Tokyo Real Estate News & Information

Lease Guarantor Companies in Japan

When renting apartments in Japan, it is common for lease agreements to mandate the involvement of a guarantor company. Many such agreements necessitate the provision of either a joint guarantor or a guarantor company at the time of contract conclusion. A joint guarantor or a guarantor company has t…

Rent Arrears and Eviction Process in Japan

When a tenant in your rental property is behind on rent payments, it is important to note that Japanese law does not permit immediate eviction requests or changing of door locks and keys by the landlord. To address potential issues related to rent arrears, it is essential to understand the appropri…

English-speaking Architecture Firms / Architects in Japan

We have many requests from foreign customers who want to buy lands and build houses on them, rebuild old houses, renovate preowned condominiums in Japan. We find, however, that many foreigners are worried about communication in Japanese and are not able to convey the desired image and design well. …

Registration will be mandatory when inheriting real estate in Japan!

From 1 April 2024, application for inheritance registration will be mandated, and penalties will be imposed for failure to do so. This act will apply to all persons who inherit real estate in Japan, including Japanese nationals and foreigners residing outside of Japan. In the past, many people did…

About the Handling of Keys for a Rental Housing Japan

What should you do if you lose a key for a lease house? Here we provide guidance about how to handle losing a lease housing key and how much it costs for recovery or compensation. What should you do if you lose a key for a rental housing such as a rental apartment or a rental detached house? Here w…

What is Group Credit Life Insurance (Danshin)？ - Insurance attached to a Housing Loan

When taking out a housing loan, you are required to join “Group credit life insurance” as one of the conditions of the loan. Group credit life insurance is a life insurance policy specifically for housing loans that reduces the loan debt to zero in the event that a housing loan borrower dies or bec…

Agent commission for real estate transactions in Japan

In Japan, agent commissions are often paid in real property transactions, but many people may wonder why should they be paid? So, we will explain here what the agent commissions are and how the amounts are determined, etc., for the case of buying, selling, and leasing. What is an agent commission?…

Joint mortgages for married couples

In Japan, the number of households with dual-income couples is increasing, and more and more housing loans are being taken out by married couples. Rather than applying by one spouse alone, combining the income of both spouses can increase the borrowing amount, and depending on how the loan is struc…

Renting a Pet-friendly apartment in Japan

It is common practice that residential properties in Japan have very strict rules regarding the ownership of pets. These rules are decided and enforced by the building owner and or management. If you would like to have a pet in a rental property or already have a pet that you would like to live wit…

The Quality of Homat Series Apartments in Tokyo

Kowa Real Estate created and constructed Homat brand apartments especially for foreign company executives and diplomats residing in central Tokyo. Homat rental apartments have grown significantly since 1965, mostly in and around central Tokyo in places like Hiroo, Azabu, Akasaka, and Roppongi. Thes…