Do You Need a Guarantor to Rent in Japan? A Detailed Guide

Quick Answer

Most rental contracts in Japan still require a guarantor, but you are NOT required to find a Japanese person to act as one. Nowadays, the vast majority of landlords and property management companies require tenants to use a rent guarantor company (家賃債務保証会社 - yachin saimu hoshō gaisha), paying an initial fee of about 50–100% of one month's rent, plus an annual renewal fee of around ¥10,000 or one month's rent per year.

Instead of a joint guarantor (連帯保証人), you usually only need to provide an emergency contact (緊急連絡先)—which can be a friend, coworker, relative, or even family back home in Vietnam in certain cases. As a result, international students, technical intern trainees, specified skilled workers, and newly arrived engineers can definitely rent their own apartments.

Who This Guide Is For

This guide is for you if you find yourself in any of the following situations:

• You are an international student, technical intern trainee, specified skilled worker, engineer, or company employee looking to rent a private apartment (apato/mansion) in Japan.
• Your stay at a school dormitory or employer/cooperative-provided housing is ending, and you need to find a place on your own.
• You do not know any Japanese nationals who can act as your guarantor, and you are worried you won't be able to secure housing.
• You are changing jobs or moving to another prefecture and need to know whether you must go through the guarantor process again from scratch.
• You want an upfront breakdown of initial move-in costs so you can prepare your finances.

This article focuses on standard private rental contracts (via real estate agencies), which is the most common path for foreign residents living in Japan.

Cases Where This Does NOT Apply

The information below does not apply (or only partially applies) to the following situations:

• School dormitories or housing leased directly by your employer or cooperative (社宅/寮): The school or company signs the lease, so you generally do not need an independent guarantor.
• Share houses: Many share houses require neither a personal guarantor nor a guarantor company; you typically only need your passport, Residence Card, and a small deposit.
• UR housing (UR賃貸住宅): The Urban Renaissance Agency (UR) explicitly guarantees no guarantor, no key money, no agency fees, and no renewal fees, though you must meet strict income thresholds or pay several months of rent upfront.
• Municipal or prefectural public housing (公営住宅): Guarantor rules vary by local government, and many have phased out the guarantor requirement; check directly with the housing division (住宅課) of your local city hall.
• Monthly/weekly mansions and extended-stay hotels: These almost always only require personal identification and upfront payment; the concept of a guarantor does not apply.
• Home purchases and mortgages: This involves an entirely different legal and financial process not covered in this guide.

Step-by-Step Process

Below is the standard procedure from apartment hunting to picking up your keys, highlighting where the guarantor verification takes place.

1. Set your budget and target area. A general screening benchmark is that monthly rent should not exceed 1/3 of your gross monthly income. For instance, with a take-home pay of ¥180,000/month, an apartment priced around ¥50,000–¥60,000 has a strong chance of approval.
2. Contact a real estate agency (不動産会社). You can visit in person, call, or apply online. Save time right away by asking: "I am a foreign resident without a Japanese guarantor. Do you have properties available that accept guarantor companies?"
3. Go for property viewings (内見 - naiken). Visiting 2–4 apartments in one outing is ideal. Be sure to check mobile signal strength, internet readiness, walking distance to the station, and neighborhood noise levels.
4. Submit a rental application (入居申込書). Here, you submit your personal details, employer or school information, income, and emergency contact information. This is an application, not a binding contract, and requires no upfront payment yet.
5. Tenant screening (入居審査). The landlord and the guarantor company review your application together. The guarantor company will call you and your emergency contact to verify details. This is where foreign applicants fail most often, usually due to missed calls.
6. Receive approval and sign the lease (賃貸借契約). Before signing, the agency is legally required to deliver the Explanation of Important Matters (重要事項説明書). You have the right to request that they explain it slowly, provide English documentation, or allow you to bring an interpreter.
7. Pay the initial costs (初期費用). This is usually paid via a lump-sum bank transfer before your move-in date.
8. Collect your keys and move in. Within 14 days of moving, remember to visit your local municipal office to submit a change of address notification (転入届/転居届) and update the address on the back of your Residence Card.

Three Common Forms of Guarantee

Furthermore, an increasing number of property listings explicitly feature 「保証人不要」 (no guarantor required) or 「外国人可」 (foreigners welcome). You can ask agency staff directly using these two phrases.

Required Documents

Your Personal Documents

• Residence Card (在留カード)—original plus a double-sided photocopy. Check your remaining period of stay carefully.
• Passport (some agencies require copies of the photo page and current visa page).
• Proof of affiliation/status: Student ID + certificate of enrollment (在学証明書) for students; employee ID + certificate of employment (在職証明書) for working professionals.
• Proof of income: Pay stubs from the last 3 months (給与明細), annual withholding tax slip (源泉徴収票), or a taxation/income certificate (課税証明書 / 所得証明書) issued by your local city hall.
• Certificate of Residence (住民票 - jūminhyō)—issued by your local municipal office, typically costing ¥200–¥400.
• Personal seal (印鑑 - inkan)—while many agencies now accept signatures, having a personal seal is still strongly recommended.
• Japanese bank account / cash card—needed to set up automatic monthly rent withdrawals (口座振替).
• Japanese mobile phone number—practically mandatory. Every application form includes a mandatory phone number field, and guarantor companies will call it to screen you.

