Maybe more of a failure, when we were apartment hunting, we took too long to make a decisions, we saw about 2 apartments and then had dinner to decide and debate and when we came back the one we wanted was already gone. So maybe it’s best to make decisions quick.
Damn😭 I've never been in that situation but I guess I try to decide quickly after my experience of trying to find a room in Paris when I was a student. Some rooms I visited, they were doing group visits because they were too many ppl wanting to visit. For my current apartment too I decided quickly.
Wow you lived in Paris so cool! yeah I’ve heard of this in big expanding cities that don’t have enough housing (like in California) I didn’t think Tokyo had a housing crisis though.
Not so much a failure as some tips.The apartment I live in now is about 15 years old and refitted just before I moved in. Before the agent showed me the inside, I visited the area at different times of day to see what the road traffic and lighting is like.When I was viewing it, I sat on the floor for a few minutes with the windows open and closed to listen for noise from the train station and road nearby. With the windows closed, quiet. Tolerable with the windows open.The only thing I regret about choosing this apartment is that I didn't visit after dark. The 24 hour car park lights shine into my living room. I got blackout curtains, but I sure miss a dark sky view from my veranda.
I feel like I got conned moving into my current place as we didn’t realise how dirty it was until we moved in. I hadn’t paid cleaning at my previous place and it was pretty well kept. Also, when I viewed the property, it looked alright but I should have known as they didn’t really turn on the lights so we could see it properly. It also shakes every time a large truck goes passed which I don’t like.
The only thing I do like is the location and the fact that I have a front yard where I park my bike.
The next time I move, it’ll be into my own house. I honestly feel that real estate agents will take advantage of foreigners if they can.
Tip: UR Housing (Google "UR賃貸住宅" ) is a government subsidized program providing rental properties at market prices, but without all the red tape and added fees. That is, you don't need a guarantor, you don't have to pay key money or an agency fee, and there is only a two month deposit, which you will get back (minus any damage). They are also not allowed to discriminate - that is, they cannot turn you down merely for being a non-Japanese, which is a HUGELY common problem among almost all rental agencies in Japan. The downside is that they generally don't allow pets, your income has to be at least 1/3 of the rent (doable for most people), and the properties in central areas get snapped up fast. But if you don't mind living a bit far from the station, and want to live in a more suburban area, it is a great option. You will need to navigate the paperwork in Japanese; but it's fine if you need to bring a friend to help. Just keep checking their website, and apply to visit the apartment ASAP. If you are vigilant, you can find some great apartments. As an example, I snagged a 1DK in Shinagawa-ku, 40sqm, for just 95,000 - with a large balcony, and a view of Mt. Fuji!
I had to contact 10+ rental places before I finally found my apartment. It was hard because I am a foreigner AND have a pet. But one tip would be to get a letter from your employer outlining your work/salary to use as evidence of stable employment when talking to rental properties.
I also had letters of recommendation from my previous Japanese landlord that I shared with my new landlord.
Maybe more of a failure, when we were apartment hunting, we took too long to make a decisions, we saw about 2 apartments and then had dinner to decide and debate and when we came back the one we wanted was already gone. So maybe it’s best to make decisions quick.
Not so much a failure as some tips. The apartment I live in now is about 15 years old and refitted just before I moved in. Before the agent showed me the inside, I visited the area at different times of day to see what the road traffic and lighting is like. When I was viewing it, I sat on the floor for a few minutes with the windows open and closed to listen for noise from the train station and road nearby. With the windows closed, quiet. Tolerable with the windows open. The only thing I regret about choosing this apartment is that I didn't visit after dark. The 24 hour car park lights shine into my living room. I got blackout curtains, but I sure miss a dark sky view from my veranda.
I feel like I got conned moving into my current place as we didn’t realise how dirty it was until we moved in. I hadn’t paid cleaning at my previous place and it was pretty well kept. Also, when I viewed the property, it looked alright but I should have known as they didn’t really turn on the lights so we could see it properly. It also shakes every time a large truck goes passed which I don’t like.
The only thing I do like is the location and the fact that I have a front yard where I park my bike.
The next time I move, it’ll be into my own house. I honestly feel that real estate agents will take advantage of foreigners if they can.
So far I've never had a bad experience but I find it annoying to have to have a 保証人. Luckily a friend put his name on the paper 🙏
I was fortunate to get a good apartment in Hiroshima at the first try, but was expensive though
I was denied some apartments here and there because I was a foreigner. Some places would accept dogs, but not foreigners hehe
Tip: UR Housing (Google "UR賃貸住宅" ) is a government subsidized program providing rental properties at market prices, but without all the red tape and added fees. That is, you don't need a guarantor, you don't have to pay key money or an agency fee, and there is only a two month deposit, which you will get back (minus any damage). They are also not allowed to discriminate - that is, they cannot turn you down merely for being a non-Japanese, which is a HUGELY common problem among almost all rental agencies in Japan. The downside is that they generally don't allow pets, your income has to be at least 1/3 of the rent (doable for most people), and the properties in central areas get snapped up fast. But if you don't mind living a bit far from the station, and want to live in a more suburban area, it is a great option. You will need to navigate the paperwork in Japanese; but it's fine if you need to bring a friend to help. Just keep checking their website, and apply to visit the apartment ASAP. If you are vigilant, you can find some great apartments. As an example, I snagged a 1DK in Shinagawa-ku, 40sqm, for just 95,000 - with a large balcony, and a view of Mt. Fuji!
I had to contact 10+ rental places before I finally found my apartment. It was hard because I am a foreigner AND have a pet. But one tip would be to get a letter from your employer outlining your work/salary to use as evidence of stable employment when talking to rental properties.
I also had letters of recommendation from my previous Japanese landlord that I shared with my new landlord.