What to look for when searching for a private apartment　

1. Expenses required besides room rent

(1) Deposit Money
The deposit is paid to the landlord as security for any failure to pay the rent and so on. This is refunded when a tenant leaves the house, unless there is any previous neglect in paying the rent or damage to the room. The amount of money is equivalent to about 2 or 3 months' rent.

(2) Common Expenses/Common Area Fee
The common expenses are sometimes included in the rent. If not, it covers the electricity and water supply charges for areas in common use such as electric, water sewer, garbage and cleaning charges.

(3) Key Money (non-refunnable)
Those renting a room in Japan generally pays a certain amount of money to the landlord as a gratuity. The amount of money is equivalent to about 2 months' rent.

(4) Agent Charge
The fee is paid to the real estate agent as a brokerage fee. The amount of money is equivalent to about 1 months' rent.

2. When looking for a private apartment

When looking for an apartment, we recommend that your guarantor, your Japanese friends, or your tutor, should accompany you. The number of international students, who have problems or trouble with landlords or real estate agencies when they leave, is increasing.

3. Joint guarantor

Hiroshima University has issued "Apartment Tenant Guarantee Certificates" and provided institutional guarantee contracts for international students who cannot find a joint guarantor when moving into an apartment, but this program was discontinued in September 2016 (except in the case of Sun Square Higashi-Hiroshima tenants).

Currently, international students can rent a room without a joint guarantor by signing a contract (for a fee) with a rent guarantee company. Please go through the procedures for using a guarantee company at the counter of real estate agencies. However, depending on the property, you may not be able to use a guarantee company, so you need to check before signing a contract.

4. Notes on signing a contract

(1) The contract for renting a room is effective for 2 years.
If you want to rent a room for a period shorter than two years, you should inform the real estate agent of the occupancy period before signing the contract. If you decide to move out after a shorter period of occupancy than you had indicated when you signed the contract, you will have to pay a penalty fee. If you move out after less than one year, it is common to pay a penalty equivalent to one month rent.

(2) More than two persons cannot live in the 1K rooms (a room plus a kitchen).
If you wish to live with family or friends, please inform your real estate agent in advance to find a suitable property for your situation.

5. After renting a room

(1) If friends visit your room
You should not make a noise and bother other residents when you invite your friends to your room.

(2) No shoes are allowed indoors in Japan.
Keep the room clean, especially the kitchen. You should clean up the kitchen after cooking the oily dish.

(3) Garbage disposal
Municipalities collect household garbage, which is put out in the specified site on the specified day. The garbage must be separated into several categories such as burnable and unburnable. There are differences in the rules among municipalities, so you should ask to your landlord, caretaker, or neighbors.

6. Precaustions when moving out

(1) You must notify the real estate agent/your landlord at least one month before you move out.
If you leave the room without any advance notice, the landlord might charge penalty.

(2) You should leave the room in the same condition as when you moved in.
Please do not leave furniture, dishes, bicycles, motorcycles, etc. that you used when you lived in the apartment. You should dispose of everything on your own before leaving.