Terminology & Rules in Japan

Rules for Rental Housing

  • Applying for electricity, gas, and water

    To apply for electricity, write your name, address, and usage start date on the postcard attached to the breaker and mail it in.
    For gas, contact a gas company ahead of time and request that the gas be turned on before the move-in date. You must be present when the gas is turned on.
    For water, contact the section in charge of waterworks at your local goverment office and follow the procedure for having the water turned on. Write your name, address, and usage start date on the provide psotcard and mail it in.

  • Caution regarding noise

    In multi-family dwellings, sound travels easily to the neighbors or to he floors above and below, so be careful not to be noisy especially late at night or early in the morning.
    For example, loud voices, parties, televisions and stereos, musical instruments, vacuum cleaners and washing machines, the sounds od children running around, slamming of doors, taking a bath at night, and similar actions can often be noisy, so be careful not to disturb the neighbors.

  • Humidity and Condensation

    Japan is very humid (especially in the summer time), so take care to air out the inside of the housing. If condensation forms, wipe it off. Leaving condensation could cause mold and mildew to form and you will be held responsible for this.

  • Illegal inhabitants

    Living with people other than those stated in the rental agreement or sub-leasing the housing to another party are infractions of the rental agreement.

  • Moving notice

    When moving out, notify the landlord or management company within the period specified in the rental agreement (usually 1 or 2 months in advance) that you will be terminating the rental agreement (termination notice).

  • Postal matter procedures

    Go to the post office and complete procedures for having your mail forwarded. If you do this, mail going to your former address will be sent to the new address for a set period time (within Japan, etc).

  • Putting nails and painting

    Putting nails in the walls of the housing or painting it are often prohibited, so be sure to check what is prohibited by the rental agreement.

  • Requesting to have large garbage items picked up

    To dispose of large garbage items, contract the local goverment office or waste collection office ahead of time and make arrangements to have the material disposed of. When the collection date will be after the move-out, consult the landlord or management company about what to do.

  • Throwing out the garbage

    The way for taking out the garbage differs depending on the neighborhood in which you live (ward town, or village). The day and time period when the garbage is to be set out is decided, so when you move in ask House Network, the neighbors, or the local goverment office about the set day and time.
    If you do not set out the garbage at the appointed time, it will not be collected even if you separate it properly, and this will aften cause trouble with the neighbors. Be especially careful to observe the appointed day and time.

      items that need to be checked

    • Days and time the garbage is to be set out
    • Location where the garbage is to be set out
    • Separation of burnable and non-burnable garbage
    • Separation of recyclable waste (bottles, cans PET plastic bottles, newspapers, etc.)
    • How to dispose of large items, etc.

  • Turning off electricity, gas, and water

    At least 1 week before moving out ,notify the electricity power company, gas company, and section in charge of waterworks at your local goverment office to have the services turned off.
    Staff from the electiricity power company, gas company, and section in charge of waterworks at your local goverment office will come to the housing on the move-out day to have you complete the turn-off procedures. You will be charged for the service provided up to that day.

  • Using the bathroom and toilet

    Do not wash hair and other matter down the bathroom drain.
    Do not flush anything but toilet paper down the toilet.
    You will cause your neighbors trouble if a drain or toilet becomes plugged and overflow, and you will be sesponsible for paying for it.

  • Using the kitchen

    Do not wash grease or food scraps down the sink drain. Absorb the grease with newspaper or other material and put it in the burnable garbage.
    When cooking generates strong smells or smoke, turn on the exhaust fan and make sure the smell does not linger in the housing.