Short-Term Apartments in Tokyo (1–6 Months): How to Rent

To rent a short-term apartment in Tokyo for one to six months, book a furnished monthly rental directly from an operator: you need a passport copy and your dates, the minimum is usually 30 days, and most skip key money and guarantors. For stays under 30 days, use a licensed vacation rental or hotel instead, because Japan treats anything shorter than a month as lodging. Budget roughly ¥90,000 to ¥280,000 (about US$600 to US$1,870) a month for one person, depending on the area and the type of home.

We host monthly guests in Ekoda, Nerima and Toda in northwest Tokyo. This guide puts the questions renters ask us in one place: what "short-term" means in Japan, where to search, what to send, what it costs, and what to check before you pay.

What counts as a short-term apartment in Tokyo?

In English, "short-term apartment" can mean anything from three nights to a year. In Tokyo, the length of your stay decides which kind of home you can legally book.

The reason for the 30-day split is legal. A stay of under a month counts as lodging and needs a hotel license or a private-lodging (minpaku) registration; minpaku homes are also capped at 180 nights a year under the Private Lodging Business Act. A stay of a month or more can be a residential lease. That is why our monthly homes, and nearly every monthly operator in Tokyo, start at 30 days.

For a wider view of furnished options, costs and areas, see our main guide to the monthly apartment Tokyo market.

Where do you find short-term apartments in Tokyo?

Use two or three channels at once. Each covers a different part of the market.

Monthly-mansion operators

Companies that rent hundreds of identical furnished units, mostly 1K and 1R rooms of 20 to 25 square meters. Fast to book, predictable, and spread across the city. Prices are shown per day or per month, with cleaning and utilities as separate lines.

Share-house operators

Oakhouse and Sakura House are long-running examples aimed at foreign tenants. You get a private room and share the kitchen and bathroom. Cheapest route for a solo stay.

English-language rental portals

GaijinPot Apartments and Real Estate Japan list foreigner-friendly rentals, including some monthly and furnished units. Useful for comparing prices, though many listings are standard leases.

Japanese portals

SUUMO and LIFULL HOME'S are the largest Japanese rental sites. They cover the whole market but are mostly in Japanese and mostly long-term leases. Search for "monthly" (mansuri) listings if you read some Japanese or use a browser translator.

Vacation-rental platforms

Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com work well for stays under a month and sometimes offer monthly discounts. Check the license number and the total price including the cleaning fee and service fee.

Direct hosts

Small operators like us rent whole homes directly. You talk to the person who manages the house, and there is no platform fee on top. Expat Facebook groups and university notice boards also carry sublets, but you have less protection there; never pay a stranger before you have a written contract.

How much does a short-term apartment in Tokyo cost?

For a one-person furnished unit on a monthly contract, renter guides put all-inclusive 1K rents at about ¥125,000 to ¥160,000 (about US$830 to US$1,070) in outer areas and ¥185,000 to ¥280,000 (about US$1,230 to US$1,870) in Shibuya and Shinjuku. Share-house rooms are cheaper, commonly ¥50,000 to ¥90,000 plus fees. Larger homes cost more in total but less per person.

Our current monthly prices, with electricity, gas, water and internet included in the rent:

• Cozy Studio near Ekoda: ¥90,000 (about US$600), one person
• Hasu House rooms: from ¥90,000 for one person, ¥110,000 for two
• Toda 3DK House: ¥150,000 (about US$1,000), up to eight people
• Sengawa House 1LDK: ¥160,000 (about US$1,070), up to two people
• Tokiwadai House 2DK: ¥180,000 (about US$1,200), up to two people
• Nana House Ekoda Monthly House: ¥350,000 (about US$2,330), up to four people

Beyond rent, ask about a contract fee and a move-out cleaning fee. Our Sengawa House, for example, lists a one-time cleaning fee of ¥20,000 (about US$130).

What documents do you need to rent short-term?

Much less than for a standard lease. For most monthly rentals, including ours, expect to send:

• A copy of your passport (and your residence card if you already live in Japan)
• Your arrival and departure dates
• The purpose of your stay: work, study, remote work, family visit
• Number of guests and their names
• An emergency contact

Some operators also ask for proof of employment or a school enrollment letter, and a deposit. A standard two-year lease, by contrast, needs a guarantor or guarantor company, proof of income, a Japanese phone number and often a Japanese bank account. That is the paperwork short-term apartments let you skip.

How do you rent a short-term apartment in Tokyo, step by step?

