Renting in Tokyo

Tokyo is not short of flats: the big portals carry tens of thousands of listings in the 23 wards at any time, and a flat can be found and signed in two to four weeks. What makes it hard is cost and screening: asking rents are at record highs after rising about 9–10% in a year (a 30–50 m² flat now averages about ¥185,000 a month including the management fee), moving in costs four to six months' rent, and landlords and guarantor companies screen every applicant, often refusing foreigners. Have your residence card, income proof, a Japanese phone number and an emergency contact ready, and search with an agent who works with foreign tenants.

Checked 1 October 2026Deposits, contracts and notice periods: Japan rules

The Tokyo Skytree above the city

The situation right now

Supply is large but prices are climbing fast. at home's monthly index put the average asking rent (rent plus management fee) for a flat in a reinforced-concrete building (mansion) in the 23 wards at ¥114,339 for 30 m² or less, ¥185,268 for 30–50 m² and ¥263,469 for 50–70 m² in August 2026, record highs, up 10.0%, 9.1% and 6.5% on a year earlier. Even the cheaper wooden and light-steel apartment buildings rose 11.8% for small units. The 2023 Housing and Land Survey counted 897,000 empty homes in Tokyo (10.9% of the stock), so there is no physical shortage: many empty units are between tenants, old or badly located.

Most private flats are let through agents. A listing usually appears on several portals at once (SUUMO, LIFULL HOME'S, at home, CHINTAI) because agents share a common database of vacancies, so any agent can usually arrange a viewing of most flats you find online. The landlord or its management company then screens you (nyūkyo shinsa), almost always together with a rent guarantor company. In the Ministry of Justice's national survey of foreign residents (2016), 39.3% of those who had looked for a home had been refused because they were foreign; agents who specialise in foreign tenants know which landlords accept them.

In the 23 wards you compete with a steady flow of students and new hires. The peak is January to March, before jobs and the school year start in April: good flats are often taken before they can be viewed, and many are advertised while the current tenant is still living there, so people apply first and view later. The rest of the year is calmer, and you can sometimes negotiate key money or the move-in date.

Rents also rise for sitting tenants. In a national online survey of 1,016 renters in their 20s and 30s by a rent-payment company, reported by nippon.com in April 2026, 42.1% of those who renewed in 2025 had been asked for more rent, most often ¥5,000–9,999 a month; there is no Tokyo-only figure. Large increases after a building changes hands led the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to set up a special advice line (guidance updated 12 March 2026): you do not have to agree, and refusing is not a reason to end your lease.

On a single salary, many newcomers start in a share house or a furnished monthly flat, which need no guarantor, then move to an ordinary lease once they have a Japanese bank account, phone number and payslips. Rents fall steeply with distance: a 1LDK averages about ¥230,000 in Minato ward but about ¥90,000–95,000 in Adachi, Katsushika or Edogawa, and less again in western Tokyo and in Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba.

Behind the scores

DifficultyHard

Plenty of flats, but every applicant is screened by the landlord and a guarantor company: residence card with time left on it, income or enrolment proof, an emergency contact in Japan, a Japanese phone number and bank account, contracts in Japanese. In the Ministry of Justice's national survey of 2016, 39.3% of foreign residents who had looked for a home had been refused for being foreign. Homes are not scarce (10.9% empty, 2023). UR and share houses need no guarantor company. The same screening applies in Osaka. As of October 2026.

CostVery expensive

1LDK/2K/2DK in eight central-ish wards: rent ¥138,000–171,000 (SUUMO ward averages, 2026-07) plus a ¥5,000–15,000 fee: ¥143,000–186,000. Pay: Tokyo mean for full-time workers, overtime in, bonuses out, ¥448,500 gross (MHLW Wage Structure Survey, 2025-06), about ¥349,000 net of social insurance, income and resident tax: 41–53%, middle 47%; rent alone 39–49%. A median would be lower: 54% on our estimate (national median-to-mean ratio, scheduled pay). Cross-check: our 78 SUUMO listings (2026-10), median ¥183,000. As of October 2026.

CompetitionBusy

No figure exists for days online or applicants per listing in Tokyo. Asking rents rose 9–10% in a year to record highs (at home, 2026-08). Greater Tokyo renters viewed 2.6 flats on average before signing (SUUMO survey, FY2024). 10.9% of all homes stood empty in 2023, against 16.1% in Osaka City (Housing and Land Survey). From January to March good flats are often let before they can be viewed, so agents take applications first (SUUMO, 2026-07). As of October 2026.

