01 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
Plan the visit around how you will live
Good light and a spotless floor make a strong first impression. They will not decide your daily life. A viewing is mainly for finding out whether your sofa fits through the door, whether the bedroom will be quiet at night and whether the building offers the services you need.
We organise every viewing around three areas: the apartment, the building and the surrounding streets. MLIT's rental guide already suggests checking equipment, appliance space and local conveniences; we turn that into a method for the visit and the follow-up. [1]
Before you go, set your three priorities. Some can be checked on the spot with a tape measure. Others, such as the history of a damp mark or the building's structure, need a written answer from a professional.
Apartment
Layout, light and noise
Building
Records, services and rules
Surroundings
Routes, amenities and maps
02 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
The pitfalls specific to Japan
These questions can change whether a home belongs on your shortlist. We check them before taking you to the property.
The building permit date, not the completion date. The newer seismic rules introduced on 1 June 1981 are generally checked through the building-confirmation date, not simply the completion year. A building completed in 1982 may therefore fall under the old standard. Ask for the building-confirmation date (kenchiku kakunin) and, for an older building, assessment or retrofit records. [9]
The type of lease. An ordinary lease (futsū shakuya) generally continues or renews; a landlord needs legally sufficient grounds to refuse renewal. A valid fixed-term lease (teiki shakuya) ends without automatic renewal; a new contract needs agreement from both sides. [10] [11] For a three-year assignment, a two-year fixed-term lease can become a real problem. Check the early-termination terms too: transfers often come sooner than planned.
What year three costs. Check the stated renewal fee: it is contractual, not automatically one month or a statutory charge. [10] If the landlord requires a guarantee company, ask for its initial and recurring fees, frequency and conditions; these are not universal legal requirements. [12] Compare homes over the real length of your stay, not the first month.
Whether your application will really be accepted. "Foreigners welcome" does not guarantee that an application with no history in Japan will pass, or that a cat or a piano will be allowed. Get these points confirmed in writing before you get attached to the home.
Winter comfort. Inspect the actual glazing and heating, and check the equipment’s manufacturing year and condition. Ask whether gas is city gas or LPG, and request the applicable tariff rather than assuming a standard running cost.
The document that counts. In a brokered transaction, a licensed real-estate transaction specialist (takken-shi) must explain the legally required important matters before the contract. Read that document alongside the lease and building rules; do not assume it contains every practical answer. [13] Ask for it in advance so you have time to read it, and to have it translated if needed.
What we do for you
We get these answers in Japanese from the property manager, go through the explanation of important matters with you and flag anything that could rule the home out before the viewing.
03 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
Ask for the right information
Start with the essentials: the building, the unit number and its availability. Then one simple question that avoids many disappointments: do the photos show this apartment, a neighbouring unit or a staged room?
Ask for the current floor plan, the equipment list and the building rules. Clarify which appliances belong to the lease, who maintains them and what repairs are planned. That applies to furnished homes and to items left by the previous tenant alike.
Bring the dimensions of your bed, desk, refrigerator and washing machine. The delivery route matters as much as the space: entrance, lift, corridor, apartment door.
Still abroad? Ask for a continuous video of the actual unit, including storage, windows and equipment. Keep a note of what video cannot show: noise, smells, how the rooms feel.
04 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
In the rooms: observe, without playing the expert
The aim is not a technical inspection, but knowing what to look at and what to ask.
| Topic | Check on site, with permission | Ask for confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Usable layout | Furniture footprints, door swings, circulation and storage depth. | Dimensions missing from the plan; what is included in the stated area. |
| Light and outlook | Actual window direction, nearby obstructions, privacy and room use at the visit time. | Known planned works or neighbouring construction; what is not known. |
| Noise | Listen with windows open and shut, in the bedroom and intended work area. | Building rules, known works and whether a second visit can test a different time. |
| Ventilation and visible moisture | Visible marks around windows, ceilings and wet areas; do not diagnose the cause. | Reported history, repair records and who will assess any unresolved concern. |
| Equipment | Ask for a demonstration of permitted kitchen, heating/cooling and water functions. | Which appliances are included, service responsibilities and outstanding repairs. |
| Work connectivity | Check your own mobile reception where relevant. | Available fixed connection, installation permission and timing; "internet ready" is not measured speed. |
Scroll the table if needed ↔
Noise deserves special attention. A 14:00 visit on a quiet street says nothing about the bar that opens at 20:00 on the ground floor. If the bedroom matters to you, come back at the hour that matters. As for "internet ready", it says nothing about actual speed.
05 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
The building and its services
Follow the route you will take every day, from the street to your door. Look at access, parcels, rubbish, bicycle or car parking and how faults are reported. Confirm which services the rent includes, their hours and which are charged separately.
For the structure, ask for the building's own documents. Tokyo's seismic mark distinguishes buildings built to newer standards, assessed buildings and retrofitted ones; the city points out that the mark alone does not guarantee seismic performance. Interior renovation and structural work are two different things. [2]
On high floors, JMA explains that long-period ground motion can make towers sway for a long time and move unsecured furniture. Ask about the building's measures and the furniture fixings it allows. [3]
The right question about backup power
Which systems are powered, under what conditions and for how long? Ask about lifts, water and shared services separately.
