After a fully accompanied tour of the property with one of our bilingual agents, a property is selected. Selection via the internet is also possible, but we suggest that you view the property first so that you can make sure that it fully meets your needs.

The tenant and H&R Consultants discuss any requests that the tenant may have for the prospective landlord. These can include the date the lease will start, reduction in the rent and any renovations required. H&R Consultants then submits a formal application, on which these requests are listed. Also included is the name and date of birth of the tenant and family members. It is customary in Japan for the lessee to be a company. Therefore the tenant's employer's information and brochure may also be required.

The landlord accepts or denies the application.

If the lessee is a company that is registered in Japan, then a copy of the company registration may be required. If the lessee is a company based overseas, documents additional to those mentioned in Step 2 may be also be requested by the landlord. It is worth noting that many landlords are very wary of having leases signed by companies that are not actually registered in Japan, especially if the company is small and/or not well-known.

Based on the application and negotiations, the agent draws up the draft lease agreement.

H&R Consultants reviews the draft contract for any obscure or unusual articles.

H&R Consultants then delivers the draft contract to the lessee for final approval. This should take no longer than 48 hours or the lease may be jeopardized. Note: in Japan the only legally binding contract is the Japanese version, H&R Consultants will however always provide the tenant with an English summary of the lease or, if available, a word-for-word translation.

If any changes are requested by the lessee, H&R Consultants begins negotiations with the landlord. When all parties have reached agreement, the final contract is prepared.

H&R Consultants delivers the original contract to the company. Included with the original contract are the invoices for the deposit, first months rent and real estate commission. In Japan this is a standard amount equivalent to one-month's rent plus 5% tax.

The lessee now signs the original contract and transfers the funds. As the draft contract was previously approved, the signing and return of the original contract is expected immediately with the initial payment transferred at the same time. Under no circumstances will a landlord hand over keys until the full amount has been received.

Prior to the tenant moving in, H&R Consultants will make all the necessary arrangements for the utilities to be connected. We also provide an accompanied move-in inspection so that the property can be thoroughly inspected for prior faults or damage to ensure renovation charges are as little as possible at the time of moving out.

We would like to point out that monthly invoices are not issued for rent fees. Also, as cheques are not accepted in Japan, if payment is being made from overseas then this must be done by an international bank transfer. All receiving fees at the bank in Japan is the cost of the party making the payment.

Finally, welcome to your new home! Throughout your stay you may contact H&R Consultants to assist with coordination of repairs or other maintenance issues. We hope that this gives you a full understanding of the procedures relating to renting in Japan. If you have any questions - we are here to help.