Steps for renting apartments
- STEP 1 Make sure you know when to start looking for a room
How long do you plan to stay?
For those who want to decide on an apartment before coming to Japan
For those who live in Japan (new students, those who are moving out from dormitories, or changing houses)
When is the most common time for finding an apartment?
For those who want to take more time to think
For those who want to decide as soon as possible - STEP2 Figure out what do you want
Location
Rent and Initial Cost
Building Type
Room Facilities - STEP 3
Search for the property - STEP 4 After coming to the Student Housing Center or consult online, you can go for a view.
Appointment/Consult online
Tokorozawa Campus Commuting Area - STEP5 Decide and apply for an apartment
Required identification and documents for application - STEP6 Sign the contract (payment of the contract fee)
Required documents for contract - STEP7 Take the key and move in
Points to keep in mind when moving in
Make sure you know when to start looking for a room
For those who want to decide on an apartment before coming to Japan
If you want to sign a contract before coming to Japan, we recommend that you start looking for an apartment one to three months before you want to move in. Actually, there are only a few apartments that can be applied from overseas. This is because most of the Guarantee Companies evaluate the screening process only for domestic telephone number holders of Japan.
In addition, the residence card and mobile phone number are required when signing the contract.
There are more options to choose after you arrive in Japan.
However, we offer some apartments that you can apply for while you are abroad.
Some of the landlords are willing to have students of Waseda University as their tenants.
Besides, it’s possible for you to save on the initial cost of renting an apartment, because all properties of partner landloads would cover agency fee for students of Waseda University.
Please search the Student Housing Center website and contact us if you are interested. We will provide you with more detailed information via email or online call.
Partner Landlords Property Search
You can book a mobile phone company while you are abroad
Another option is to stay in a share house or monthly apartment firstly when you arrive in Japan and then take your time to find a fine apartment.
We also provides short-term accommodation service. It’s easy to sign up abroad for a share house or a monthly apartment, and generally these are furnished, so you can start your life in Japan right away.
If you find an apartment that you are interested on the website, please use the “Inquiry for Individuals” service to contact each company directly for more information.
For those who live in Japan (new students, those who are moving out from dormitories, or changing houses)
Apartment
It is recommended to start looking for a room a month or two before the date you want to move in.
Many rental properties cannot be reserved or kept on hold, so even if you start looking for an apartment, months in advance, there is a possibility that someone else will rent it unless you apply and pay for it.
At the same time, if you apply early enough, you may have to pay rent months before the date you actually move in.
The Student Housing Center offers services such as the Student Housing Fair to reduce unnecessary payment.
The contract will be signed immediately once applied, and if the room is vacant, the rent payment will usually start in a week or two.
In some cases, if the tenant is still living in the apartment, you may not be able to go for the view of the apartment. In that case, you can start the contract about 1 to 2 weeks after the current tenant moves out.
However, the latter half of February and March are busy season for new Japanese students and working adults looking for their apartments. Although there are many properties available, they run out quickly.
We recommend you look for the room between December and January or April and May.
Properties of our partner landlords
Twice a year (November-February and July-August), if you sign the contract in advance, some properties will wait until March or September to start charging rent.
There is no agency fee, so you can save on the initial cost.
Student only apartments
For Student only apartment, information of rooms from July to September and February to March may be available from June to July and November. If the starting date of the contract coincides with your request, you can sign a contract as soon as possible to reserve the room.
About Student only apartment
When is the most common time for searching properties ?
For those who want to take more time to think
For those who want to decide as soon as possible
Figure out what do you want
Once you know when to start looking for a room, you can decide on your desired conditions by referring to the following ①~④
It will be easier to find a room if you prioritize conditions that you cannot compromise on.
①Where do you want to live?
For students attending Waseda / Toyama / Nishi Waseda Campus
For students attending Tokorozawa Campus
Search for the property
Start searching by entering your condition on the property search site and inquire about the availability of the property you are interested in.
Rental properties cannot be reserved, we recommend that you take a look at the property as soon as you are able to view it.
If you are in a remote location or can’t make it to the house right away, our staff will go there for you and show you what the room looks like via video call, if the internet connection is not good, we will send video to you later, so please contact us in advance.
After coming to the Student Housing Center or consulting online, you can go for a view.
You can consult directly with our staff to find an apartment that meets your requirements.
If you would like to make an appointment in person or online, please contact us using the form below.
Please note that our office is very busy at certain times of the year and it may take some time to guide you without an appointment.
Things you need to prepare for your application when you come to the Student Housing Center
If you are looking for an apartment in the Tokorozawa area, we will introduce you to our partner company, which have a lot of property information in the Tokorozawa area.
If you mention you are introduced by the Student Housing Center, the agent fee will be 20% off.
When making inquiries, please mention that the referral is from the Student Housing Center.
From November to March, we also hold a Student Housing fair that brings together all of the housing agents we work collaborate with. You can view a lot of information about not only apartments, but also various types of properties such as student only apartments and dormitories.
※If you are too far away to come, please feel free to contact us by phone, email, online consultation, etc.
Go for a view
When you find some properties you are interested in, you could go for a view
For some properties, you may get an impression that the room is different from what you imagined in the photo.
Also, it is important to check the surrounding environment and the distance from the nearest station.
The staff of Student Housing Center can go to the properties for you and make a video call from there with you. (This may not be possible in some cases, for example, poor internet connection, etc.)
You may decide to apply for the apartment immediately after you going for a view in some cases, please make sure to prepare necessary documents and information.
Decide a room and apply for a room.
When you decide to apply for an apartment, you need to fill out the information required for the tenant screening process on the designated application form.
Points to keep in mind when applying
Required identification and documents for application
Sign the contract after receiving the explanation of important matters (payment of the contract fee)
After the tenant screening process is successfully completed, the staff will explain important matters about the property and the contract will be signed. Explanations of important matters are required in real estate transactions before signing a contract, as stipulated by the Building Lots and Buildings Transaction Business Law.
We also support the important matter explaining service via online video call.
Before or after that, payment of the initial cost (contract fee) will be required.
Take the key and move in
Please inform the utility companies (electricity, water and gas) before moving in.
Please check the internet environment before you move in.
You can take your key after the contract starting date, and it’s time to start your new life!