Hello. I have two straightforward questions, and I would appreciate if someone could answer them. Thanks in advance.
**INTRO**
I am about to have my first child. I plan to invite my mom on a short-term visa ( a tourist visa) to help us during the first couple of weeks.
**My questions are:**
1. Do I need to inform my landlord about the birth of the child and get their permission for it to legally live in our house?
2. Do I need to get permission from my landlord for my mom to be able to stay with us for a couple of weeks? Or is it better just to shut up about it and see if it will slide?
Thanks in advance.
32 comments
I don’t tell my landlord anything, but that’s me.
1) Yes, since there will be another family member officially living at your address. It’s not a permission thing though, they can’t refuse to let your newborn child to live with you
2) No need to inform, but as general manners it would be a good thing to do just so that they know your mother isn’t suspicious or you aren’t operating an illegal AirBnb
1.) Uhm no, but check your contract to be sure. What are they gonna do? Say no?
2.) Honestly this one is tricky, you should be fine in my opinion not telling anyone. A few weeks especially is fine IMO. if its months then maybe. I feel its the same as having a friend over if its just a few weeks.
IMO better to tell your neighbors and apologize for noise baby will make. maybe some modest treats with a note will work too. I did this just as a kind gesture.
1- yes. https://mama.chintaistyle.jp/article/rent-when-a-child-is-born/ (edit: not sure if they can evict you though, without following the correct legal process. But you do need to notify them)
2- maybe. Depends on your rental agreement for having guests stay for a longer period.
Don’t know the legal answer so don’t quote me on this.
We didn’t notify the landlord officially in either case. However our daughter is almost four now and they live in the same building so surely they’ve realized and don’t care 😂
My mom came for a month and we didn’t notify the landlord either. Maybe they noticed maybe they didn’t…but we didn’t cause any trouble so no one cared.
Whatever the rules are as long as you don’t cause anyone any trouble it probably won’t become an issue…just my experience anyway.
No, no.
Congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family! When it comes to your questions about having a child in Japan and inviting your mom to stay, here’s some information that might help.
In Japan, you generally don’t need to inform your landlord about the birth of a child or get their permission for your child to live in your rented house or apartment. Having a child is considered a natural part of family life, and it doesn’t typically require any special permission from your landlord. However, it’s always a good practice to maintain open communication with your landlord about important matters.
If you plan to have your mom stay with you for a couple of weeks, it’s a good idea to check your lease agreement or rental contract. Some rental agreements may have clauses specifying the maximum number of occupants or guests and the duration of their stay. If there are specific rules or restrictions in your lease agreement, you should abide by them.
That said, many landlords might not be overly concerned about short-term visits from family members, especially if they don’t cause any disturbances or issues. It might be better to inform your landlord about your mom’s visit to maintain transparency and avoid any potential misunderstandings.
It’s important to be respectful of the terms of your lease and ensure that your mom’s visit doesn’t violate any of its provisions. If you’re unsure about your lease terms or have concerns, you could consider discussing it with your landlord or seeking legal advice.
Specific rules and practices may vary depending on your rental agreement, the city or prefecture you live in, and your landlord’s policies, so it’s always a good idea to refer to your lease agreement and communicate openly with your landlord to avoid any issues.
1) When I moved with my man, I had to register myself at the office from which we rent our apartment. Just had to put my infos on a paper and that was it. You should probably contact your landlord to notify the arrival of a new resident I guess?
2) For just a few weeks, I would say no. If someone asks you directly who she is, just explain your situation and say they are there just for some holidays.
Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission…
I wouldn’t. We added the child on at next contract renewal, was fine.
You’re being too considerate. This is a case where you want to be the ignorant gaijin.
I never asked my landlord anything when a friend stayed with me for 2 months. Or my gf moved in with me. Or my family stayed a month. Or my son was born. All different landlords btw.
Never was asked anything, never said anything.
No and no. I know there a bunch of super anxious people on this sub but in Japan you should never ask for permission unless it’s absolutely necessary.
