A survey conducted in May 2026 by AtHome found that Tokyo rents have continued to rise. For the purposes of their data, “rent” specifically refers to advertised base rent, plus management and common-area fees.
For a long time, many people looked at Japanese rent through the lens of Japan’s long deflationary period. Even in Tokyo, there was a common assumption that rents would stay relatively stable. And when inflation finally did hit Japan, there was still skepticism about whether rents could really rise much, since Japanese salaries have not gone up in the same way as in some other countries. But that assumption has not held up. Everything has become more expensive, and rent is clearly not an exception.
First, let’s look at single-occupancy mansion-type units, defined as 30 square meters or less. Tokyo 23 wards ranked 2nd among the surveyed areas in rent growth, only lagging behind Fukuoka. The average asking rent ended up around ¥113,180, a 12.5% year-on-year increase.
Mid-sized properties in the 30-to-50-square-meter range also saw a boost, up 10.0% year on year to an average of ¥181,237. Tokyo 23 wards ranked 3rd, behind Kobe and Fukuoka.
Family-sized units are split between 50-to-70-square-meter properties and 70+ square meter properties. Both were also up year on year, with 50-to-70-square-meter options averaging around ¥257,105, and 70+ jumping all the way to ¥412,618.
One important note here: the numbers above are specifically for rental “mansions,” not every type of rental property. In Japanese real estate terminology, a “mansion” usually means a larger, more solidly built apartment-style building, often reinforced concrete or steel-reinforced concrete. So this is not “mansion” in the English sense. AtHome separates these from “apartments,” which usually refers to smaller, lower-rise rental buildings, often with lighter construction.
The apartment data shows the same basic trend: Tokyo rents are still rising, but apartments are cheaper than comparable mansion units in absolute yen terms.
For apartments of 30 square meters or less, the Tokyo 23 wards average asking rent was ¥75,611. That is significantly lower than the ¥113,180 average for mansion units in the same size category.
For apartments between 30 and 50 square meters, Tokyo 23 wards actually ranked 1st in year-on-year growth among the surveyed areas. Average asking rent rose 10.1% to ¥127,392. That is still well below the ¥181,237 average for mansion units in the same size range, but the growth rate was almost identical, with mansion rents rising 10.0%.
For apartments between 50 and 70 square meters, Tokyo 23 wards ranked 2nd in year-on-year growth, with average asking rent rising 9.4% to ¥176,803. By comparison, mansion units in the same size range averaged ¥257,105.
So apartments are still the cheaper option across Tokyo’s main size categories, but they are not exactly escaping the broader rise in asking rents either. And of course, they are usually cheaper for a reason: apartments are often smaller, lower-rise, less soundproof, more basic in construction, and may have fewer building amenities than mansion-type properties. For renters in the Tokyo 23 wards, the takeaway is pretty simple: choosing an apartment over a mansion can help bring monthly costs down, but it does not fully get you away from the upward pressure affecting Tokyo’s rental market.
That puts consumers in a confusing position. With both rents and interest rates becoming more of a concern, many people are trying to decide whether it makes more sense to keep renting or to buy. At the same time, when a reasonably priced rental property does show up, competition can move quickly, partly because renters are aware that waiting may not necessarily mean cheaper options later. If you decide to keep renting and find a rental property that fits your needs and budget, it may be worth moving quickly.
If you are looking for a rental in Tokyo, you can check out our current rental listings here. Our listed properties focus mainly on Tokyo’s top central wards, but we also have access to many more properties beyond what is currently shown online. If you are interested in one of our listings, or you are looking for something similar in another part of Tokyo or the Greater Tokyo area, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
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