Key money
reikin
A non-refundable payment to the landlord. It is common but many listings are zero-key-money.
Often 0-2 months of rent. Ask whether it can be reduced.
Settle in. Stay ready.
A survival guide for foreign residents who want to avoid expensive Japan mistakes.
Tasks
0/9
Next due
300 days
Move-in estimate
¥527,500
Check key money, guarantor fees, insurance, and whether rent fits your income.
Estimated cash before keys
¥527,500
Refundable estimate: ¥80,000
Non-refundable estimate: ¥447,500
Affordability
Monthly housing: ¥85,000
Rent-to-income: 30%
Tight budget
Key money
reikin
A non-refundable payment to the landlord. It is common but many listings are zero-key-money.
Often 0-2 months of rent. Ask whether it can be reduced.
Deposit
shikikin
Money held for unpaid rent or move-out deductions. Any remaining balance should be returned.
Often 0-2 months of rent. Ask for an itemized statement at move-out.
Agency fee
chukai tesuryo
Fee paid to the real estate agency for arranging the contract.
Often up to about 1 month of rent plus tax.
Guarantor company
hosho gaisha
A company that guarantees payment to the landlord if you do not pay. It protects the landlord, not you.
Often around 0.5-1 month upfront plus renewal or annual fees.
Fire insurance
kasai hoken
Insurance commonly required by rental contracts.
Often a fixed fee for the contract period. Confirm coverage and renewal timing.
Renewal fee
koshin-ryo
Fee charged when renewing some rental contracts, commonly every two years.
Confirm before signing. Some listings advertise no renewal fee.
Planned upgrades: salary ranges, city cost signals, and address lookup from trusted public data.
City, ward, and prefecture region lists plus statistics without user registration.
e-Stat APIOfficial labor/wage and housing datasets after issuing an app ID.
Japan Post postal-code APIPostal-code to address lookup, including kanji, kana, and romaji support.
Digital Agency address base registryOfficial address/location base data for future address normalization.