I moved here on a work visa and found my first apartment through the company, which meant I skipped the entire process. When that lease ended and I had to do it myself, I was completely unprepared. The first thing that surprised me was how much of the cost is upfront. Between the deposit, key money, agency fee and the guarantor company fee, I ended up paying several months of rent before I had even moved in. Nobody had warned me about that, and I had budgeted for maybe one month. The second surprise was the guarantor company. I assumed my job and salary would make it straightforward. My application was rejected anyway, with no reason given. My agent shrugged and said different properties use different companies with different criteria, and suggested we try another place. That one went through with the exact same paperwork. So if it happens to you, it is not necessarily about you. A few things that actually helped: Go see the place at the time of day you would normally be home. I viewed my current apartment on a quiet weekday morning and did not realise there is a train line close enough to hear at night. It is fine now, but I would have liked to know. Bring someone who speaks Japanese well if you can, or at least be honest early about your level. My agent adjusted how he explained things once he knew, and everything went smoother after that. Ask about what happens when you move out. Cleaning fees and restoration costs vary a lot, and it is much easier to ask at the start than to argue about it at the end. Check the mobile signal inside the apartment, not just outside. Sounds silly, but I have a friend who has to stand by the window to take calls. Count the actual walk to the station yourself. The listing said eight minutes. It is eight minutes if you walk quickly and hit no lights. In summer, carrying groceries, it is a different number. The whole thing took about three weeks from starting to look to signing. Stressful at the time, completely fine in hindsight. For anyone who has done this recently, has anything changed? And has anyone successfully negotiated on any of the upfront costs, or is that not really a thing here? #livinginjapan #apartmenthunting #visa