Arguing apartment damages fee

Ifm an ALT living in a LeoPalace arranged by my company. My contract is finished and I move out to another prefecture next week.

Ifve been in the apartment for two years. There is minimal wear and tear.

My contract says Ifm responsible for a cleaning fee (30,000).

However, other ALTs that have already left say they were charged up to 150,000 in repair costs.

I saw their apartments and nothing in there would cost that much to repair. Therefs nothing in the apartment that is even worth that much!

LeoPalace couldnft schedule an inspection any day I would be home, so Ifm worried Ifll be taken advantage of too.

If I am faced with a similar situation, is there anyway I can argue and lower the cost?

My Japanese friend said anything over 60,000 is absolutely ridiculous for any apartment (unless you absolutely tore it apart), especially a LeoPalace!

She suggested asking what the damages are, what they will do to repair it, and how much it costs to repair. After that I can respond with options that include lower repair costs.

Do you have any other advice?

Until recently, it was taken for granted that the landlord would keep most if not all of the deposit money, and use the opportunity of the tenants changing to re-do the wallpaper and carpet using the deposit, though that is something that they would be doing "anyways" after some years, and there might be just the usual wear and tear (that just happens over time).

But recently the understanding is more that the deposit can be deducted only if there is wear and tear that go "beyond" the usual, meaning if the tenant did something to damage the property.

So when you are presented with the bill, I would ask for the details of what they consider the damages, and if they included changing carpet and wallpaper in addition to general cleaning, I would tell them sorry but those are the usual "wear and tear," nothing beyond it.

Since they estate agent is not even inspecting the place when you move out, it sounds like they would proceed "as usual," which may be what your colleagues have experienced.


One idea for the future: When you move into a new place, you could take some photographs of the place, so that when you move out, you might be able to show comparison to say there hasn't been any damages.

My first landlord in Japan (monthly mansion) tried to pull something similar. I did the same thing I do in my home country whenever anyone tries to get money out of me; asked them to produce an itemised bill detailing any costs incurred that I was responsible for. Although I did end up losing some of my deposit, once they saw that I was going to stand up for myself we were able to come to an agreement that was far favourable to my purse.

One thing Ifve learned about Japan is that if you donft get into the habit of asking people questions that they donft necessarily want to be asked, the chances are good that youfll end up paying for things you donft want, need, or in some cases things that are just not your responsibility. Bought a new wifi in January and if I hadnft done the above I would have ended up paying for an extra SIM only plan I never asked for, and a stupid insurance scheme. Way too many people and companies take for granted that youfll pay whatever they choose to charge you. Donft let them.

Yes, never rent from Leopalace.

Foreigners fresh off the plane are often tricked into thinking because they don't have to pay shikikin reikin that renting from them id the best deal ever.

I'm convinced that is the trap. I have read and heard horror stories from foreign friends living here about this same issue.

Any money you save on not paying shikikin reikin will be shelled out later in cleaning/damage costs and disputes.

fudo san or housing agents and phone companies are the bigest silent or gentleman criminals in japan .. no matter how careful you are they most ripe you off.
my housing agent in osaka 1LDK ,and after moved to nagoya 3LDK.

after calculating there stupid damages it end up taking all my deposit + extra money totaling
1, 188000‰~ OSAKA &
2, NAGOYA 225500‰~
because the house was sign by my wife japanese. and her family ..i maintain my coolness but dying in pain



House agents : they act so yasashii but stabbing from back.

we all have to be careful with them.
if you want to rent House look for UR housing