Yokosuka City 横須賀市 Listing

Moving to Japan from overseas can make apartment hunting feel complicated. You may be wondering: Do I need to be in Japan to sign my rental contract? The good news is that many rental properties now offer e-contracts (電子契約), allowing the rental agreement to be completed electronically. What Is an E-Contract? An e-contract is a digital version of a traditional rental contract. Instead of receiving a paper contract and signing it in person, you can review the documents online

When you walk into an apartment, you probably notice the kitchen, the living room, or whether you like the overall look. A real estate agent is usually noticing something else. After seeing hundreds of apartments, certain things become almost automatic. The smell Is the apartment fresh, damp, smoky, or simply closed up? A strange smell doesn't always mean there's a problem, but it tells us to look closer. The light We immediately check the windows, direction, nearby buildings

At FIRST STEP, we help many foreign clients find homes in Japan, and we often hear the same reaction after they begin apartment hunting: “I didn’t expect the process to be so different.” The good news is that renting in Japan is usually much easier once you understand how the system works. The biggest surprise is often the initial move-in costs. Besides the first month’s rent, some properties may require a security deposit, key money, agency fees, or a guarantor company fee.