By asking for permission you’re very likely to get a no (no is the default answer to everything here) just because you’re asking and it’s putting people in a spot where they’re responsible for giving you permission and no one wants to be that guy.
Going with the flow and not creating extra work for yourself or others will make your life here a lot easier.
1. We didn’t tell til contract renewal and it was a non issue. Baby was almost 12 months then
2. Don’t ask, just ask for forgiveness. Unless you see your landlord regularly it’s not worth the headache and teeth sucking.
Have you reviewed your contract? If I were in your situation, I would err on the side of caution and let them know about the child. Some apartments only allow double occupancy. Also, in the case of fire or other incidents, your fire insurance would only cover the declared tenants.
Good call on getting your mom in, you’ll need that.
A while back, I’ve seen some housing ads that said “children not allowed”, but the agent told us to “move in without a child and if/when there’s suddenly a child, shoganai”. So basically, no you don’t have to tell your landlord about either.
Do take full advantage of maternity, paternity leaves and especially the childcare leave.
Do research your birth hospital in advance, be prepared. There are some good Facebook groups. Things are done a bit differently in Japan compared to most other countries.
P.S. maybe don’t call your future child an it 😉
1. Yes, but after the birth and registration etc should be fine – they may ask for a copy of the kids hoken/insurance card once you have it. It’s a liability/safety thing, not for permission. If there was a fire etc, they need to know how many residents could potentially be in the building that need to be accounted for.
2. Visitors, no.
I was told from my landlord that I needed to notify him if anyone new were to live with me. When I told him I was pregnant, he told me babies didn’t count. 🤷♀️
I didn’t let my landlords know of anything
On a side note, my next door neighbor informed us that they were having a baby and gave us a small gift to say sorry for the future noise. We really appreciated it. However, baby noises don’t bother us as we have been around many.
Nope.
Don’t know about legally but:
1. We didn’t and showed up with my daughter to renew the lease after she was over a year old. Landlady didn’t care.
2. We haven’t and have had family stay with us, including my mother in law right now.
As long as we pay our bills on time and don’t cause a huge disturbance in the neighborhood, our landlady leaves us alone.
I didn’t inform when our kid came last may. Just make sure that your neighbors are informed about this. Give away some sweets and inform them. This works !
Went through the same situation. I just sent an email to my landlord informing them of the update in tenants and the arrival of the grandma to help. They replied back with a “well noted” and congratulations message.
I don’t want any trouble so I act carefully.
1. Does your building allow children? If yes it doesn’t hurt to inform. If your neighbours complain about noise this would be helpful. If no you may want to look for another apartment just in case
2. My landlord lives in the same building so I contacted management company to inform them. I provided very detailed info like relationship, reason, period of stay… with a promise to keep the voice low etc.
The short answer is no.
The long answer is how do you imagine that? A landlord can say no, I cannot let your baby live in your home?
For short visits it’s nobody’s business. It’s your home, even though it’s rented and you don’t have to report what are you doing there to anybody.
Are you living in a 1ldk, or something?
No and no
What the hell?! No, your landlord cannot evict you over having a child. You know what kind of quagmire that would cause if landlords were allowed to evict tenants who had a child?
DADT.
We just had a baby and same situation as yours. I didn’t tell anything to the landlord but no problem at all
Informing the landlord of a guest staying for a longer period of time is okay but asking permission to let the child you will birth in a few weeks stay, Not so much. You must be evidently pregnant for them to notice. So the landlord shouldn’t be surprised if a tiny human appears one day.
First rule of Japan: Don’t tell anything about anything unless absolutely required. And if you don’t know, it’s not required.
1) I never told the landlord (it was obvious I was pregnant towards the end but it was never discussed), and
2) I had my parents come and stay with us for awhile after my son was born and I never asked permission nor did I let the landlord know. I just figured it wasn’t necessary. And they never seemed to care about either thing.
Just relax and enjoy your new baby. We can drive ourselves crazy trying to conform. I wish you the best!