I currently live in a pre-arranged apartment so I have no experience in apartment hunting hence why I want to inquire for advice. There is no direct pressure for me to move right now and I can cancel my current housing arrangement on a monthly basis. However, I have a new job which dramatically improved my financial situation and now I want to move to a nicer place but more importantly, to a more convenient location for commuting to work.
Ideally, I want a 35-40m² 1LDK or 2(D)K apartment for around 120k a month, less than 45 minutes from Shinagawa station. Nothing too old or run down and nothing with Tatami. Is this a realistic expectation?
Is now a good time to look for a place or should I wait? What are some foreigner-friendly agencies/websites? My Japanese is good enough to talk to real estate agents but not enough to read and understand contracts and I prefer to not sign anything I can’t read. Also, any recommendations regarding areas/neighborhoods or any kind of general advice are also very welcome.
Thanks.
8 comments
There are loads of places that meet your requirements especially in Yokohama/Kawasaki but uhh if you’re not okay with signing contracts in Japanese I don’t think you’re going to find anything through the usual methods. That’s way past the line for “foreigner friendly”, like so far that you can’t even see the line anymore.
There are various websites you can use to browse available apartments/mansions that allow you to filter by station.
If you don’t wanna think about it at all just contact an agent. I used Gaijinpot.
Did you try asking Google first?
A 1LDK is possible for that price in Tokyo, but you would have to go to distant parts of Kawasaki to find a 2LDK. I’ll send you a DM.
If you’re wondering if your expectations are realistic check out SUUMO. You can search within a certain commute distance to x station (keep in mind I don’t think it includes walking time, only on the train time) and you can search by how many rooms you want, what size, what price, etc.
January-March is the highest demand season for moving though because most people start new jobs/go to school in April and move shortly before then. April-July is the lowest demand season so it would be best if you could wait until then
Typically, an agreement is finalized when clients sign and seal a written contract in Japanese, regardless of the client’s nationality.
I’m assuming you are seeking a scenario where the contract is written in a foreign language (i.e., English or any other language you may speak in your case).
From the Japanese laws’ point of view, you can sign and seal any contract with the Real State that is written in a foreign language and make an official agreement. However, whether it is valid or not is another story.
The translated document is only valid if the contents, order etc, everything matches the Japanese version. So, long story short, you will still need to trust your agent, bring a friend who can read Japanese natively or quasi-natively or you hire a translator/interpreter for this type of service, or lastly, you find an agency that has in-house translator/interpreter. Again, you will need to trust someone’s services.
If you look for a foreign-friendly agency, you will narrow down your choices and end up getting most likely the most expensive flats. I had an acquaintance who ended up signing a contract for a flat used for a year by the previous person. I asked him why he moved away after four months, and he said that he worked with a black-company agency. More specifically, there was this type of ”white ant”, termite (ã‚·ãƒã‚¢ãƒª in Japanese), which was a huge pain in his ass, not controllable through insecticides.
If I were you, I’d still get the quotation from Japanese Real State agencies to see their price range for the exact features you mentioned. Check which flats accept foreigners. That is the real ”foreign-friendly” definition to me.
Make sure to ask the agent the right questions. Say that you feel uncomfortable with reading Japanese and whether they provide a professional translator/interpreter services. If not, bring someone who can read Japanese, and pay for their lunch, dinner, coffee, drinks etc for helping you.
Wow, at that rate you have *many* options. Komazawa area is close-ish to Meguro, Shibuya etc, and probably only 30 minutes or so to Shinagawa.
Have you been here for a summer? You will appreciate tatami….
Visit a minimini real estate around shinjuku or shibuya