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Cost of Living in Japan

2017年7月5日更新

Living Expenses

The average cost of living in Tokyo, home to Ochanomizu University, including rent, school fees and other expenses, is roughly 158,000yen a month (the national average for national, public and private university/college students).

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Housing expenses

Student housing

Ochanomizu University offers three types of student housing. These are available to regular students (undergraduate and graduate), Government-sponsored international students and exchange students. Refer to the specific move-in requirements for each dormitory.

	Ochadai Student Community Commons (SCC)	New Student Dormitory "Otowa-kan"	Koishikawa Student House
Resident eligibility	Primarily first and second year undergraduate students	Undergraduate students and international students	Japanese graduate students

As a rule, applications for moving-in student housing in April when Ochanomizu University academic year begins are accepted from around December. We cannot guarantee allapplications will be approved because we receive many applications for studenthousing. For details on the dormitories and how to apply, refer to the link below.

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Private rental housing

Many Ochanomizu students from overseas and from outside the Tokyo area live in private apartments.

Private housing cost

For a 20 square meters room with kitchen, a popular size for students, rents range from 40,000 to 80,000 yen a month. Rents vary significantly, depending on conditions such as distance from the train station, age of a building, floor plan, facilities, etc. You are advised to find one according to your personal priorities.

Expenses incurred when signing a leasing contract

You typically incur the following expenses when signing a contract to rent anapartment in or around Tokyo. Payment conditions differ, depending on real estate property and real estate agent. You are advised to check and understand all necessary expenses before signing the leasing agreement.

Costs generally incurred (there are instances of some of these expenses not being required)
（1）Security deposit (Shikikin) (typically one to two months' rent)
（2）Gratuity fee paid to the landlord (Reikin) (typically one to two months' rent)
（3）Real estate agent' s commission (typically one month's rent)
（4）Rent: Monthly rent to be paid in advance for the first month under the contract
（5) Maintenance fee: Monthly fee to be paid in advance for the first month under the contract

In addition, the following expenses may be incurred depending on real estate property:
（6）Fire insurance premium
（7）Rent guarantor service fee
（8） Fee for changing the lock and key

In total, you are required to pay these itemized amounts of money at the time of signing the leasing contract. As a rough estimate, the initial cost you need to pay is equivalent to six months' rent (+maintenance fee). In most cases, a rental apartment is not equipped with furniture, lighting fixtures, electrical appliances, curtains, etc.; you will need to prepare these items yourself.

Cost required after signing the contract

After signing the leasing contract, your monthly payment is the monthly rent (and maintenance fee, if applicable). The term of contract is two years in general.

To renew your contract, you are typically required to pay a renewal fee of one month’s rent to the landlord and a renewal commission to the real estate agent. Your rent may be subject to change upon renewal of the leasing contract.

Information pertaining to renewal fees is included in the rental agreement. These contractual clauses should be explained to you during the procedure to sign the contract. Make sure that you fully understand these clauses.

[Example] The initial cost for renting an apartment with a monthly rent of 60,000 yen and a monthly maintenance fee of 5,000 yen (required only at the time of signing the contract), assuming both the security deposit and the gratuity fee paid to the landlord are two months’ rent and the real estate agent’s commission is one month’s rent.

	Item	Amount (yen)	Reference
1	Security deposit (Shikikin)	120,000
2	Gratuity fee paid to the landlord (Reikin)	120,000
3	Real estate agent’s commission	60,000
4	The current month’s rent	60,000	To be paid in advance
5	The current month’s maintenance fee	5,000	To be paid in advance
6	Fire insurance premium	15,000
7	Fee for changing the lock and key	12,000
	Total	392,000	In addition, further expenses such as for furniture, electrical appliances, curtains, etc. will be required.

Renting private housing

The Student and Career Support Center provides information on rental apartments near Ochanomizu University. The Center does not, however, offer real estate agency/brokerage service for you.
When looking for a rental apartment, you are advised to consult with the university co-op (Ochanomizu University Consumers’ Cooperative Association) or directly visit nearby real estate agents. The Internet and other resources can also be good sources of information. The university co-op is located on the university campus and can introduce you to real estate agents.

The vast majority of housing information is available only in Japanese, so consult with Japanese friends or acquaintances, or senior international students well informed about housing situations in Japan, before you decide an apartment. It’s also important to actually visit apartments of interest, so you can check the surrounding environment, such as noise levels.

Comprehensive Renter’s Insurance for Foreign Students Studying in Japan

Generally, when you sign a contract to rent an apartment in Japan, a guarantor is required as the cosigner of the contract. A guarantor assumes responsibility for any debts on behalf of the tenant. This person must have an income sufficient to support an independent household.

If you don’t have any family member or acquaintance in Japan to cosign your contract, you may subscribe to the “Comprehensive Renter's Insurance for Foreign Students Studying in Japan” under which the university serve as a guarantor. Under this insurance scheme, you may take out non-life insurance to cover liability for damage arising from accidents in daily life.

If you want to subscribe to the scheme, contact the International Affairs Division. For details on the scheme, refer to the link below.

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