1. Eight weeks out: fix your dates and check your visa. US, UK, Canadian and Australian citizens normally get up to 90 days as temporary visitors. Longer stays need a visa that covers them.
2. Six weeks out: choose two or three stations within 30 minutes of where you will spend your days. Search those first.
3. Five weeks out: shortlist three homes and ask each operator the same questions in writing (see the checklist below).
4. Four weeks out: book and pay. Read the cancellation and early-exit terms before you pay.
5. One week out: confirm the check-in method, the address in Japanese and English, and the nearest station exit.
6. Arrival day: photograph the home before you unpack, so there is no argument about existing marks at move-out.
7. Move-out: sort and take out the garbage, run the washing machine empty, and leave keys or codes as instructed.

During March and April, Japan's moving season, start two weeks earlier. Monthly homes near universities and business districts fill first.

Which neighborhoods work best for a short-term stay?

Pick by commute and budget, not by fame. Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ginza are convenient but carry the highest rents and the smallest units. Asakusa feels traditional and sits on the east side, far from the western business districts. Nakameguro and Jiyugaoka are quiet and pleasant, with prices to match.

The northwest offers more space for the money with quick trains to Ikebukuro and Shinjuku. From our listings: Sengawa House is 3 minutes on foot from Ekoda Station, about 6 minutes by train to Ikebukuro and 17 to Shinjuku; Tokiwadai House is about 10 minutes to Ikebukuro and 26 to Shibuya. Our Ikebukuro monthly apartment guide compares stations along that side of the city, and Ekoda and Nerima stays explains the neighborhood itself.

What should you check before you book?

• License or contract type. Under 30 days: a hotel license or minpaku registration number. 30 days or more: a written lease or rental agreement.
• Minimum stay and early exit. Most monthly contracts charge the full minimum even if you leave early.
• Total price. Rent, cleaning fee, contract fee, platform service fee, and any utility cap.
• Wi-Fi. Fixed line or mobile router? Unlimited or capped? Remote workers should ask about upload speed.
• Laundry. An in-unit washing machine is a big quality-of-life upgrade over a coin laundry.
• Bathroom. Japanese homes often separate the toilet from the bath. A bathtub is common; some studios only have a shower booth.
• Check-in. Self check-in with a keypad saves you after a late flight.
• House rules. Garbage sorting, quiet hours and guest limits are taken seriously in residential Tokyo.

Short-term apartments for students, solo travelers and relocating professionals

Exchange students and language-school students

One-month, three-month and one-semester programs are the classic case. A studio or a private room in a shared house keeps costs close to a dormitory with more privacy. Hasu House, for example, rents individual rooms with a desk and chair in each.

Solo travelers

Tokyo is easy to live in alone. A studio with its own kitchen and washing machine is the cheapest way to have full privacy. Our Cozy Studio near Ekoda is set up for exactly one person.

Relocating professionals

A common situation: a job starts in Tokyo, the long-term apartment is not ready, and a hotel room for six weeks is expensive and cramped. A one-bedroom with a separate living room, such as Sengawa House, gives you a place to work and cook while you search.

Couples and families

Two bedrooms or a whole house makes a long stay livable. Look at layouts with "2DK" or "3LDK" in the name.

Short-term apartment vs hotel vs share house

The hotel figure uses chain business-hotel averages: about ¥14,500 a night across major Japanese brands in fiscal 2025 (Tokyo Shoko Research), and higher in Tokyo during peak months.

FAQ

Can I rent a short-term apartment in Tokyo for less than a month?

Yes, but it will be a hotel or a licensed vacation rental, not a monthly apartment. Our nightly houses near Ekoda and Nerima take bookings from one or two nights.

Do I need a Japanese guarantor?

Not for most short-term furnished rentals. Ours require no guarantor, no key money and no agent fee.

Can I extend my stay?

Usually, if no one has booked after you. Ask two to three weeks before your end date and confirm the new end date in writing.

Are bedding, towels and kitchen tools provided?

In furnished monthly homes, yes. Consumables such as shampoo and detergent are usually stocked for the first few days only.

Is it safe to book through a Facebook group?

Sometimes, but you have little recourse if something goes wrong. Pay only after you have a written contract and the operator's real name and address.

Find your short-term home

Starting a job in Tokyo and need a base for one to three months? Check dates for the Sengawa House 1LDK, 3 minutes from Ekoda Station. On your own and on a budget? See the Cozy Studio near Ekoda, ¥90,000 a month with utilities included. Every home is listed on our Tokyo rooms page.

Market prices checked in October 2026 from A-Realty and share-house operator guides; confirm current rates with each operator. Dollar figures use ¥150 = US$1.