Tokyo is one of cities in the world where expats, foreigners and students are spoilt for choice when it comes to housing. Residential housing in Tokyo is built to meet the needs of all cadres of foreigners, but at a cost! The housing here is built to cover the lifestyles of the foreigners and range from high, mid and low rise luxury apartments. Most of the houses in Tokyo are small; this is the reason why real estate agents have taken note of building modern houses with large sitting rooms, bedrooms with master en-suite and are spread around all parts of Tokyo. Housing for expat in Tokyo ranges between apartments and mansionette.
When looking for a house in Tokyo as a foreigner, it is important to find out before signing the contract (which normally is written both in Japanese and English) what the law requirements in regard to bringing a pet to Japan entails. Looking for a house can be time consuming and the language barrier is usually a big hindrance to foreigners. It is imperative to decide on the type of housing required and seek the services of a translator or a reputable real estate agent who will provide the above services at a small fee. Foreigners incur a lot of money when they settle in Tokyo because of the many charges that are required from the landlords or the estate agents.
The agents are usually able to provide advice on the kinds of houses available in the market and their prices, and are most of the times e able to help customers negotiate the overall pricing. Renting an apartment in Tokyo involves several payment methods. Upon identification of the apartment or house in question, a deposit (which is equivalent to one months rent is paid), monthly rent, key money (amounting to two months rent as a ‘thank you’) is a must, an agent fee has to be paid and some real estate agents require maintenance fee and finally upon the end of the contract a renewal fee which also amounts close to another two months rent. A foreigner intending to settle in Tokyo must be ready to part with a large sum of money in-order to comfortable enjoy the living surroundings.