06 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
Read the detail behind preparedness claims
The Tokyo Todomaru Mansion register distinguishes up to five levels. One star can represent preparedness activities or backup power alone. Higher levels combine preparedness activities with registered equipment such as backup power, lift measures and emergency supplies. [4]
For a registered building, ask for its current entry and the equipment listed. A building missing from this voluntary register is not necessarily poorly prepared: you simply need to ask the questions.
Finally, ask for the residents' manual: how instructions are shared, what happens when lifts stop, water, toilets and mobility needs.
07 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
Hazard maps, at the exact address
The official Hazard Map Portal points to local information and municipal maps. Look at the exact address: two streets in the same ward can be very different. [5]
Two useful points. GSI distinguishes its overlay map from the municipal flood maps used for the statutory explanation, and its overlay may not reflect the latest data. [6] MLIT reminds readers that an unshaded area does not mean no flood risk. [7]
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Exact location and map issuer | Prevents a neighbouring block or a different authority's layer from being mistaken for the relevant source. |
| Hazard and scenario | River flooding, rainwater flooding, storm surge and landslide information answer different questions. |
| Legend, map date and coverage | Prevents "not displayed" or "not checked" from being recorded as no risk. |
| Open question and recipient | Give the agent or issuing authority a specific item to clarify. |
Scroll the table if needed ↔
On upper floors, think about entrances, electrical equipment and lifts too: a 12th-floor apartment can stay dry while the building becomes hard to live in.
What we do for you
We check the maps that apply to the address and put the matching questions to the property manager, so you have written answers before you sign.
08 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
The streets you will use
After the viewing, walk around the neighbourhood as if you already lived there: shopping bags, a suitcase, a stroller. Spot the crossings, slopes, real station entrances and the nearest convenience store.
If you can, come back in the evening or at the weekend. Traffic, terraces, building works or a quiet courtyard: note what you see and relate it to the rooms where you will sleep and work. For the trip to the office or school, our door-to-door commute guide can help.
09 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
Keep a clear record of the answers
After each viewing, organise the follow-up in four columns: the question, the information received, the point still open and the next action, with the source and date of each answer.
| Question | Information received: source and date | Open point | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom noise at night | Record visit time, room and window position | Conditions outside the observed period | Request a relevant follow-up visit |
| Water during an outage | Obtain the manager’s current operating description | Systems powered and duration | Clarify water, lifts and shared services |
| Mark around a window | Keep a dated photograph and the response received | Cause and any required repair | Request the appropriate professional’s assessment |
Scroll the table if needed ↔
Then sort: what rules the home out, what must be clarified before committing, and the preferences you are willing to trade. Before signing, check every promised repair and included item against the written terms.
At handover, make a dated record of the condition following the agency's procedure. MLIT provides a move-in and move-out checklist; your viewing photos are a useful complement on the day you leave. [8]
10 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
Track the questions still waiting for an answer
Update each topic as you prepare and follow up. "Answer received" only means a reply exists; read it before treating the point as settled.
Local notes: nothing transmitted or saved. Do not enter identity documents or bank details.
The tracker stays in this page, with no upload or automatic saving. Export it before closing the page.
11 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
Common questions
The apartment is renovated. What should I ask?
The scope and date of the works, the new equipment and the building's documents. A new kitchen says nothing about the structure.
What should I check on a high floor?
Furniture fixings, lifts, water supply, access outside the building and the maps for the exact address.
What should be confirmed before the keys?
Promised repairs and equipment, in writing, the handover conditions and a dated condition record. Anything important gets clarified before you sign or pay, not after.
12 / RENTAL FIELDNOTES
Prepare the viewing with us
Tell us which home interests you and your two or three priorities. We prepare the viewing, obtain the documents and the property manager's answers, and support you through to key handover.
Discuss your rental search
Share your priorities, budget and timing through the GAISAPP consultation form.
Sources and methodology
Sources rechecked on 1 October 2026. General information; calculation examples are not actual listings.
- [1]MLIT - Apartment Search Guidebook (English)Checks on equipment, appliance space and surroundings; move-in condition record
- [2]Tokyo Metropolitan Government - Seismic Mark systemCategories, required documents and limits of the scheme
- [3]Japan Meteorological Agency - Long-period ground motionLong swaying of tall buildings and movement of unsecured furniture
- [4]Tokyo Metropolitan Government - Revised Tokyo Todomaru Mansion registrationCurrent registration and five-level display criteria
- [5]GSI - Hazard Map Portal overviewOverlay map and access to municipal hazard maps
- [6]GSI / MLIT - Hazard Map Portal FAQOverlay map versus municipal flood maps; depth measured from local ground
- [7]MLIT - Flood-hazard disclosure Q&AShowing the property on the municipal flood map; an unshaded area is not risk-free
- [8]MLIT - Property condition and restoration checklist (English)Condition record at move-in and move-out
- [9]MLIT: documents for newer seismic standardsBuilding confirmation date and evidence of compliance
- [10]MLIT: rental move-in and departure guidanceOrdinary lease protections; renewal fees are not a statutory obligation
- [11]MLIT: fixed-term rental contractsNo automatic renewal at expiry; check individual contract and legal requirements
- [12]MLIT: rent-guarantee company registerGuarantee-company framework, not a universal requirement for tenants
- [13]MLIT: information for real-estate consumersImportant matters explained before entering a brokered transaction