Checklist: House Rules for Group Stays in Tokyo Homes

Tokyo vacation rental rules come down to five things: quiet hours (ours run from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), shoes off indoors, no smoking anywhere on the property, only the registered number of guests, and garbage sorted the local way. Break the first or fourth and you risk the neighbors complaining; break the smoking or guest-count rule in our houses and there is a set penalty.

This checklist is based on the actual house rules for our homes in Ekoda and Nerima. Other hosts' rules differ in detail, but most Tokyo homes in residential streets ask for the same things. Share it with your group before you fly.

Before you arrive

• Register everyone. The number of guests must match the booking exactly, babies included. Undeclared extra guests are charged ¥5,000 (about US$33) per person.
• Minors need a guardian's consent to stay overnight.
• Plan your arrival for 3:00 p.m. or later. Check-out is by 11:00 a.m. Check-in is self-service: you receive the door or lockbox code from us before arrival. If you have not received it by your arrival day, message us straight away.
• Ask for early check-in or late check-out at least 24 hours ahead. It depends on availability and may cost extra.
• Pets: our listings do not allow pets. Message us before booking if you have a special situation.

Noise: what counts as too loud in a Tokyo house?

Japanese houses are built close together, and walls and windows let sound through. Our neighbors are families and older residents who go to bed early. The rules:

• Quiet hours from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Talk at normal volume indoors, keep windows closed if you are chatting late, and take phone or video calls quietly.
• No parties and no shouting in or around the house.
• Carry suitcases, do not roll them, on the street at night. Hard-shell wheels on asphalt are loud. This is an explicit rule at Nana House Ekoda.
• Close car and taxi doors gently at night, and keep late-night comings and goings to a minimum.

Serious or repeated noise complaints can end a stay early. It is the one rule that most affects whether we can keep hosting groups in these streets.

Inside the house

Shoes

Take shoes off at the genkan, the sunken entrance area inside the front door, and step up into the house in socks or slippers. We provide slippers. Shoes are only allowed on the balcony.

Smoking

No smoking anywhere: not inside, not on the balcony, not at the entrance or around the house. The penalty for smoking inside is ¥50,000 (about US$333). Open flames such as candles are not allowed either.

Kitchen and laundry

• Cook with the utensils provided. Wash dishes after use and do not leave them in the sink overnight.
• Do not use portable gas stoves indoors.
• Do not hang laundry on curtains, lamps or the air conditioner. Use the drying space or balcony.
• Bath towels are provided at check-in and not replaced during your stay. Use the washing machine if you need fresh ones.

Bathroom and furniture

• Flush only toilet paper. Nothing else goes in the toilet.
• Do not move furniture, appliances or fixtures. Loss or damage is charged at replacement cost.
• Turn off the air conditioner, TV and lights, and lock doors and windows when you go out.

How does garbage sorting work in Nerima?

Our houses are in Nerima City, which publishes an English guide to sorting and collection. Each type of garbage goes out on its own day, before 8:00 a.m., and never the night before. For a short stay, you only need to sort into the bins in the kitchen:

• Burnable: food waste, tissues, paper scraps, small wood, rubber and leather items.
• Non-burnable: glass that is not a bottle, ceramics, small metal items, batteries (taken out of devices).
• Cans, bottles and PET bottles: empty and rinse them; take caps off PET bottles.

When the indoor bin is full, move the tied bag to the outdoor bin (in the garden at Ekoda, beside the house at Sakaecho, the back entrance area at Nerima) and send us a message. If you can, do this on Tuesdays or Fridays. Bulky items such as broken suitcases or strollers cannot go in household garbage; take them with you, or a disposal fee applies.

Guests staying a month or longer put garbage out themselves. Collection days differ by street, even within Nerima. For example, burnable garbage goes out on Tuesday and Friday at Sakaecho, and on Monday and Thursday at Nana House Ekoda and Nana House Nerima. Non-burnable garbage is collected only twice a month. We give long-stay guests the schedule for their address.

What are the penalty fees?

We would much rather never charge any of these. They exist so the rules are clear to everyone in the group before anyone unpacks.

Check-out checklist

1. Check every room, the bathroom and the kitchen for belongings.
2. Sort and take out the garbage as described above.
3. Wash, dry and put away dishes and pots.
4. Turn off the air conditioner, TV, lights and fans in every room.
5. Close and lock all windows.
6. Return the key to the lockbox and scramble the code, then make sure the front door is locked.

On arrival, also take a minute to find the evacuation route map posted inside the house. In an emergency, dial 119 for an ambulance or fire and 110 for police.

Still choosing a house? Our guide to Tokyo house rental for a large group compares our homes for 6 to 9 guests, and Tokyo accommodation for 8 people: house vs hotel rooms works through the cost. For the area itself, see where to stay in Ekoda and Nerima.

FAQ

What are quiet hours in a Tokyo vacation rental?

Most hosts in residential areas set them in the evening. In our houses, quiet hours run from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Can we bring friends over to the house?

Only registered guests can stay. Undeclared extra guests are charged ¥5,000 (about US$33) per person, and parties are not allowed.

Do I really need to sort garbage on a short stay?

Yes, but it is simple: burnable, non-burnable, and cans, bottles and PET bottles go in separate kitchen bins. Incorrectly sorted garbage may not be collected.

Can I smoke on the balcony?

No. Smoking is banned everywhere on the property, including the balcony and entrance, with a ¥50,000 (about US$333) penalty for smoking inside.

Book a house that welcomes groups

Check dates for a house for 9 near Ekoda Station. We send the full house rules and check-in instructions in English before you arrive.

Dollar figures use ¥150 = US$1.