Need new visa before new apartment?

I'm changing jobs and am extremely worried about the timeline!

I'm currently an ALT in Nagano, but have been applying to eikaiwa jobs in Osaka.
They require me to change my visa status from Instructor to Specialist in Humanities.
However, they are not making their final hiring decisions until the end of February.
A change in visa status can take up to 3 months!!!
My current contract ends mid March meaning I must be out of my current apartment then.

1. Can I get my "moving out certificate" before my change in visa status has been approved?
2. Can I get a new apartment before my change in visa status has been approved?

I'm worried that my change in visa status will not be approved before I have to move out.
If I can't get an apartment before I have to move out, I will be homeless.

If they are planning on making the hiring decision only at the end of February, and you need to move out of the current apartment by mid-March (you don't get any extra time allowed for getting ready to move?), you might have to find yourself a temporary apartment, like book a "weekly mansion" (furnished apartment you can rent by the week or by month), which you should be able to rent by providing a deposit.

Thank you AK.
I'd really like to not have to do that in order to save money.
I'd prefer to get an apartment before my current apartment lease is up.
Judging from your response, I assume I cannot rent an apartment until my new visa is approved?

I don't quite understand your question - you currently do have a resident status that stretches into April and beyond, but that for your new employer you need to have a different type, correct? Then you can rent a place - but I thought you said you were looking for a job in another city, so are you going to go ahead and try to find a place in the new city before they decide to hire you? (Or rent a place as soon as they decide at the end of Feb? That should be possible.) If you are concerned about the address change before the resident status change approval notice comes in/while your application is being reviewed, all you have to do is report the temporary change of address to immigration.

I apologize for the confusion.
The jobs I applied won't make their decision until the end of February.
So at the end of February I can apply to change my visa status, change of address, etc.
I will have from the end of February to March 26th to find and rent an apartment.
I read that when renting they require a copy of your passport, residence card, and visa (among other documents).
Can I use my current passport, residence card, and visa to rent? Or must I wait until the visa status change has been approved?

You use what you have. You report later changes as an update when they become effective.

Since you have resident status still valid until 2019 (i believe), you don't have to get that nervous.

Thank you AK!

I was getting nervous because the way the company explained it was,

"From the time your current job ends until the time the visa status change is approved,
you may have to stay with friends."

I was confused because why would that impact me renting an apartment?
I thought maybe there was some rule I was unaware of.

Did you ask the potential new employer if they are planning to put you up in company housing? That is what it sounds like. For that, they want you to be their employee and already working for them (thus not before the status change is approved) to be eligible for their housing.

But this is something you need to be aware of: if the company is insisting on you getting the status changed, if that takes three months, you cannot work at the new company for those three months, meaning no pay.