Before Signing a Rental Contract in Japan: 15 Things You Must Check
A 15-point checklist to read before you sign a Japanese lease: contract type, rent, renewal fees, early termination, co-residents, pets and move-out costs.
When the agent says "your application passed," it is tempting to celebrate and sign on the spot. But passing screening only means you are now eligible to move on to a contract. From the moment you sign, the clauses on rent, contract term, renewal, early termination, co-residents, pets and moving out start to bind you.
The key principle: never sign a document you do not understand. Guidance from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) recommends that tenants read the contract, have it explained to them, and understand it fully before signing. Your signature says you accept the contents and undertake to comply with them. Apartment Search Guidebook
1. Confirm which type of contract it is
Check whether the contract is:
普通賃貸借契約: an ordinary lease.定期賃貸借契約or定期建物賃貸借契約: a fixed-term lease.
Do not just look at the "2 years" figure. Ordinary leases and fixed-term leases differ in how they end, renew, or have to be signed again. With a fixed-term lease, the tenancy ends when the term expires under the conditions set by law and by the contract; staying on may require a new agreement.
Ask in writing:
Does the contract continue automatically when the term ends?
Is it a renewal, or a brand-new contract?
Is there a fee for staying on?
When will I receive notice that the term is ending?
What is the difference between an ordinary lease and a fixed-term lease?
This is the point tenants most often get wrong, because both types can print "term: 2 years" on exactly the same line.
普通借家契約: staying on is the default
With an ordinary lease, the contract carries on after the term expires. MLIT guidance describes the contract as renewing automatically, with the landlord unable to refuse renewal without justifiable grounds. In other words, your staying on is the default, and ending the tenancy is the exception that needs a reason.
定期借家契約: expiry is a hard stop
With a fixed-term lease, the tenancy ends definitively when the term expires, and there is no renewal. If both sides agree, a new contract 再契約 can be signed. The difference is not just wording: renewal is a right, whereas signing again depends on the landlord's consent, and the rent terms of the new contract may differ from the first one. Apartment Search Guidebook
This type of contract also comes with two documents that an ordinary lease does not have: a written pre-contract explanation 事前説明書 confirming that this contract will not be renewed, and a notice of termination 終了通知書 sent by the landlord before the term ends. If you are handed either of these, that is a clear sign you are signing a fixed-term lease. Standard lease contract forms — MLIT
So think ahead about how long you intend to stay. A well-priced 定期借家 unit with only one year left on its term can force you to move and pay a full set of move-in costs again sooner than you planned.
2. The tenant's name and every co-resident
Check the spelling of names against your residence card and the list of occupants. If a spouse, child or flatmate will live in the unit, they must be declared as required.
Do not swap occupants on your own, let friends stay long term, or sublet to someone else. Contracts usually contain rules on assignment, subletting and changes to the declared occupants.
3. Address, unit number and floor area
It sounds obvious, but a wrong unit number or wrong building affects your address registration, deliveries, insurance and later paperwork.
Compare the details on:
The lease contract.
The Explanation of Important Matters.
The cost estimate.
The floor plan.
The key handover notice.
If the address is written differently across documents, ask which official form to use when you file your 住民票 (certificate of residence) and update your residence card.
4. Rent start date and key handover date
The signing date, the tenancy start date, the key handover date and your moving day can all be different. You need to know:
From which date does rent start accruing?
Is the first month prorated by day?
Is the following month collected in advance?
When can you enter the property?
If you have not received the keys but the contract has already started, who bears the cost?
Do not assume that rent only starts on the first night you sleep in the unit.
5. Rent, management fee and payment method
Check each item separately:
Base rent.
Management fee or common area fee.
Monthly guarantor company fee.
Bank transfer or direct debit charges.
Car parking, bicycle parking or storage fees.
A compulsory internet service, if there is one.
Note down the monthly payment date and what happens if there are insufficient funds in your account. Do not wait until you get a reminder to ask how to pay again.
6. The full set of move-in costs
Cross-check the contract against the move-in cost estimate:
Security deposit
敷金.Key money
礼金.Agency fee.
Guarantor company fee.
Insurance.
Lock replacement.
Rent paid in advance.
Cleaning fee or other services.
Ask which items are refundable, which are not, and on what conditions. Do not transfer extra money to a different account unless you have verified the reason and the recipient.
