Living in Hiroshima
Privately-Owned Apartments
Search from privately-owned apartments and condominiums to find a room that perfectly fits your needs!
Rent will vary widely depending on conditions, such as the location of the home and how new it is.
Thoroughly consider such factors as the environment around the home, transit accessibility for commuting to school, and your financial budget when trying to rent such places!
Since there are cases where your school may be able to provide you with information on such housing, as well as cases where renting through your school will result in discounted rent, make sure to also ask your school.
Typically, such properties can be rented through a real estate company.
Searching for Privately-Owned Apartments
Consulting with the person(s) in charge at your school
At many schools, school staff are available to work together with real estate companies to help students in finding a home.
Searching through the Internet and magazines on housing information
Some websites allow you to actually see what the room looks like over the Internet, while some websites also offer multilingual support.
If you are able to find a room that meets your needs, make sure to visit it in person.
Going to a real estate company to search for a property
An increasing number of real estate companies are now able to communicate with customers in foreign languages.
Financial Factors
- A security deposit, key money, and move-in fees (intermediary fees) must be paid to live in such properties. You should prepare an amount of cash that is equivalent to several months-worth of rent for the property.
- Once you have decided on a room to live in, you will first need to sign up to contracts for your water, electricity, and gas utilities before you move in.
You will be charged for water, electricity, and gas utilities on a monthly basis.
What are security deposits, key money, and contract updating fees?
You will pay the security deposit and key money together with your first rent payment when you first start living at your property.
As a basic rule, while a security deposit will be returned to you once you move out, there are cases where property repair fees will be deducted from it in the event that you damage anything in the room, as well as cases where it may not be returned to you at all.
Key money can be considered to be a payment to show gratitude to the landlord.
After a fixed period of time has passed (roughly 2 years), you will need to pay your landlord a contract updating fee in order to continue living in the same room.
Since there are cases where there is no security deposit, key money, or contracting updating fees depending on the property, you should make sure to check this when searching for a home.
There are also cases where you will need to sign up for fire insurance to deal with the risk of the occurrence of fire.
Guarantors
There are also cases where guarantor companies operated by public institutions or private guarantor companies can act as your guarantor.
The Hiroshima Support Center for International Students also offers a guarantor program.
Streamlining Guidelines to Enable Foreigners to Move into Privately-Owned Rental Properties
Streamlining Guidelines to Enable Foreigners to Move into Privately-Owned Rental Properties and Guidebook on Searching for a Room
(Japan Property Management Association, a public interest incorporated foundation)
Streamlining the Process for Foreigners to Move into Privately-Owned Rental Properties
(Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
Multilingual Websites to Search for Privately-Owned Apartments and Condominiums
The foreign languages offered and the way in which multilingual support is provided will differ depending on the company.
To find out about what kind of support is provided, please contact the individual company.
Ryowa House
In cooperation with the “Hiroshima Prefecture Peace of Mind Rental Support Project,” Ryowa House supports customers, such as senior citizens, low income earners, and foreigners, etc.
About the Hiroshima Prefecture Peace of Mind Rental Support Project
(Hiroshima Prefecture)