Dovetail

How to find an apartment in Japan from overseas

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If you’re looking to rent an apartment in Japan as a foreigner, it can be hard to know where to start, especially if you’re still overseas. The vast majority of real estate agencies won’t consider applications if you’re not already living in Japan, though this is slowly beginning to change. That being said, trying to contact every agency under the sun and hoping to get lucky and find one that accepts overseas applications isn’t very time efficient. Even if you do find one, they may not have the experience necessary to fully prepare you for the unique quirks of an overseas application. 

In this article, we aim to equip you with everything you need to know if you want to find an apartment in Japan from overseas. We’ll go over what you need to get started, the things you should keep in mind while searching for an apartment from overseas, and the best timing to apply. Some of these sections will get a little long, so we would recommend skipping to the parts most relevant to you should you find yourself reading information you already know.

Getting Started

Before you begin your search, you’re going to need the following:

  1. A certificate of eligibility OR a visa
  2. A bank account that can make international transfers
  3. An agent willing to accept overseas applications 

Let’s go over these in more detail! 

Certificate of eligibility OR a visa

You’ll want to have your certificate of eligibility or visa in hand prior to searching for an apartment, or at least know the exact date you will receive them. Just in case, I will briefly explain what a certificate of eligibility is. When you want to move to Japan, you need to apply for residence. The bulk of the process is usually handled by your job or school, and once immigration approves your application, a document called a certificate of eligibility is issued. While for a long time this was a strictly physical paper, nowadays it may sometimes be digital. Once you have your certificate of eligibility, you’ll bring that to your nearest Japanese consulate and apply for the visa itself, which will be a sticker in your passport. Then when you arrive in Japan, they’ll convert that visa into a residence card, making you an official resident of Japan!

Once you have either a certificate of eligibility or a visa, it’s a very safe bet to assume that you will indeed be able to move to Japan without issue. Before your certificate of eligibility is issued there’s still a risk factor involved with entering a contract with you, which is why even the most foreigner-friendly companies won’t accept applications prior to having it. You may be wondering though, is it okay to contact an agency before your documents are ready? And yes, it’s okay! Just keep in mind that they will likely only be able to show you example properties to start though, and that the real search will begin once you have that all-important “CoE.”

A bank account that can make international transfers

Japan has made a lot of progress when it comes to credit card usage, but bank transfers are still very common in Japan, and many real estate companies do not accept card. While you might get lucky and land an apartment whose property management company can take your card, you shouldn’t go into your search expecting to be able to use it. Technically you could focus on properties that specifically can take card, but options are already narrow when you’re focused on properties that accept overseas applications. If using a card is the only payment option for you, please let your agent know as soon as possible so they can recommend suitable units. Just keep in mind the selection may be limited! 

Property management companies

I mentioned property management companies, and I should briefly explain that in more detail. When you’re looking to rent a property in Japan, you’ll be working with an agency. That’s a company like ours that works directly with customers and tries to connect them with properties. 

The properties themselves are managed by a property management company. They’re the ones who decide who can apply for their properties, and when. When looking to rent an apartment from overseas you’ll first need an agency that is willing to accept overseas applications. And then together with that agency, you’ll need to find properties available from property management companies that will accept overseas applications. Most likely said companies will in turn use a guarantor company that specifically works with foreigners.

The complicated bank transfer process

But even when working with these foreigner-friendly property management companies, they often won’t be able to directly take your initial payment by card or international bank transfer. So what you will need is an agent that can receive your international bank transfer and then handle the domestic transfer to the property management company. It’s honestly a bit of a convoluted process, and it can really catch you off guard, especially when the property management company is demanding the payment ASAP after you’ve been approved. Make sure to discuss your payment options with your agent early on in the process, and have them check with the property management company either before or at the time of application how they can accept payment. If something unexpected happens, in the worst case scenario you could end up without an apartment when you need it most!

And as a quick disclaimer, it’s not as if property management companies that accept card or overseas bank transfer don’t exist. It’s just that it’s quite uncommon, so without being able to make an international bank transfer and an agent that can help you out, you will find yourself with far fewer options than you would otherwise. Again, if for any reason you can only pay by card, please let your agent know as soon as possible. 

By the way, when making an international bank transfer, please keep in mind that there will likely be an additional surcharge to account for unexpected conversion rate changes or transfer fees, since international bank transfer fees tend to be unpredictable. You can generally assume that you’ll need to add ¥10,000 to your initial costs. On top of that, be sure to make the transfer based on Japanese yen, as opposed to your home currency. That will minimize the chance that your bank transfer ends up being short of the required amount.

An agent willing to accept overseas applications

As far as I’m aware, there isn’t a resource that lists every real estate agency in Japan that accepts overseas applications. I wish it were as simple as “any English-speaking foreigner-friendly agents should work!” but in my experience, even a lot of these agents will simply direct you to contact them again once you’ve landed in Japan as a resident. While we do recommend whenever possible to view properties and apply from within Japan, we understand that for many, either due to finances or scheduling, it can be difficult to arrive in Japan without an apartment already set up. If you’re looking for an apartment in the Tokyo area, we at Dovetail will do our best to assist you, overseas or domestic! 

Things to Keep in Mind when Searching

You’ve gathered everything you need to start searching, but there are many things you’ll want to be conscious of while doing so. For example:

  1. Do you need a furnished apartment? 
  2. An apartment with internet pre-installed?
  3. Is it important to you to view the apartment before moving in?

Do you need a furnished apartment?

