Housing Office | Housing Information | Applying for Housing You Like

Once you have found a room that you like, the next step is to submit an application form to the landlord to seek approval for moving in. In addition to the application form, you will need to submit the following documents:

Copy of your Residence card or foreign resident registration card (front and back copy)
Income statement

Besides the documents mentioned above, the landlord and real estate agency may ask you for:

Copy of your student identification card (proof that you are a UTokyo student)
Bank statement that proves that you receive money for living expenses
If your resident status is about to expire, you may have to submit a proof of matriculation to an educational institution to show that you would continue to live in Japan
Proof of income of your guarantor (such as certificate of tax payment）
※For students using the University of Tokyo”Joint Guarantor Assistance System,” please visit the Office of the International Students and Researchers Support Group of Hongo Campus（2nd floor of Student Support Center）to receive the necessary documents, and submit one of these documents to the real estate agency.

The landlord, real estate agency, or the guarantor service provider may call your guarantor to confirm the content of the information that you provide, and may also request to conduct an interview with you. Points that these parties consider during your application evaluation are the ability to pay for rent, and personality.

TLandlords in Japan consider real estate as valuable assets. Some consider leasing housing as allowing someone else to use part of their valuable asset. There is even a perspective among landlords that the rationale behind collecting “key money” is for the landlord to be compensated for the emotional burden they bear for leasing their valuable assets.

Since this is the case, please note that some landlords are not only concerned about your ability to pay rent, but also about what kind of a person you are, and about your background. Are you a person who would get along with other neighbors? Would you abide by local rules and norms? Are you familiar with Japanese customs? These are examples of points that landlords tend to want to know about.

In addition, there are chances that people who fit the following may be denied as a sufficient guarantor for your lease contract. (The conditions to become guarantor are not specified by law, and are based on personal judgment of the landlord.)

person who has retired from work, gains no income, and is living off of pension
person who has just started working
person who cannot speak Japanese
person who does not live in Japan
company / organization not registered in Japan