7. Contract renewal fees
An ordinary lease may stipulate a 更新料 — a renewal fee — along with a handling charge, a guarantor company renewal fee and insurance renewal.
Do not ask only about the rent renewal fee. Add up everything that may fall due at the same time:
The lease renewal fee.
The management company's administrative charge.
The guarantor fee for the next period.
The insurance renewal premium.
8. Early termination clauses
Some units carry a 短期解約違約金 — a penalty for cancelling within a short period. For example, a contract may impose a penalty if you leave within the first 6 months or 1 year. The exact amount has to be read in the contract itself; there is no single figure that applies to every property.
If your job could relocate you or your family situation may change, this clause matters especially. A unit with low move-in costs but a heavy early termination penalty is not necessarily the right choice.
9. Notice period for moving out
Check how far in advance you must give notice, and by what means:
One month, two months, or some other period?
By app, form, email or letter?
Is the date of receipt or the date of sending used for the calculation?
Can the notice be withdrawn?
Telling a member of staff or the landlord verbally may not be enough. Keep evidence of the date you submitted your notice.
10. Pet rules
If the contract prohibits pets, do not assume that a small dog, a cat, a bird or a caged animal will automatically be allowed. A pet-friendly unit may require an additional deposit, cleaning, or conditions on the type and number of animals.
Confirm this in writing before you sign, or before you get the pet. A breach can lead to high restoration costs and a contractual dispute.
11. Bans on subletting and business use
A property rented as a home is not automatically permitted to be used as:
A short-term rental unit.
A business premises that customers visit.
Large-scale storage.
A registered company address.
Accommodation for people not declared in the contract.
Working remotely from home is not necessarily the same as using the property as a business office, but you should still check the clause if your activity generates noise, deliveries or visitors.
12. Which fittings belong to the property?
Distinguish between equipment supplied by the landlord and items left behind by the previous tenant. If the air conditioner, cooker, lights or other equipment are leftover items with no guarantee attached, responsibility for repairs may be different.
Check the equipment list and how to report a fault. Do not call a repair technician yourself or replace major equipment without permission.
13. Insurance and the guarantor company
Read the term, renewal fee and scope of each accompanying contract. A guarantor agreement does not cancel the tenant's debt when the company pays on your behalf. Insurance does not cover every incident either.
Keep these separately:
Your insurance policy number.
The phone number for reporting an incident.
The guarantor company's details.
What happens if a payment is late.
14. Restoration to original condition and cleaning fees
Under the rules set out in the Japanese Civil Code, the tenant does not bear a restoration obligation for wear caused by normal use, or for deterioration over time. That said, a contract may include special clauses, and the specific allocation of responsibility has to be read carefully. Tokyo Housing Policy Bureau
MLIT recommends recording the condition of the property when you move in, and confirming the restoration terms at the time of signing, to head off disputes when you move out. Restoration to original condition guidelines
Ask clearly:
How much is the fixed cleaning fee?
Is it charged on move-in or on move-out?
Is there a separate cleaning fee for the air conditioner?
Is there a
敷引き(non-refundable deposit deduction)?Which types of damage are the tenant's responsibility?
Normal wear and tear is not your obligation
The restoration guidelines define restoration to original condition as repairing the loss in the building's value caused by the tenant's intent, negligence, breach of the duty of care, or use beyond the normal level. The guidelines state explicitly that this is not returning the property to exactly the state it was in when you received it. The cost of repairing wear from ordinary use and deterioration over time is treated as already covered by the monthly rent, so in principle it falls on the landlord. Restoration to original condition guidelines
In practice, wallpaper that has dulled after a few years of living there, flooring faded by sunlight, or light indentations from furniture legs are not in the same category as cigarette burns, mould caused by a lack of ventilation, or holes drilled into the wall.
When is a special clause requiring extra payment actually valid?
A contract can still include a special clause making the tenant bear costs beyond the ordinary obligation — a fixed cleaning fee, for example, or replacing all the wallpaper. MLIT guidance sets out three conditions for such a clause to be regarded as valid:
There is an objective and reasonable justification for the clause, and the clause is not excessively exploitative.
The tenant is aware that they are taking on a repair obligation beyond the ordinary scope of restoration.
The tenant has expressed an intention to accept that obligation.
Read in reverse, these three conditions tell you something very practical: if a charge sits faintly in an annex and nobody has ever explained the specific amount to you, you have grounds to ask for an explanation and to have it stated clearly before you sign. Once you have signed, proving that it was never explained to you is far harder.
