Gf(japanese) was told by the real estate agency we where denied a lease because I am japanese. Her parents were even the guarantor. Would it be worth sueing?
Edit: The amount of people on this subreddit that are ok with racism is disgusting.
There are fights worth fighting and other that amount to throwing a peeble in the lake.
But if you have a lot of peeble, who are we to prevent you?
I’m a doctor and my partner is Japanese we got denied almost everywhere. Eventually just started lying that we were prepared to file a 結婚届 that did the trick. One place lied to us and said it was a credit problem and that spiraled us into an unnecessary panic over that. My Italian friend is *married* to a Japanese doctor and they got denied at 7 out of the 8 places they applied.
Welcome to Japan, this is legal, suing will do nothing, move on to the next place.
Edit: If there is no legal means to challenge it and there is no penalty for the offending party then it may not be legal, but it is in effect. That’s semantics. Not a good thing and it sucks to deal with, but it’s really not going to change as long as there are people who skip out on bills and leave places trashed.
Ask your girlfriend. She’ll probably say no. I’m don’t think it’s even against the law here.
Happened to me and my Japanese wife a few times.
Sure, sue away. But know that the Japanese legal system doesn’t allow punitive damages. So if you win you would just get…train fare?
I see you just arrived.
Being denied apartment for being a foreign is pretty normal here.
If you’re not looking for fancy apartment, try UR apartment. It’s cheaper, no bs fees, no guarantor, no renew fee. And you don’t get denied for being a gaijin.
Stop wasting your time. Next time you go to, or call a real estate agency you should open the conversation by requesting that they only show you apartments that accept foreigners (make sure they actually call the owner to check it).
There is always going to be places wanting your money, so focus your time and energy on that.
If they don’t want to rent to foreigners, it’s within their rights. I don’t like it as well, but it’s their loss anyway. If you follow what I said above, I guarantee you are gonna find a place very soon.
Why would you waste your time?
A lot of people telling you not to sue. But if you have the money, why not? You might do the rest a favor. Will you get a windfall? Unlikely. But like any legal question, you should ask a lawyer not reddit.
Sue them because they denied their services? Are you american or something? Lol.
“The Fair Housing Act [of the US] covers most housing. In very limited circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agent, and housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.”
Even in the US, it is possible to deny housing to an individual of a different “group” so long as there is no larger pattern of discrimination. In other words, for landlords working on a very small scale, renting out a garage apartment or something, they can pick who they want to live there according to whatever (unstated) demented standard they want. That kind of apartment usually goes to an acquaintance or family member anyway.
The key issue with Japan is that the vast majority of apartments and houses are owned by an old person who owns one or two properties for retirement income and is terrified of having to deal with someone in English. Suing this kind of person would be counterproductive, since many of them are gradually starting to allow foreign tenants anyway. They can be convinced by a good example in the neighborhood.
If you want to make a useful lawsuit, you would have to sue one of the management companies that gives prospective Japanese tenants the option to live in a building that does not allow foreigners. And you would never see that button or be given access to that choice, so you would have no way of demonstrating that you are damaged by such a policy.
If you have the time and resources, I say go for it.
I am Japanese but usually get turned down because I have no family, am self-employed and have 3 cats. So I always send an email first and ask if they can rent a room on my condition.
I have never asked them why they refused, but maybe because I am Japanese?
Good luck with the trial.
Going around and suing companies for denying services because you are not Japanese is not the best idea. I run my own business just outside of Nagasaki, if I don’t like you, I ain’t building you shit. Also remember that many locals understand English when they hear it, so if you are being nit-picky, complaining about shit and having a superiority complex, they will not wanna deal with you.
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You must be new here.
Do you mean ‘because I am *not* Japanese’?
Probably not worth suing.
How to spot the American:
>Would it be worth sueing?
Waste of time and energy.
There are fights worth fighting and other that amount to throwing a peeble in the lake.
But if you have a lot of peeble, who are we to prevent you?
I’m a doctor and my partner is Japanese we got denied almost everywhere. Eventually just started lying that we were prepared to file a 結婚届 that did the trick. One place lied to us and said it was a credit problem and that spiraled us into an unnecessary panic over that. My Italian friend is *married* to a Japanese doctor and they got denied at 7 out of the 8 places they applied.
Welcome to Japan, this is legal, suing will do nothing, move on to the next place.
Edit: If there is no legal means to challenge it and there is no penalty for the offending party then it may not be legal, but it is in effect. That’s semantics. Not a good thing and it sucks to deal with, but it’s really not going to change as long as there are people who skip out on bills and leave places trashed.
Ask your girlfriend. She’ll probably say no. I’m don’t think it’s even against the law here.
Happened to me and my Japanese wife a few times.
Sure, sue away. But know that the Japanese legal system doesn’t allow punitive damages. So if you win you would just get…train fare?
I see you just arrived.
Being denied apartment for being a foreign is pretty normal here.
If you’re not looking for fancy apartment, try UR apartment. It’s cheaper, no bs fees, no guarantor, no renew fee. And you don’t get denied for being a gaijin.
Stop wasting your time. Next time you go to, or call a real estate agency you should open the conversation by requesting that they only show you apartments that accept foreigners (make sure they actually call the owner to check it).
There is always going to be places wanting your money, so focus your time and energy on that.
If they don’t want to rent to foreigners, it’s within their rights. I don’t like it as well, but it’s their loss anyway. If you follow what I said above, I guarantee you are gonna find a place very soon.
Why would you waste your time?
A lot of people telling you not to sue. But if you have the money, why not? You might do the rest a favor. Will you get a windfall? Unlikely. But like any legal question, you should ask a lawyer not reddit.
Sue them because they denied their services? Are you american or something? Lol.
“The Fair Housing Act [of the US] covers most housing. In very limited circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agent, and housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.”
Even in the US, it is possible to deny housing to an individual of a different “group” so long as there is no larger pattern of discrimination. In other words, for landlords working on a very small scale, renting out a garage apartment or something, they can pick who they want to live there according to whatever (unstated) demented standard they want. That kind of apartment usually goes to an acquaintance or family member anyway.
The key issue with Japan is that the vast majority of apartments and houses are owned by an old person who owns one or two properties for retirement income and is terrified of having to deal with someone in English. Suing this kind of person would be counterproductive, since many of them are gradually starting to allow foreign tenants anyway. They can be convinced by a good example in the neighborhood.
If you want to make a useful lawsuit, you would have to sue one of the management companies that gives prospective Japanese tenants the option to live in a building that does not allow foreigners. And you would never see that button or be given access to that choice, so you would have no way of demonstrating that you are damaged by such a policy.
If you have the time and resources, I say go for it.
I am Japanese but usually get turned down because I have no family, am self-employed and have 3 cats. So I always send an email first and ask if they can rent a room on my condition.
I have never asked them why they refused, but maybe because I am Japanese?
Good luck with the trial.
Going around and suing companies for denying services because you are not Japanese is not the best idea. I run my own business just outside of Nagasaki, if I don’t like you, I ain’t building you shit. Also remember that many locals understand English when they hear it, so if you are being nit-picky, complaining about shit and having a superiority complex, they will not wanna deal with you.