catatan hati seorang perantau hakiki

as-salam


finding a good place to live in Japan can be a challenger. it is definitely not an easy task to accomplish by any means. Apartments are usually rented through real estate agents (japanese: fudousan) and some agencies are available across the country such as miniminieheyaable. and for those who can't understand Japanese, I suggest you to use this homepage, Japanhome.

1. home size

Japanese describes the size of apartments by indicating the number of rooms. for example;

1 K: 1 room and 1 kitchen
1DK: 1 room and 1 dining kitchen
2LDK: 2 rooms  and 1 living dining kitchen 
2. room size

The room size in Japan is usually represented by the number of tatamis (japanese: jou). Tatami is a traditional Japanese flooring material made of rice straw and one size of it is approximately 182 x 91 [cm]. It has a distinct smell; sweet and strong but without being happy. You may need some time to get used to it.

There are also Japanese apartments come with wooden floor (japanese: wa-shitsu).

3. toilet

Apartment with UB (unit bathroom), where both the toilet and bath are in a single unit, is much less expensive.

4. nearest train station

the walking distance from the nearest train station is a major factor when searching for an apartment in Japan. the closer to the train station, the higher the rent. so, if you are lazy to walk, just look at places that are 0~3 minutes away. but, if you prefer to save money, you can look at a house that is 7~10 minutes away. and from the house, you can walk or take bicycles to the station. but, please note that most parking lots for bicycles are not free of charge.

5. contract fees

Before even thinking about calling a Japanese real estate agent, you need quite a bit of cash on hand.

a. reservation fee (yoyaku-kin) : this reservation fee is refunded after you sign the actual contract.
b. deposit (shiki-kin) : it is refunded when you move out. but, don't expect much coz maybe only 20~30% of your deposit is refundable. they will use your deposit to clean and repair any damages. the deposit is usually equivalent to 2 months' rent.
c. key money (rei-kin) : rei is respect in English, and kin is money. haha. this money goes to landlord for showing our respect to them. haha. and it is usually equivalent to 2 months' rent. owh, and of course it is not refundable. haha
d. service fee (chukai tesuryou) : non refundable payment to the agent. the amount is usualy equivalent to 1 month rent. 

AND, don't forget to pay your rent. as a general rule of thumb, every new tenant is expected to pay two month's rent upfront.

6. guarantor

Many agents require you to have a guarantor co-sign the rental contract. The guarantor must be a Japanese national with strong financial background.  so, you can ask your company or your university to be your guarantor.. =)

7. type of gas system

There are 2 types of gases for residential use in Japan, which are city gas (japanese: toshi gasu) and propane gas (puropan gasu). It depends on where you live as the gas type is not interchangeable. I suggest you to find a house with city gas because it is much cheaper than the propane gas.


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have any questions? just drop me a comment below!! =)

11 ulasan:

  1. Mahalnya cost of living di Jepun yerr..! Income dorang setanding tak dengan cost tu Mirul?

    BalasPadam
  2. Income diaorg average, 200000yen. Rumah kalau sorang, average 60000yen. So, kira ada lagi utk save. Hee

    BalasPadam
  3. bagus la tips nie.. sebagai rujukan pd mereka yg nak cari rumah kat jepun... good2..

    BalasPadam
  4. @hafiz

    haah. semoga bermanfaat untuk semua. hehe

    BalasPadam
  5. mcm best hidup kat jepun :) kos sara hidup ok ke? selain sewa2 umah ni, makan/transport, dlm range harga yg berpatutan ke? boleh ke Malaysian adapt *obviously u can. Lol hehe..

    BalasPadam
  6. @anasyg

    Kos hidup pun mahal.tp Alhamdulillah kerajaan sedia elaun yg cukup untuk hidup. Hehe

    BalasPadam
  7. hmm. bagus jugak kerajaan Malaysia ni *LOL hahaha. :) bgus2

    BalasPadam
  8. untunglaa pandai bahasa jepun . bagus tips ni . kazen kita nak kena pergi jepun bulan 4 nih :)

    BalasPadam
  9. @supergirl

    Haha. Alhamdulillah, diberi rezeki untuk pandai bahasa jepun. Owh. Kazen dtg belajar?

    BalasPadam
  10. tips yang sangat berguna..bagus3..:)
    belajar luar negara ni banyak pengalaman yg boleh dikutip..nanti buat la n3 untuk yg nak pergi melancong pulak..suami anak buah ada nak melancong kesana..:)

    BalasPadam
  11. @kak sura

    hehehe.. sama-sama,, entry untuk melancong, saya tak pandai sangat sbb saya kurang jenjalan kat sini.. =( maaf.

    BalasPadam