15. Every special clause 特約
Special clauses usually sit at the end of the contract or in an annex, yet they can contain the most significant obligations. Read every line covering:
Cleaning.
Smoking.
Pets.
Early termination penalties.
Lock replacement.
Repairs.
Co-residents.
Compulsory internet or other services.
How abandoned belongings are dealt with.
If what you were told verbally differs from the written text, ask for it to be corrected or confirmed in writing before you sign.
What is 重要事項説明?
Before the contract, the real estate business explains the important matters relating to the property and the transaction. This is not a formality to sit through.
You should:
Receive the documents early enough to read them.
Note down anything you do not understand.
Ask for an explanation in a language you understand, or bring someone to support you.
Compare it against the contract and the cost estimate.
Sign only once the contents are agreed.
MLIT guidance asks people looking for a home to check the contract type, security deposit and key money, renewal fees, prohibited acts and restoration terms before signing. Apartment Search Guidebook
What to ask during the explanation itself
MLIT guidance stresses that anything unclear must be asked about there and then, not saved for later. That session is the last time you are still in the position of not having signed. The questions most worth asking:
Is this an ordinary lease or a fixed-term lease, and if fixed-term, how much of the term is left?
Exactly how much are the security deposit and key money, and which parts are refundable?
Is there a renewal fee, how much is it, and when does it fall due?
Which acts are prohibited: altering the property, adding occupants, keeping pets?
Which section of the contract sets out the restoration terms that apply when I move out?
If the answer is "we'll work that out when you move out," ask for it to be put in writing now. Apartment Search Guidebook
There is an English version available
MLIT publishes a model Explanation of Important Matters, a standard lease contract and the checklists used at signing in 14 languages, English among them. You can download the English version and read it at home, then compare it item by item with the Japanese document your agency hands you. This is the cheapest way to spot where your understanding has gaps before you sit down at the signing table. Materials in 14 languages — MLIT
The 60-second checklist before you sign
Right person, right unit, right co-residents.
You know the contract type.
You know the date rent starts.
You know the total payable before key handover.
You know the monthly charges.
You know the renewal fee.
You know the early termination penalty.
You know the notice period for moving out.
You know the rules on pets and co-residents.
You know the cleaning and restoration charges.
You have read every
特約.You have a copy of every document you signed.
How can NST Connect help?
NST Connect can help tenants read the cost estimate and the main sections of the contract in English, put together a list of questions to send to the management company, and support the discussion before signing.
Language support and help preparing questions are not a substitute for legal advice. If there is a dispute or a complex legal clause, you should turn to an appropriate advisory body or a qualified professional.
The properties NST Connect currently lists each show their monthly cost and nearest station, so you can check them against the contract before signing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an ordinary lease and a fixed-term lease?
With 普通借家契約, the ordinary lease, staying on is the default: the contract renews when the term expires, and the landlord can only refuse if there are justifiable grounds. With 定期借家契約, the fixed-term lease, expiry is a hard stop; staying on means signing again, and that needs both sides to agree. Ask clearly which of the two the unit you are looking at uses before you move on to the price.
Are contract renewal fees compulsory?
Not every property charges one, and the amount and the cycle differ from contract to contract. Because it is a cost that comes round again every few years, ask what the amount is and how many years the cycle runs as soon as you see the cost estimate, rather than waiting for the renewal notice to arrive.
Is there a charge for cancelling the contract early?
There may be, depending on the clauses of the individual property. You need to look at both the notice period and the penalty for leaving during the period you are tied in for. If your job or your school could change, weigh that risk too before you sign.
Do I have to pay restoration costs for normal wear and tear?
Under the guidelines of Japan's Ministry of Land, wear from ordinary use and deterioration over time do not fall under the tenant's obligation to restore the property to its original condition — that cost is already covered by the rent. What does fall on the tenant is damage caused by misuse or by a lack of care.
Is a special clause requiring extra payment always valid?
No. The guidelines set out three conditions for a 特約, a special clause, to be valid: there is an objective and reasonable justification and the clause is not exploitative, the tenant is aware of its contents, and the tenant has expressed an intention to accept it. If a charge appears in the contract without ever having been explained, ask about it before you sign.
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Sources checked on 27 August 2026. The contract and annexes for the specific property are the documents you must check before deciding.