Looking for an Apartment in Tokyo? Check Out These Listings! | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

Looking for an Apartment in Tokyo? Check Out These Listings!

By Guidable Writers Sep 30, 2019

 

Finding a place to live in Japan can be daunting. Navigating the language and housing system to find the perfect apartment may feel like you are chopping through weeds with a machete on a trek through the forest.

Tokyo has a reputation for being expensive, and there is an undeniable grain of truth to that. However, that does not mean finding affordable housing is impossible.

 

There are several characteristics that Japanese people like to pay attention to when looking for a place to live: 

  1. Location in relation to public transport (usually a train station)
  2. What floor of the building the room is on
  3. How old the building is
  4. Does it have a deposit/gratuity fee

Moving in costs can be fairly expensive in Japan, and a big chunk of that is because of deposits, key money, and gratuity fees. 

Deposits play a similar role as they do in the west; you give some money up front when you first move in (almost like a guarantee so things will go smoothly), and you will either (some of) that money back when you move out, or it will be used for cleaning/repairs if necessary.

Key money is common, where you are essentially paying money to be able to move into the apartment, and that money will either go to the real estate agency or the landlord, and will not come back to you.

Gratuity money is money that you pay essentially as a thank you to the landlord for letting you move in, and it is still very commonplace in Japan. Something to look at is how much that gratuity money may be. Some landlords are more reasonable at 1 month’s rent, while others may go higher. If you are lucky, you may find listings without any gratuity money at all!

Guidable has put together a list of available listings that will make your apartment hunting that much easier!  We have broken down the key points about the listings, and hope that it will be informative! Maybe you’ll find the perfect apartment for you!

Read more below (with pictures)!

You can visit and apply for the apartments by clicking on the blue button throughout the article!

 

Riverside Coat [Kita-shinjuku]

Layout of the apartment. The bath and toilet are separate!

This convenient apartment is only 20 minutes away from the central hub of Shinjuku Station!

It also has a loft for additional space, as well as a separate bath and toilet!

The area for the washing machine

The toilet is in a separate room from the bathtub!

The view from the entrance. Clean and light colors!

Rent: JPY 79,100 /month

Maintenance fee: JPY 3,000 /month

Deposit: 1 month’s rent

Emergency support: JPY 1,000 /month

Key money: JPY 15,000

Extra features:

  • Space for washing machine
  • Air conditioner
  • Loft

 

Shinjuku 2 Castale [Nishishinjuku]

Layout of the apartment. The entrance is on the right side of the floor plan.

This apartment has lovely natural light seeping in through the balcony windows, and is only 12 minutes away from Shinjuku Station!

Located in central Tokyo, the rest of Tokyo is easily accessible from this spot!

The natural light really gives the apartment a pleasant atmosphere!

This apartment comes with a private kitchen and bathroom, and you can get it furnished for you for an additional JPY 20,000!

The light even reaches the kitchen!

This tall, sturdy building is equipped with an elevator!

Rent: JPY 70,000 /month

Maintenance fee: JPY 9,000 /month

Deposit: 1 month’s rent

24h security support (insurance for household goods, emergency support, daily services): 

JPY 2,500 

Key money: JPY 17,000

Gratuity fee: None!!

Extra features:

  • Coin laundry
  • Mailbox
  • Auto lock
  • Balcony
  • Elevator

 

 

Park Heights [Nishi-ikebukuro]

Layout of the apartment. The entrance is on the upper lefthand side.

 

This naturally-lit apartment is located in a quiet neighborhood in central Tokyo. Only 17 minutes away from the major train station Ikebukuro, this comfortable building is close to Rikkyo University, and is only 5 minutes away from Kanamecho Station on the days when you don’t want to walk to the busier station.

This apartment is equipped with everything you need to live alone, with a kitchen, bathroom, and a laundromat only 4 minutes away! There is also a hot spring where you can soak away the day’s stresses that is also only 4 minutes away! 

The floors, although they look like and have the charm of wood, are actually padded, to protect your things if they fall and soften the noise for your neighbors!

It is also located on the third floor, which means more privacy as well as less chance for bugs to get into your apartment.

The wood-themed floors give the room a natural feel!

 

The entrance with a shoebox!

 

Rent: JPY 50,000 /month

Maintenance fee: JPY 5,000 /month

Deposit: None!!

Gratuity fee: None!!

Extra features:

  • Naturally-lit room
  • Laundromat 4 min away
  • Hot spring 4 min away

 

Louise Nakano [Nakano-ku]

Layout of the apartment. The entrance is at the top of the floor plan. 

Located close to central Tokyo, this apartment is only a 6 minute bus ride away from Nakano Station! You can get to Shinjuku Station, the central hub of Tokyo, in only 30 minutes!

This apartment surely gets points for its convenient location.

It has everything you may need, with a kitchen, bathroom, open room, and a loft!

The rent of JPY 55,000 a month is incredibly reasonable for the bustling city of Tokyo!

The compact bathroom has a bathtub that’s deep enough for a lovely hot bath after a long day!

The kitchen has a hotplate, sink, and drying rack! 

The ladder leads up to the loft! Put your futon up there, use it for storage, it is yours to decide!

Rent: JPY 55,000 /month

Maintenance fee: JPY 3,000 /month

Deposit: 1 month’s rent

Key money: JPY 20,000

Gratuity fee: None!!

 

Extra features:

  • Loft
  • Air conditioner
  • Space for washing machine

 

 

We hope that this article has been informative, and perhaps you found an apartment that you are interested in renting!

How do apartments in Japan look compared to the ones in your country? Is the renting system any different? We wish you the best of luck in your apartment search in Japan!