Hi all,
Myself and a friend are thinking of moving to a very convenient apartment. However, because we’re both international students, the leasing company changed the deposit amount of the listing from 1 months to 2 months. According to the agent we’re working with, we can get the deposit back after we finish the contract after they deduct cleaning fees or if we don’t damage the property. In your experiences, what are the odds of actually receiving this back?
P.S. if it comes down to it it would be money we’d be willing to depart with. We’re also going to be taking a camera roll of pictures regardless of where we move to.
7 comments
It really depends on the landlord, and based on what I’ve seen in this subreddit, the landlords of cheaper rentals are worse. Always take photos when you move in and submit a list of damages, even if they don’t request one. Then, when moving out, ask for an itemized list of any fees they are charging.
Personally, I have never had an issue getting back what is fair. My first rental I got all but the contract cleaning fee (~20k) back and in my second rental I got all minus the cleaning and damages by my dog (~100k) back.
Is the company you’re renting from a larger company? When I had my move out inspection, they were not too picky at all. The whole thing was done in like 10 minutes. I cleaned as best I could, but there was obviously still work to be done in the bathroom and closet areas. I think it was helpful that the electricity was cancelled before hand, so when they came it was completely empty lol. I got my full deposit back.
This was my second move, and I think as long as there are no obvious issues like holes in the wall, etc., you’ll have a good shot of getting it back if the landlord/company isn’t ridiculous. That being said, I did have to contact them a few times. At move out in November, they said I would receive my refund my the end of December. I got it back mid-January after a couple of times contacting them.
Whenever you pay a “deposit” in Japan, bank on getting zero back. Treat anything you do get back as an unexpected bonus.
You’re not getting a deposit back. It’s the same deal as the US. They make it seem like a deposit, but it’s definitely just a fee. No matter how pristine your apartment is, you’re not gonna get a deposit back
Depends on your landlord. In my last two places, we’ve cleaned *very* thoroughly when moving out, and one (a small apartment, if that matters) gave us zero while the other (largeish mansion) returned most of the deposit.
The odds are slim to none.
If you’re renting an UR apartment you will get it back.\
Else, they will deduct cleaning fees, damage fees, and bullshit fees. In worst case, they will say that the deposit wasn’t enough to cover the cleaning and damage and will make you pay more money.
So far I have moved 5 times within Japan. Every time, I’ve got some (or most) of my deposit back.
Key points…
1. Take photos
2. Make sure to complete the “pre-existing damage” form and take a copy of that
3. Complete the walkthrough at the end with the checklist and photos and remind them of each area that was already damaged
They may still try to screw you, but the odds are better if you’re prepared. As for cleaning, I’d do a full wipe down but don’t spend a lot of money yourself as they will “get a cleaning company in” which should have been included in your contract.
Finally, there is a document from the Tokyo government which hints at what can or cannot be deducted from deposits but I’m on mobile at work so can’t get to it right now.
As someone else mentioned, assume you’re not getting it back and then you have a nice bonus when you do!