The vast majority of apartments in Japan are unfurnished. While furnished properties certainly do exist, if you really want your apartment to come with furniture right when you arrive, you should understand that this will further limit your options. A good middle ground is to consider renting furniture and appliances. Most agents that accept overseas applications should be able to offer guidance on companies that offer furniture rentals. I should note that the cost of renting furniture often is similar to buying it, but offers various conveniences such as everything being delivered and installed for you, and being able to return the items when you move out. Getting rid of furniture and appliances in Japan is notoriously difficult and often catches people off guard, resulting in high disposal costs.

Timing matters for renting furniture too though. In most cases the furniture will need to be delivered, and for deliveries in Japan, you’ll need to be home to accept them. Usually you can request either delivery in the AM or PM, with a more narrow time frame being decided on the day of delivery based on the driver’s schedule. If you pick up your keys mid-afternoon for example, it will likely be too late to have furniture delivered that same day. And if you’re renting bedding, then you might be sleeping on the floor that night! So make sure to plan ahead with your agent and leave ample time to arrange furniture rentals, if needed.

An apartment with internet pre-installed?

Internet is also important to consider. While properties with pre-installed internet are more plentiful than furnished ones, it’s still most common to need to arrange your own internet connection. And even if a property does have internet built in, you may experience less than ideal speeds, especially during peak hours. If you’re not downloading large video games or streaming 4K video, built-in internet is likely fine, but for heavy users you’ll definitely want to arrange your own connection. That can take up to a few weeks though, as most internet companies have a backlog of appointments they need to work through. When it comes to internet setup, most agencies will have a partner that can get you in touch with a provider, so aside from the wait, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get something arranged. There are English-speaking internet service providers too. That being said, we would recommend arranging a rental pocket WiFi upon arrival. It’s not as necessary if your apartment will have internet pre-installed, but it’ll still be useful to make sure you have internet access at all times if you haven’t already gotten a Japanese sim card with data.

Is it important that you view the apartment before moving in?

While under normal circumstances it’s always best to view an apartment in person before applying, that of course isn’t possible when applying from overseas. Infrequently, particularly during the pandemic, some real estate companies offered virtual viewings, but these days this has become a rarity. If you would like to apply for a property from overseas, you should assume that you will be making a decision based on photos and the floor plan. That is something you will need to be comfortable with, but there are a few specific points to be aware of.

Occasionally, the photos available for a room online may be of a different, similar room in the same building. This usually occurs when an advertisement for the unit is listed prior to it being vacated. These photos should generally be of a room with the same floor plan, but it is important to check for discrepancies between the photos and the floor plan itself to make sure you have a proper idea of what to expect from the room. All properties in Japan also have a disclaimer: in the event of discrepancies between the advertisement photos and the room itself, the room itself takes precedence. In short, that basically means property management companies want you to view the room whenever possible. That being said, if the room is completely different from the photos and floor plan, there may be a contractual clause allowing you to get out of the contract, though it is very uncommon for said clause to actually come into play.

The Best Timing to Apply

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when considering whether or not to apply for an apartment from overseas is timing. It’s important to share with your agent your arrival plans as early as possible, along with when you hope to ideally move into the apartment. Timing is of course important if you’re moving domestically too, but there’s a specific hiccup when it comes to overseas applications: payment. This ties into the earlier section about bank accounts.

For domestic applications, it’s common to need to complete payment within just a few days of your application being approved in order to move forward. If the payment is for any reason unable to be completed swiftly, the property management company may even ask that the application be cancelled in order to open up the property to other potential customers. While ideally the property management company will be understanding of the additional time it takes to handle an overseas transfer (sometimes up to an additional week), it’s best not to count on this. The best thing to do is plan a moving timeline that offers as much flexibility as possible.

At the latest, you’ll want to have started your application by the middle of the month in which you want to move. As for the move itself, trying to move close to the end of the month will give both you and your agency the most leeway to work with in the event of something unexpected. This is by no means a 100% strict timeline, but it’s probably the easiest to work within. Applying near the end of the month can often be difficult, even if your lease will start in the following month. That’s because the screening process that begins when you apply usually takes just a few days, and payment is often required extremely soon after you’re approved. Plus, payment is usually required within the same month that an invoice is issued, hence why starting your lease early in the following month doesn’t improve the timeline. This can present a unique predicament when there’s no choice but to wait for an overseas bank transfer to arrive, thus, applying by mid-month and starting the lease around the end of the month is the ideal timeline. Even better if you can apply earlier in the month, for additional flexibility!

The biggest disclaimer

Searching for an apartment from overseas is a complicated process with a lot of moving parts, and the truth is that there are many little things that could go awry. If the payment takes too long your application could end up cancelled by the property management company, and we may need to start from square one. Or if you need to rent furniture, but the rental company isn’t able to deliver on the day you move in, leaving you with an empty apartment for the evening. With enough patience and preparation, those hiccups and more can hopefully be avoided, but remember to keep an open mind and to be ready to be flexible. We at Dovetail are experienced with overseas applications, but every property management company we work with is a bit different, and so is every application. We’ll do our best to make your experience as smooth as possible! 

When to start searching for apartments

If you’re going to apply for a property in the first half of the month though, you’ll need to find a property first. In order to lock in an apartment, you’ll need to formally apply for it, which means providing your agent with all the documents and information requested from the property management company. The screening process starts as soon as you apply, which is what makes the timeline described above so tight. You can generally assume that after you apply, you’re going to need to start your lease in the next 1-2 weeks, unless you’re looking at properties specifically planned to open up later down the line. That is doable by the way, though as per usual it will further limit your selection. 

With that in mind, beginning your search right around the beginning of the month you want to move, or at the earliest maybe a week before that, is ideal. This gives enough time to handle the application process and account for any unexpected bumps in the road. Even if your move is further out than that though, please do not hesitate to inquire with us here! We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about the process, and we can always set a date to follow up with you close to when you’ll be coming to Japan.