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Apartments in Japan: where foreigners can rent

Checked by Sam Harper, editor · October 21, 2026

Rent straight from a landlord that takes foreign residents, search English listings, or use the Japanese sites with the most listings. The costs, contract rules and renter reviews for each are below.

Compare landlord costs

Daylight in a compact unfurnished Japanese apartment — Actual rooms and furnishings vary.

Which kind of site fits you

Just arrived, no furnitureLeopalace, Oakhouse or XROSS HOUSE: furnished rooms from 1 month Staying 2 years or moreRent from a landlord directly: no agency fee; compare key money, guarantor and early-exit costs below Want the most listings in EnglishReal Estate Japan or wagaya Japan, then the agency that listed the apartment Read Japanese or have helpSUUMO, LIFULL HOME'S or at home, with the filters to tick

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Why foreigners get turned down

In a Ministry of Justice survey, 39.3% of foreign residents who had looked for housing in the previous 5 years had been turned down for being foreign, and 41.2% for having no Japanese guarantor (survey report, June 2017). On the big listing sites, an agency lists the apartment and the landlord decides after you apply. The landlords in the first group publish their terms for foreign applicants.

Landlords that rent to you directly: costs compared

Landlords first, then English and Japanese listing sites, each group in alphabetical order, not ranked. From each landlord's own pages, read September 18, 2026. Key money (礼金) is paid to the landlord and not returned; a deposit (敷金) comes back minus repairs.

Key money, deposit, guarantor, contract and move-out rules at landlords that rent directly to foreign residents
Landlord	Key money	Deposit	Guarantor	Contract and leaving early	Moving out	Languages
Leopalace	Varies by property; 1 month's rent in Leopalace's own example	None	Rent-guarantee company required: 100% to 120% of a month's charge at signing, then ¥15,000 a year	Lease over 1 year, or monthly from 30 days. Leaving a lease within 1 year costs 1 month's rent	Cleaning fee of ¥52,250 under 40 m² or ¥63,250 above, usually paid at signing	Website in English; phone support in English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Vietnamese
Oakhouse	None, but a contract fee you don't get back: ¥50,000 for an apartment or private room	None	None; an emergency contact is required	From 1 month. No penalty for leaving early; rent runs at least 1 month from your notice	Charged only for damage or cigarette smell	Website and 24-hour online help desk in English, Chinese, French and Korean
UR Rental Housing	None	2 months' rent	None	Renews every year with no renewal fee	Deposit returned within 30 days of the contract ending, as a rule, after repairs are settled. Key exchange or cleaning may be charged, depending on the apartment's condition	An English guide; searching and signing are in Japanese
Village House	None (pet owners may pay key money)	None as a rule; may be charged after screening	None as a rule; a joint guarantor may be required after screening	2-year lease only. Leaving within 12 months costs 3 months' rent, within 24 months 2 months' rent	Cleaning fee of ¥1,210 per m² at every move-out	Website in English, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Indonesian, Nepali and Burmese
XROSS HOUSE	None, but a move-in fee you don't get back: ¥50,000 for an apartment (¥30,000 under the current campaign), ¥30,000 for a share house	None	No personal guarantor, but apartments need a rent-guarantee company with its own fee	1-year fixed-term lease; leave any time with 1 month's notice	¥55,000 to leave an apartment, ¥16,500 for a share house	Staff in English and 7 other languages, open every day