Guarantor-Related Documents

• If using an individual guarantor: A formal consent letter with their registered seal (保証人承諾書), seal registration certificate (印鑑証明書), certificate of residence (住民票), and proof of income for that person.
• If using a guarantor company: You only need to complete the guarantor company's application form (provided by the agency) and provide your emergency contact's details: full name, relationship, address, and phone number.

Important note: Under the revised Japanese Civil Code effective April 1, 2020, guarantee contracts involving an individual guarantor must clearly specify a maximum liability limit (極度額 - kyokudogaku). If the contract omits this cap, the individual guarantee is legally void. If a contact agrees to act as your guarantor, verify this figure carefully before they sign.

Costs

The guarantor fee is only one component of your total move-in costs. The table below illustrates typical market rates across Tokyo and major urban centers (for reference; figures vary by property):

Total initial move-in costs generally equal 4–6 months' rent. For instance, for an apartment renting at ¥55,000/month, you should budget approximately ¥250,000–¥330,000 in cash. If your budget is tight, look for listings advertised as 「敷金・礼金なし」 (zero-zero properties / ゼロゼロ物件) to substantially cut down on upfront expenses.

Timelines & Processing Times

• Guarantor company screening: Usually takes 2–7 business days. For clean, straightforward applications, some companies issue results within 24 hours.
• From initial application to key pickup: Typically 1–3 weeks on average.
• Lease term: Standard leases run for 2 years, after which renewal entails a renewal fee (更新料), commonly equivalent to 1 month's rent.
• Guarantor renewal cycle: Billed every 1 or 2 years depending on the guarantor provider.
• Notice of contract termination (解約通知): Contracts typically require at least 1 month's advance notice, though some stipulate 2 months. Submitting notice late will result in paying extra rent.

If you have a fixed school start date or work commencement deadline, start looking for an apartment at least 3–4 weeks in advance. During the peak moving season (January through March), desirable units vanish within hours and application reviews take longer than usual.

Where to Apply / Relevant Organizations

• Real estate agencies (不動産会社/賃貸仲介): Your primary point of contact where you submit your application. The agency forwards your file directly to the guarantor company; you do not contact the guarantor company yourself.
• School international student divisions (学生課 / 国際交流センター): Many universities and vocational colleges maintain approved housing partner networks and dedicated student guarantee programs.
• City/Ward Office Housing Division (市役所・区役所 住宅課): Inquire here about public housing and safety net housing (セーフティネット住宅) tailored for low-income earners, foreign residents, and seniors.
• Foreign resident consultation desks (外国人相談窓口): Operating in nearly every municipality and prefecture, these offices provide free consultation across multiple foreign languages.
• Urban Renaissance Agency (UR都市機構): Apply directly at regional UR service centers if you choose UR properties that require no guarantor.
• Online rental portals: Use search filters to sort by "保証人不要" (no guarantor required) and "外国人相談可" (foreigners negotiable) right from the start.

Common Mistakes

1. Missing the screening phone call

This is the number-one reason foreign applicants get rejected. Guarantor companies call from unfamiliar or landline numbers; if you ignore the call or your phone battery dies, your application will be flagged as "unreachable" and denied. For 3–5 days after submitting your application, keep your phone close and answer every call, even from unknown numbers. If you do not yet have a stable Japanese phone number, securing one is something you must do even before visiting apartments.

2. Failing to notify your emergency contact beforehand

Guarantor companies will also call your listed emergency contact. If that person answers with confusion saying, "I have no idea who or what this is about," your application may be canceled on the spot. Send them a message beforehand covering: your full name, the apartment name, and the dates during which the guarantor company might call.

3. Forgetting about the guarantor renewal fee

Many tenants mistakenly believe that paying the initial guarantor fee covers their entire stay. In reality, most companies charge an annual renewal fee of around ¥10,000. Missing this payment leads to delinquency notices and can ultimately be treated as a lease violation.

4. Submitting inconsistent income or employment details

Guarantor companies routinely call workplaces to verify employment status. Discrepancies between what you declare on paper and what your official pay stubs or employer state are grounds for an immediate decline.

5. Applying with too little time left on your visa

If your Residence Card shows only 2–3 months of remaining stay, many landlords will decline the lease. If your visa renewal is currently being processed, bring your application receipt proof issued by the Immigration Bureau to verify that your extension is underway.

6. Moving in unauthorized roommates

Standard Japanese leases specify the exact number of permitted residents. Allowing friends to move in or subletting without formal landlord approval constitutes a material breach of contract, which can result in immediate eviction and the loss of your security deposit.

