Typical lease fees and vocabulary in Japan
Navigate the Market: Real Estate and Housing Vocabulary in Japanese: Typical lease fees and vocabulary in Japan
Typical lease fees in Japan usually include the following components:
- Rent (家賃, yachin): Monthly rent paid to the landlord.
- Maintenance or Management Fee (共益費, kyoeki-hi): Covers common area maintenance, usually 5,000 to 10,000 yen monthly.
- Security Deposit (敷金, shikikin): Typically one month’s rent, refundable after lease ends minus any damages.
- Key Money (礼金, reikin): Non-refundable payment to the landlord, often one to two months’ rent.
- Agency Fee: Usually one month’s rent plus 10% tax, paid to the real estate agent.
- Renewal Fee (更新料, koushinryo): Fee paid at lease renewal, usually one to one-and-a-half months’ rent, common in Tokyo/Kyoto.
- Insurance: Tenant’s insurance covering damages and liabilities, cost around 18,000 to 20,000 yen for two years.
- Utilities: Not included in rent, typically over 10,000 yen per month.
- Cleaning Fee / Lock Smith Fee: Charged for cleaning after move-out or changing locks.
Typical upfront move-in costs equate to about 4-6 months of rent including these fees.
Important vocabulary in Japanese leasing includes:
| Japanese Term | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 家賃 (Yachin) | Rent | Monthly rental payment |
| 敷金 (Shikikin) | Security Deposit | Refundable deposit for damages/unpaid rent |
| 礼金 (Reikin) | Key Money | Non-refundable “thank you” payment to landlord |
| 管理費・共益費 (Kanri-hi / Kyoeki-hi) | Management / Maintenance Fee | Monthly fee for common area upkeep |
| 仲介手数料 (Chukai Tesuryou) | Agency Fee | Commission paid to realtor, about one month’s rent |
| 更新料 (Koushinryo) | Renewal Fee | Fee for renewing lease, common in some regions |
| 保証金 (Hoshoukin) | Guarantee Deposit | Sometimes used instead of or alongside shikikin |
| 保証人 (Hoshounin) | Guarantor | Person guaranteeing tenant rent payments |
| 保証会社 (Hoshou Gaisha) | Guarantor Company | Company that acts as guarantor on tenant’s behalf |
| 契約 (Keiyaku) | Lease Agreement | Rental contract document |
This fee structure and vocabulary are quite unique to Japan’s rental market and important to understand when leasing property there. 1, 2, 3, 4