Apartment for Working Holiday and beyond

Hi guys,

got a bit of a question here. I'm gonna go to Japan on a 6month Working Holiday visa in fall + probably switch to Student visa (or work if I can find any) afterwards. Currently looking for places to stay.

My options are either monthly apartment or rent a proper apartment and don't know what might be better.

I compared prices and did calculations and it seems that renting an apartment (even after key-money, deposit, brokers fee, early termination fee and buying furniture) costs about the same as a comparable monthly apartment for the 6month period. And if I stay on afterwards renting would start to pay off.

Does anyone know if anyone would even rent an apartment to me if I'm only on a 6 month WHV with no employment lined up yet? I do have enough savings to last me for like a year though.

You could just go to a share house. There are so many that are lovely and well kept, and most accept foreigners on work holiday/student visas. Their initial expenses are much more modest compared to single apartments, and they are furnished.
You can always move out and get a proper apartment once you have a more stable visa and a longer term plan for your future.
Additionally many Japanese are also embracing the share house lifestyle now so you will be able to make local friends and practise Japanese.

Have a monthly lined up for when you get here, decide on the best course of action once you've got over the jet lag.

Of course, the short duration of your stay will limit what is available to you. Some property agents are much more flexible now than they used to be. No guarantees on a six month deal simply because I've never looked for a place like that myself and thus haven't a clue. It could depend upon a variety of other factors also. Do you have a job lined up? That helps. A trusted person already in Japan to act as insurance might come in useful.

A share house might also be fine but it really depends on your personality type as well as maybe your age. Younger people tend not to be so bothered by the reduced/sometime close to zero privacy, but I couldn't live like that for one night even. I suspect I'd be in tears packing my bags and getting directions to the nearest Toyoko Inn before the first sunrise.

Thanks guys,

Share house isn't really my thing either. I feel too old and too used to having my own place to live like that.

So it's really down to monthly or renting an apartment.
Reason why I'm trying to decide before I get there is if I go with a monthly apartment it's a lot cheaper to book the whole 6months directly rather than a short period at first and then again.

So yeah, don't have a job lined up and also nobody in Japan who could act as a guarantor. Would have to use a guarantor company to rent an apartment. Any idea if that might work out without an income but enough savings to show for?

There are places that allow short term rentals (month by month) with furniture, utilities, no key money or deposit. Oak House is one and they have properties that ranges from not so good to very good. There are a few others around.

If you don't have a job lined up, then I would consider renting a monthly apartment just for a month or two first - who knows, depending on the job you find, that location might not be the ideal. Remember that convenience comes with the train/subway lines, rather than the area/address. Also please note that if you rent a "regular" apartment, that would come completely unfurnished, so you will need to buy furniture (including air conditioner unit(s), curtains, etc.), and get your utilities turned on in your name when you move in.

For renting a "regular" apartment, what they seek is more stability rather than just the question of whether you'd be able to pay the six months' rent. Japanese laws protect the tenants heavily that it is not easy for landlords to (excuse me for coming up with bad scenarios) evict a tenant even if he/she defaults on the rent. That is why they look for stable employment, committed study program, etc., and seek a guarantor.

Have you checked out the VRBO (vacation rental by Owner) site. This is a world wide reliable site where you deal with the owner. There will be no key money etc, but definitely a deposit. This site has a wide range of apartments, furnished , with a wide range of prices. You could probably negotiate a better rate than what is advertised if you were to stay longer. I use this site for monthy holiday homes.
Other than that there is Tokyo short term rental site, where you can see a photo, and I have used those also, and certainly not paid key money., nor needed a guarantor. Getting to the more pricey range is Asahi Homes, and if you can afford they are wonderful. Everything provided !
As a more mature person I totally understand the wish for personal space.