7. Skimming over the restoration to original condition (原状回復) terms

When vacating a property, the costs of repairs stemming from ordinary wear and aging are legally the landlord's responsibility, not the tenant's. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省) has published definitive guidelines on this standard. Take detailed, date-stamped photographs of the entire apartment on the day you collect your keys to protect yourself from unfair repair deductions later.

8. Lacking a working phone number or internet connection after moving

Once you move in, you still need a working phone number to take calls from building management (scheduling fire alarm checks, building repairs, or renewal fee notices). Frequently changing your phone number puts you at risk of missing critical management notices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rent an apartment in Japan without a Japanese guarantor?

Yes. In the vast majority of cases, all you need is an approved rent guarantor company and a listed emergency contact. Simply state your situation clearly when you first contact the real estate agency.

Does my emergency contact have to be a Japanese national?

Not necessarily. Many guarantor companies accept family members in Vietnam, acquaintances of your own nationality living in Japan, or workplace colleagues. However, having an emergency contact who resides in Japan and speaks conversational Japanese will help your screening clear much faster.

Does the emergency contact have to pay my rent if I fall behind?

No, not legally—an emergency contact serves solely as a point of contact in urgent scenarios. They are fundamentally different from a joint guarantor (連帯保証人), who carries full legal and financial liability. Nonetheless, always read your paperwork carefully to verify which role is being designated.

What should I do if a guarantor company rejects my application?

You can request to reapply through an alternative guarantor company (each provider follows different screening criteria), provide supplementary proof of funds/income, offer to place a larger security deposit, or pivot your search toward share houses, UR apartments, or safety net housing.

Are technical intern trainees and international students rejected more frequently?

Having lower income or part-time earnings does present a disadvantage during financial screening. You can overcome this by providing formal confirmation letters from your school or supervisory organization, choosing properties where rent stays well under 1/3 of your income, or utilizing student-specific guarantee schemes backed by your institution.

Do I have to redo the guarantor process when moving to a new apartment in Japan?

Yes. Guarantor agreements are strictly bound to a specific property. When you relocate to a new apartment, you must undergo screening again and pay the initial guarantor enrollment fee for the new contract.

Do I need a Japanese phone number before I can rent?

While Japanese statutes do not explicitly mandate it, in practice virtually no real estate agency or guarantor company will approve an application without a functional domestic number to contact you. Securing a voice-capable Japanese SIM card is an essential step before you start house hunting.

Can I refuse the disinfection fee or lock replacement fee?

These are optional service add-ons rather than legally binding requirements. You have the right to question them and negotiate for their removal, though whether the agency or landlord accepts your request depends on their internal policy.

References & Resources

• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省) — Standard Rental Housing Lease Agreement (賃貸住宅標準契約書) and Guidelines for Preventing Troubles Regarding Restoration to Original Condition (原状回復をめぐるトラブルとガイドライン).
• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism — Rent Guarantor Business Registration System (家賃債務保証業者登録制度): Official directory of registered rent guarantor companies.
• Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Civil Code (Law of Obligations) Revisions, governing Individual Revolving Guarantee Contracts (個人根保証契約) and Maximum Liability Limits (極度額), effective April 1, 2020.
• Safety Net Housing System (住宅セーフティネット制度) — Housing support framework for foreign nationals, elderly residents, and low-income households.
• Urban Renaissance Agency (UR都市機構) — UR Rental Housing leasing criteria: no guarantor, no key money, and no agency commission fees.
• Foreign Resident Consultation Desks (外国人相談窓口) located at your local municipal or ward office.

Disclaimer: Guarantor requirements, fee rates, and application standards vary depending on the individual landlord, management company, and local municipality. For matters relating to contracts, visa status, and legal documentation, please consult directly with your real estate agent, the guarantor company, and your local municipal consultation counter before signing any binding agreements.

Source Verification Date

The information and official references cited in this guide were last verified on May 20, 2025. Editors should update this verification date prior to publication and review fee benchmarks if republishing after a 6-month interval.

Take Action

If you are preparing to rent an apartment, your very first priority shouldn't be finding a guarantor, but securing a stable Japanese phone number so you can answer screening calls. Having an application declined simply because the agency couldn't get hold of you is completely avoidable.

HD TELECOM (Shin-Okubo, Tokyo) helps foreign residents living in Japan register for:

• Japanese Voice Calling SIM—gives you an official Japanese phone number so real estate brokers and guarantor firms can contact you, which also doubles as the number you need for banking, electricity, water, and city gas utilities. See full instructions on our Voice Calling SIM Registration page.
• Monthly Data SIM or Monthly eSIM—ideal for apartment searching, checking train routes, and navigating maps during property viewings.
• Monthly Pocket WiFi—the perfect temporary connectivity fix for your first weeks in a new home while waiting for fiber broadband installation.

Explore our complete plan lineup on our Products page, or check accepted payment and bank transfer methods on our Support page. For more practical guides on navigating daily life in Japan, check out more articles on the HD TELECOM blog.