Scam riskCommon

No dated police or consumer-body warning about rental fraud aimed at flat-hunters in Tokyo in the last twelve months. The Capital Region Real Estate Fair Trade Council, the industry's self-regulation body for property adverts, penalised agencies for bait listings (Toshima ward, 2025-12; Chiyoda ward, 2026-05) and hidden fees (Minato ward, 2026-01); in FY2025 it penalised 13 rental advertisers and found bait listings in 2.6% of the rental adverts it checked. As of October 2026.

A back street in Tokyo in the rain
A back street in Tokyo in the rain

What it costs

TypeTypical asking rentSource
Private room in a share houseNot an average: the starting prices of two share-house operators on 1 October 2026. Borderless House's private rooms start at ¥55,000 in Shinjuku–Nakano, Shibuya and Ueno–Asakusa and at ¥78,000 in Akasaka–Roppongi (beds in shared rooms from ¥33,000); Oakhouse lists Tokyo rooms from ¥45,000 to over ¥135,000. Neither publishes an average. Check whether utilities and internet are included or charged as a monthly fee.¥55,000–78,000 a month(€310–440 a month)Borderless House Tokyo area pages; Oakhouse (1 October 2026), October 2026
Studio (1R or 1K, about 20–25 m²)Including the management fee. This is what most single renters take. SUUMO's average rent for 1K/1DK flats was ¥89,000–105,000 in the eight central-ish wards used for the cost meter and ¥119,000 in Chiyoda and Minato (rent only, July 2026); with a fee of ¥5,000–15,000 that is ¥94,000–120,000, or 27–34% of the mean-based net pay of about ¥349,000 used for the cost meter. at home's 23-ward average for mansion units of 30 m² or less was ¥114,339 including the fee (August 2026). Wooden apartment buildings are cheaper: ¥77,438 on average.¥90,000–120,000 a month(€510–680 a month)SUUMO rent averages by ward (2026-07); at home rent trends (2026-08), August 2026
Two-bed flat (2LDK, about 50–70 m²)SUUMO's average rent for 2LDK/3K/3DK flats ran from ¥194,000 (Nakano) to ¥266,000 (Shinjuku) in the central-ish wards and over ¥300,000 in Minato, Chiyoda and Shibuya (rent only, July 2026); at home's 23-ward average for 50–70 m² mansion flats was ¥263,469 including the fee (August 2026). Outer wards: ¥122,000–154,000.¥200,000–280,000 a month(€1,150–1,600 a month)SUUMO rent averages by ward (2026-07); at home rent trends (2026-08), August 2026

Asking rents on the portals; what people actually pay is often lower for older contracts and higher for furnished short lets. Deposits and what can legally be charged on top are on the Japan page. The euro values are there to compare cities: rounded, a month, at the exchange rates of 20 October 2026 (how we convert).

Mid-rise blocks in Tokyo with towers on the horizon
Mid-rise blocks in Tokyo with towers on the horizon

Local tips

Gathered from local forums, city subreddits and expat groups, rewritten in our own words. They are what people who have done this say helped; none of it is a guarantee.

  1. Compare rent plus fee, never rent alone

    Tokyo adverts show the rent and the management or common-service fee (kanrihi or kyōekihi) separately, and the fee is paid every month on top. In our sample of 1DK/1LDK flats it ran from nothing to ¥20,000, usually ¥5,000–15,000. A flat at ¥170,000 with a ¥15,000 fee costs more than one at ¥180,000 with none. Sort the portals by 'rent + management fee'.

    Source: SUUMO listings, 1 October 2026; at home rent definitions

  2. Ask for the full cost sheet before you apply

    The Fair Trade Council's recent penalties against Tokyo agents list fees that were left out of adverts: room cleaning, air-conditioner cleaning, a '24-hour support' fee, lock change, disinfection and a members' service, plus guarantor fees of 50–100% of the first month's rent and fee and ¥10,000 a year after that. Ask the agent for an itemised estimate (mitsumori) of the move-in cost and ask which items are optional.

    Source: Capital Region Real Estate Fair Trade Council, measures of October 2025, January and March 2026

  3. Hunt for zero-deposit and zero-key-money flats

    Across Greater Tokyo, 63.3% of listings under ¥100,000 and 46.4% of those at ¥100,000–150,000 asked no deposit in 2025, and where a deposit or key money was asked it averaged about one month. Key money was waived on only 30% of listings at ¥100,000–150,000. Filter the portals for both, and outside January to March ask the agent to negotiate key money.

