions and amount of rent, refundable deposit, key money you agree to. In other words, if you want to ask for a discount this is when we will negotiate a reasonable and realistic discount on your behalf. The owner will see your application and decide if they want to rent the property to you with the amount you offered. It is up to the owner whether they would agree to your offer, or to stick to the listed price.
When renting a property in Japan, in most cases you will be required to enroll in a rent guarantee policy. This is an insurance policy to protect the owner in case you miss monthly rent payment. Believe it or not, there are so many cases in Japan where the owner is not able to collect rent for months and years and yet not able to evict the tenant without going to court (costing money). This is why it is now a standard that tenants are required to enroll in said guarantee policy. Application and assessment for the property itself and the rent guarantee policy take place simultaneously when applying for rental property.
