Rent an Apartment in Tokyo Without a Guarantor

Yes, you can rent an apartment in Tokyo without a guarantor. For a standard lease, most foreigners use a paid guarantor company instead of a Japanese individual. If you only need one to six months, or you cannot pass screening yet, a furnished monthly rental needs no guarantor, no key money and no agent fee.

This guide explains what reikin, shikikin and guarantor companies are, why foreign applicants get turned down, and which alternatives work. We run furnished monthly homes near Ekoda in northwest Tokyo, so we also show what renting without a guarantor looks like in practice.

Why do Tokyo landlords ask for a guarantor?

A standard Japanese lease is built around the idea that someone else will pay if the tenant cannot. That someone is the guarantor.

Hoshonin (personal guarantor)

Traditionally the guarantor was a person, usually a relative or employer living in Japan with a steady income, who signed as a joint guarantor. If you stopped paying rent or left damage behind, the landlord could claim from them. Since the Civil Code reform of April 2020, a lease that uses an individual guarantor must state a maximum amount the guarantor can be liable for. Few newcomers know anyone in Japan who would take that on.

Hosho gaisha (guarantor company)

Today most landlords accept, or require, a rental guarantee company instead. You pay the company, it screens you, and it covers the landlord if you default. Typical fees reported by Tokyo agencies:

• An initial fee of about 50% to 100% of one month's rent, paid when you sign.
• A yearly renewal fee, often around ¥10,000 (about US$67), or a small monthly charge instead.

The fee is not refundable. On a ¥120,000 (about US$800) apartment, the initial guarantor fee alone could be ¥60,000 to ¥120,000 (about US$400 to US$800).

What else do you pay upfront on a standard lease?

The guarantor fee is one line of several. These are the move-in costs you will see on a typical Tokyo quote:

• Reikin (key money): a non-refundable payment to the landlord, commonly zero to two months' rent. It is a custom, not a legal requirement, and many listings now advertise zero reikin.
• Shikikin (security deposit): commonly zero to two months' rent. It is returned at the end of the lease minus unpaid rent and repair costs for damage you caused. Under the Civil Code, normal wear and tear is not the tenant's cost.
• Chukai tesuryo (agent fee): under Japan's real estate brokerage rules, the total an agent may charge for a rental is one month's rent plus consumption tax, split between landlord and tenant unless you agree to pay more. In practice many agents ask the tenant for the full month.
• First month's rent, often with a prorated amount for the month you move in.
• Fire insurance, key replacement and sometimes a cleaning fee, set by the landlord or agent.

Add it up and the cash needed before you get the keys can be several months' rent. For example, on ¥100,000 rent with one month of deposit, one month of key money, an agent fee of ¥110,000 and a 50% guarantor fee, you would pay about ¥460,000 (about US$3,070) before insurance and furniture. Most standard apartments in Japan also come unfurnished, often without a fridge, washing machine or curtains.

Why do foreigners get rejected for Tokyo apartments?

Rejection is common, and it is not always about money. In a Ministry of Justice survey of foreign residents released in 2017, 39.3% of the respondents who had looked for housing in Japan in the previous five years said they had been turned down because they were not Japanese. The reasons landlords and guarantor companies give, or that agents describe, usually fall into these groups:

• No credit or income history in Japan. Guarantor companies screen on Japanese income and employment. A foreign salary or savings may not count, and a job you start next month is hard to verify.
• Visa length. If your period of stay ends before the two-year lease does, some landlords see risk.
• No Japanese phone number or emergency contact in Japan. Many applications require both.
• Language. Landlords worry about explaining rules on garbage sorting, noise and move-out in Japanese.
• Landlord preference. Some owners simply instruct agents not to accept foreign tenants. There is little a tenant can do about this, so it saves time to work with agents who list foreigner-friendly properties.

None of this says anything about you as a tenant. It is why many people choose a short furnished stay first, as we describe in our guide to temporary apartment Tokyo options for people relocating.

What are the alternatives to a guarantor in Tokyo?

1. Use a guarantor company through a foreigner-friendly agent

This is the normal route for a long-term lease. Agents who work with foreign residents know which guarantor companies accept which visas and documents. Prepare your residence card, passport, employment contract or offer letter, recent payslips or bank statements, and a Japanese phone number.

2. Let your employer sign

Some companies rent apartments in the company name (a corporate lease) or act as guarantor for staff on assignment. Ask HR before you start your search.