    Source: LIFULL HOME'S, deposit and key money trends in Greater Tokyo, November 2025

  4. In the peak season, apply before you view

    From January to March many flats are advertised while the current tenant is still there and are taken before a viewing is possible. Agents offer a 'first application' (senkō mōshikomi) that reserves the flat until you can see it, usually with the option to withdraw. For an April move-in, start in mid-February; outside the peak a search takes about three weeks to a month.

    Source: SUUMO, how long a search takes (updated July 2026)

  5. Check the lease type and the renewal terms

    Ask whether the lease is an ordinary lease, which renews unless the landlord has just cause, or a fixed-term lease (teiki shakka), which simply ends; Tokyo agents must also give you a written explanation of the Tokyo dispute-prevention rules before you sign. Most Tokyo leases run two years and renewal fees are a Tokyo custom: in MLIT's 2007 survey, the latest official figure (no newer source exists), 65% of Tokyo contracts charged one, about one month's rent. Ask whether your lease has one, and whether the guarantor company charges a renewal fee too, and factor both into the cost of staying.

    Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Rental Housing Dispute Prevention Ordinance; MLIT survey 2007

  6. Say no to an increase you do not accept, in writing

    If a new owner or the management company demands a higher rent at renewal, you do not have to sign. Keep paying the current rent and call the metropolitan government's rental hotline (03-5320-4958, weekdays); it offers free 20-minute lawyer consultations by appointment. Its March 2026 guidance warns that once you have signed an increase it is hard to undo.

    Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, rent increases after a change of owner (updated 12 March 2026)

  7. Use a share house or monthly flat as a bridge

    Share houses and furnished monthly flats need no guarantor and often no deposit, so you can move in within days of arriving, register your address at the ward office, get a residence card with an address, a bank account and a phone number, and only then apply for an ordinary lease. Private rooms in central share houses start at about ¥55,000–78,000 a month.

    Source: Borderless House and Oakhouse, October 2026

  8. Look along the lines, not just at ward names

    Rents fall steeply away from the Yamanote loop. SUUMO's average for a 1LDK-type flat was ¥234,000 in Minato and ¥171,000 in Shinjuku but ¥132,000–138,000 in Nakano and Suginami, ¥113,000–114,000 in Itabashi and Nerima and ¥89,000–95,000 in Adachi, Katsushika and Edogawa (July 2026). Across the river, a 30–50 m² flat averaged about ¥95,000 in Saitama and Chiba and ¥112,000 in Kanagawa, all including fees.

    Source: SUUMO rent averages by ward (2026-07); at home rent trends (2026-08)

Neighbourhoods

  • Minato, Chiyoda, Chūō and Shibuya higher rents

    The business and embassy districts (Roppongi, Azabu, Akasaka, Ginza, Shibuya, Ebisu): new high-rise rentals, many foreign-friendly agents and the highest rents, about ¥190,000–234,000 for a 1LDK-type flat (SUUMO, July 2026).

  • Shinjuku, Bunkyō and Meguro higher rents

    Central but more residential: Bunkyō around the universities, Meguro along the Tōyoko line (Naka-Meguro, Gakugei-daigaku), and quieter parts of Shinjuku such as Ochiai and Waseda. About ¥165,000–171,000 for a 1LDK-type flat.

  • Setagaya and Shinagawa (south-west) mid-range

    Leafy residential wards on the Odakyū, Keiō, Den-en-toshi and Tōkyū lines and around Ōimachi and Gotanda, popular with couples and families. About ¥145,000–162,000 for a 1LDK-type flat.

  • Nakano, Suginami and Musashino (the Chūō line) mid-range

    The Chūō and Sōbu lines west of Shinjuku (Nakano, Kōenji, Asagaya, Ogikubo, Kichijōji) have older low-rise flats, small shopping streets and many young renters. About ¥130,000–138,000 for a 1LDK-type flat in the wards, similar in Musashino.

  • Taitō, Sumida and Kōtō (the east side) mid-range

    Ueno, Asakusa and Kuramae, Kinshichō and Oshiage across the Sumida river, and the new towers of Toyosu and Kiyosumi-Shirakawa: central but cheaper than the west, about ¥139,000–156,000 for a 1LDK-type flat.

  • Toshima, Kita, Itabashi and Nerima (the north) mid-range

    Ikebukuro and the lines running north and north-west (Saikyō, Tōjō, Seibu Ikebukuro, Mita): good value within 20–30 minutes of the centre, about ¥113,000–143,000 for a 1LDK-type flat. Toshima limits short lets to school-holiday periods from 16 December 2026.

