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Japan · Logement & relocation

Se loger à Japan

Verified data Dernière vérification June 15, 2026 Reviewed by Henry van de Vorming

Renting long-term in Japan usually means a fixed two-year lease on an unfurnished unit, high upfront costs (commonly 3-6 months' rent once deposit, key money, agency fee and first month are combined), and a guarantor or guarantor company. Newcomers often start in a furnished "monthly mansion" or serviced apartment, which skips most of these costs, while they search for a standard lease.

Les bases de la location

Bail habituel
2 ans
Dépôt de garantie
1 mois de loyer
Meublé
Surtout non meublé
Marché moyenne durée
Marché moyen terme solide
Déclaration de domicile
Exigée

Frais d'agence : The tenant typically pays the real-estate agency/brokerage fee, customarily up to about one month's rent plus consumption tax. This is separate from non-refundable "key money" (reikin), which is usually 1-2 months' rent in central Tokyo and often 0-1 month in regional cities.

Déclaration de domicile

Mid- to long-term foreign residents must file a moving-in notification (転入届, ten'nyū todoke) at the municipal/ward office within 14 days of taking up a new address, presenting their residence card (and a move-out certificate if arriving from another Japanese municipality). This creates or updates the resident record (jūminhyō) and the address recorded on the residence card; address changes are handled at the municipal level, so no separate report to the immigration authorities is needed for the address itself.

Vos droits en tant que locataire

The Act on Land and Building Leases (借地借家法, Shakuchi Shakuya-hō) strongly protects tenants on ordinary leases: a landlord cannot refuse to renew an ordinary lease without a "justifiable reason" (seitō jiyū). Fixed-term leases (teiki shakka), by contrast, end with no right of renewal, so newcomers should check which type they are signing.

Bon à savoir

  • Strong legal tenant protection: ordinary leases are renewable and landlords need a justifiable reason to refuse renewal.
  • A large, well-developed furnished 'monthly mansion'/serviced-apartment market lets newcomers land softly with no key money, no deposit and no Japanese guarantor.
  • Major listing portals (SUUMO, HOME'S, at home) are huge and detailed; foreigner-focused sites like GaijinPot Apartments and BEST-ESTATE.JP offer English listings and process help.
  • Refundable security deposit (shikikin) is comparatively modest at roughly 1-2 months' rent.

À surveiller

  • High move-in costs: deposit, non-refundable key money (reikin), agency fee, guarantor-company fee, fire insurance and first month commonly total 3-6 months' rent.
  • Most landlords require a guarantor or a paid rent-guarantee company, and some properties still decline foreign tenants, so screening can take time.
  • Standard long-term rentals are usually unfurnished and the major portals are mostly in Japanese, which can be a barrier for newcomers.
  • Address registration is mandatory within 14 days of moving in; missing it complicates other paperwork, and deposit deductions for 'restoration' at move-out are a frequent dispute.

Où chercher

SUUMOHOME'S (LIFULL)at homeGaijinPot ApartmentsBEST-ESTATE.JP

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Se loger à Japan : FAQ

Se loger à Japan : FAQ

Quel dépôt de garantie faut-il pour louer à Japan ?

Les propriétaires demandent généralement environ 1 mois de loyer en dépôt de garantie, en plus du premier mois d'avance, plus d'éventuels frais d'agence (the tenant typically pays the real-estate agency/brokerage fee, customarily up to about one month's rent plus consumption tax. this is separate from non-refundable "key money" (reikin), which is usually 1-2 months' rent in central tokyo and often 0-1 month in regional cities.). Prévoyez cette somme en une fois avant votre arrivée.

Dois-je déclarer mon domicile à Japan ?

Oui — Mid- to long-term foreign residents must file a moving-in notification (転入届, ten'nyū todoke) at the municipal/ward office within 14 days of taking up a new address, presenting their residence card (and a move-out certificate if arriving from another Japanese municipality). This creates or updates the resident record (jūminhyō) and the address recorded on the residence card; address changes are handled at the municipal level, so no separate report to the immigration authorities is needed for the address itself.

Puis-je trouver des locations meublées ou de courte durée à Japan ?

Surtout non meublé et le marché moyenne durée sur lequel s'appuient les nomades est marché moyen terme solide. Commencez votre recherche sur SUUMO, HOME'S (LIFULL), at home.

Sources