3. UR public rental housing

UR, the Urban Renaissance Agency, rents public apartments across greater Tokyo and states on its official site that its homes need no key money, no agent fee, no renewal fee and no guarantor. You still pay a deposit and must meet UR's income requirements. It has an English site at ur-housing.com.

4. Offer a larger deposit or prepay rent

Some private landlords accept a bigger deposit or several months of rent in advance in place of a guarantor. It ties up cash, so get the refund terms in writing.

5. Rent a furnished monthly apartment

Monthly rentals are designed for people who cannot or do not want to sign a two-year lease. There is no guarantor, no key money and no agent fee, and the home is furnished with utilities running. Our monthly apartment Tokyo guide covers how they work across the city, and the short-term apartment Tokyo post covers stays of one to six months.

6. Share houses

Share houses rent private rooms with shared kitchens and bathrooms, usually with low move-in costs and no guarantor. They suit single people on a budget.

How does renting without a guarantor work in our homes?

Our monthly homes near Ekoda are set up for exactly this situation. Sengawa House and Tokiwadai House are listed with no key money, no guarantor, no agent fee, a simple contract and English support. Rent on our monthly homes includes electricity, gas, water and internet, so you do not need to open utility accounts in Japanese.

• Sengawa House, a 1LDK monthly apartment near Ekoda: ¥160,000 (about US$1,070) a month for one or two people. A 1LDK means one bedroom plus a living, dining and kitchen area. It is on the 3rd floor with an elevator, has a separate toilet and bathroom, and is a 3-minute walk from Ekoda Station. Minimum stay 30 nights, plus a one-time cleaning fee of ¥20,000 (about US$130).
• Tokiwadai House: ¥180,000 (about US$1,200) a month for a 2DK (two bedrooms plus a dining kitchen), for one or two people, 8 minutes on foot from Tokiwadai Station, about 10 minutes by train to Ikebukuro.
• Cozy Studio near Ekoda: ¥90,000 (about US$600) a month for one person, with a private kitchen, shower, toilet and washing machine.

A separate bedroom matters more than people expect on a stay of several months. Working, cooking and sleeping in one small room gets old quickly, which is why we point remote workers toward the 1LDK and 2DK homes. Our digital nomad apartment Tokyo guide goes into desks and Wi-Fi.

Can you register your address in a monthly rental?

If you are in Japan on a mid- to long-term visa, the Immigration Services Agency requires you to report your place of residence at the ward or city office within 14 days of settling on it. You need that registration for many other steps, such as a bank account, a phone contract and National Health Insurance.

Not every short-stay property allows this, so ask before you book. Tell us your visa type and dates, and we will confirm in writing what is possible for the home you choose.

What should you do next?

1. Decide how long you need. Under six months, a monthly rental usually costs less in total than a lease once you count key money, agent fees and furniture.
2. If you need a long-term lease, gather documents first: residence card, passport, proof of income, Japanese phone number.
3. Ask every agent for an itemized move-in quote, line by line.
4. Book a furnished home for your first month so you are not signing a two-year lease under time pressure.

When you are ready for a long-term lease, our partner Shin Housing (shinhousing.com) works with foreign residents, offers English support and handles the guarantor process, with listings in Ekoda and Nerima.

FAQ

Can a foreigner rent in Tokyo without a Japanese guarantor?

Yes. Most foreigners use a guarantor company rather than a person. UR public housing and furnished monthly rentals need no guarantor at all.

How much does a guarantor company cost in Japan?

Agencies in Tokyo commonly quote 50% to 100% of one month's rent at signing, plus a yearly renewal fee often around ¥10,000 (about US$67). Check the exact terms in your quote.

Is key money refundable?

No. Reikin is a non-refundable payment to the landlord. The shikikin deposit is the refundable part, minus unpaid rent and repairs for damage beyond normal wear and tear.

Do your monthly homes need a guarantor or key money?

No. Sengawa House and Tokiwadai House are listed with no guarantor, no key money and no agent fee. Rent on our monthly homes includes utilities and internet.

What is the minimum stay?

Sengawa House and Cozy Studio near Ekoda have a 30-night minimum. Check each room page for its terms.

Need a Tokyo address next month without a guarantor? Check move-in dates for Sengawa House, a 1LDK 3 minutes from Ekoda Station, or see all our furnished homes.

Dollar figures use ¥150 = US$1. Fee ranges are typical figures reported by Tokyo rental agencies; your landlord's quote is what counts.