  • Adachi, Katsushika and Edogawa (the outer east) lower rents

    The cheapest of the 23 wards, about ¥89,000–95,000 for a 1LDK-type flat, with Kita-Senju, Kameari, Kasai and the Tōzai and Jōban lines into the centre. Longer commutes to the west side.

  • Western Tokyo and the commuter belt lower rents

    Beyond the 23 wards, Tachikawa, Hachiōji and Machida average about ¥77,000–90,000 for a 1LDK-type flat. Kawasaki and Yokohama (Kanagawa), Saitama city and Kawaguchi (Saitama) and Ichikawa and Funabashi (Chiba) are a common choice: a 30–50 m² flat averaged about ¥95,000–112,000 including fees in August 2026.

Low-rise housing and towers in central Tokyo from above
Low-rise housing and towers in central Tokyo from above

What landlords ask for

Have these ready as PDFs before the first viewing; in Tokyo the flat often goes to whoever sends a complete file first.

  • Residence card (zairyū kādo) and passport. Agents and guarantor companies check how long your period of stay has left; since 14 June 2026 new specified residence cards no longer print the period of stay on the front, so be ready to show it another way.
  • Proof of income: employment contract or certificate of employment (zaishoku shōmeisho) for new arrivals, recent payslips or the withholding slip (gensen chōshūhyō). Many landlords and guarantor companies look for annual income of about 36 times the monthly rent; UR asks for monthly income of four times the rent.
  • Students: certificate of enrolment, and often proof of savings or a parent's income.
  • A rent guarantor company contract, almost always required; the first fee is often 50–100% of one month's rent plus fee, then about ¥10,000 a year. Some guarantor companies with foreign-language support are on MLIT's register.
  • An emergency contact in Japan (often a colleague, employer or friend), and sometimes a personal guarantor as well.
  • A Japanese mobile phone number and, for rent by direct debit, a Japanese bank account; some guarantor companies accept a credit card instead.
  • A certificate of residence (jūminhyō) or your resident record once you have registered an address at a ward office (within 14 days of moving in).

Scams typical of Tokyo

Scam risk here is rated 3 of 5. No dated police or consumer-body warning about rental fraud aimed at flat-hunters in Tokyo in the last twelve months. The Capital Region Real Estate Fair Trade Council, the industry's self-regulation body for property adverts, penalised agencies for bait listings (Toshima ward, 2025-12; Chiyoda ward, 2026-05) and hidden fees (Minato ward, 2026-01); in FY2025 it penalised 13 rental advertisers and found bait listings in 2.6% of the rental adverts it checked. The general patterns, and what to do if you have already paid, are in the scam guide.

  • Bait listings (otori bukken)

    A cheap, well-placed flat brings you to the agency, where you are told it has just gone and are shown others. The Fair Trade Council fined a Toshima ward agency in December 2025 for adverts kept up for up to two months after the flats were let, and a Chiyoda ward agency in May 2026 for adverts left up for over a year. In its 2025 sweep 2.6% of rental adverts were bait listings. Ask the agent to confirm availability before you visit.

  • Fees left out of the advert

    Agencies in Minato ward were fined in October 2025 and January 2026 for leaving out lock-change, cleaning and '24-hour support' fees, and for showing 'no guarantee money' when ¥210,000 was due and non-refundable. If the cost sheet at the agency is much higher than the advert, ask for each extra item to be explained and refuse optional ones.

  • Unlicensed 'agents' on social media

    People posting in social-media groups or on messaging apps offer flats or 'guaranteed approval' for foreigners and ask for a deposit or application fee by bank transfer or app before any viewing. A real agent displays a licence number (issued by the Governor of Tokyo or the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) that you can check in MLIT's public search, and you pay move-in costs only after the screening is approved and you have the contract and explanation of important matters in hand.

  • Rent rises demanded after a change of owner

    Not a scam but a common Tokyo pressure tactic: a new owner demands a large increase and suggests you must agree or leave. Tokyo's guidance (March 2026) says you do not have to agree and that refusing is not a ground to refuse renewal; keep paying and call the rental hotline.

  • Unnecessary move-out charges

    Charges for wallpaper, flooring or cleaning beyond what the contract and the government's restoration guideline allow are the most common rental complaint to consumer centres. Take dated photos at move-in, be present at the final inspection, and call the Tokyo consumer centre (03-3235-1155) before you pay a disputed bill.

How long it takes

Outside the peak, plan on three to six weeks from first search to keys; from January to March, start early and expect to apply before viewing. Before you arrive, book a share house room or monthly flat for the first month, and ask your employer or school for a certificate of employment or enrolment. In the first week, register your address at the ward office (within 14 days), get a Japanese phone number and open a bank account. Then pick two or three lines and areas, save searches on SUUMO and LIFULL HOME'S, and contact an agent who works with foreign tenants: they can arrange viewings of most listings because agents share a vacancy database. Expect several days to a week for screening by the landlord and guarantor company after you apply. On approval you receive the explanation of important matters and the contract, then pay the move-in costs (often four to six months' rent: deposit, key money, agent's fee up to one month plus tax, guarantor fee, insurance, lock change and the first month) before you get the keys.

Where to get help

  • Tokyo Metropolitan Government: real estate and rental consultationsTokyo's rental hotline (03-5320-4958, weekdays) for tenants and landlords, free 20-minute lawyer or judicial-scrivener consultations by appointment (03-5320-5015), and the special advice on rent increases after a change of owner. In Japanese.
  • Tokyo Rental Housing Dispute Prevention Ordinance (the Tokyo Rule)In force since 1 October 2004, Tokyo only: agents must explain in writing, before you sign, who pays for restoration and repairs, any special clauses that put more on you, and who to contact for repairs. The page has the guideline, also in English.
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Consumer CenterFree consumer advice on 03-3235-1155, Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, including deposit, move-out and agency disputes. Interpreted consultations in English, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese through the same number. Or dial 188 for your nearest centre.
  • Tokyo Multilingual Consultation Navi (Tokyo Tsunagari Foundation)The metropolitan foundation's free line for foreign residents, 0120-142-142, for everyday questions including housing, which points you to the right office.
  • Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC)Government centre at Yotsuya in Shinjuku ward that brings together immigration, human-rights, legal and employment advice for foreign residents, including the Ministry of Justice's human-rights counselling for discrimination such as refusals because you are foreign.
  • Houterasu (Japan Legal Support Center)Free multilingual information line 0570-078377 (weekdays 9am to 5pm) and, for people on limited incomes, free legal consultations and help with lawyers' fees.
  • Capital Region Real Estate Fair Trade CouncilIndustry body for property advertising in Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures. Explains how to read rental adverts, takes reports of misleading or bait listings, and publishes its penalties each month.

Questions people ask about renting in Tokyo

How much does a flat in Tokyo cost in 2026?

Including the monthly management fee, the 23-ward average asking rent in August 2026 was ¥114,339 for a flat of 30 m² or less, ¥185,268 for 30–50 m² and ¥263,469 for 50–70 m², all record highs (at home). In central-ish wards such as Nakano, Toshima, Kōtō or Shinagawa, SUUMO's average rent for a 1LDK-type flat was ¥138,000–171,000 in July 2026, about ¥143,000–186,000 with the fee, and a 1K or 1DK about ¥94,000–120,000 with the fee; the outer east and western Tokyo are much cheaper.

How much money do I need to move in?

Usually four to six months' rent: a deposit (often none or one month), key money (often none or one month), the agent's fee (at most one month plus 10% tax), a guarantor company fee (often 50–100% of the first month's rent and fee), fire insurance, lock change and the first month's rent. In Greater Tokyo 46.4% of listings at ¥100,000–150,000 asked no deposit in 2025, but only about 30% waived key money (LIFULL HOME'S, November 2025).

Will landlords in Tokyo rent to foreigners?

Many do, but refusals are common: in the Ministry of Justice's 2016 survey, 39.3% of foreign residents who had looked for a home had been turned down for being foreign. Use an agent that works with foreign tenants, filter for foreigner-friendly listings, and consider UR, JKK Tokyo, Village House or a share house, which take foreign residents without a personal guarantor.

When is the best time to look for a flat in Tokyo?

Avoid January to March if you can: it is the peak before April starts, rents and competition are highest, and flats go before they can be viewed. From May to August and in the autumn there is less competition and more room to negotiate key money or the move-in date. Allow about three weeks to a month from search to contract (SUUMO, 2026).

Can short lets reduce what is available to rent in Tokyo?

Short lets in ordinary homes are capped at 180 nights a year nationally, and wards can restrict them further. Toshima ward, which had more than 1,800 notified short-let homes, will limit them to about 120 days a year in school holidays and ban new ones in about 70% of the ward from 16 December 2026 (Toshima ward, 2025–26).

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