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Finding an Apartment in Tsukuiba


 
  Index : Terms used when borrowing
　　 　　 　Basic knowledge
　　　 　 　Floor Plan
　　　　  　Electricity, gas, and water service


Necessary document for the contract

   When you are looking for a room for rent in TSUKUBA, first, we recommend to consult the responsible researcher for your stay. In TSUKUBA, there are two kinds of leasehold. One is guesthouses, Takezono house and Ninomiya house, operated by Japanese International Science and Technology Exchange Center, and the other is privately owned rooms. 

　In Takezono house and Ninomiya house, rent fee

of rooms, for one-person (34㎡･36㎡) is 63,000yen,

for two-people(63㎡), 86,000yen, and for the family
(93㎡), 106,000yen. All of these room are furnished.

Reservation for staying more than 21 days, accepted

six month before the stay. However these rooms are

 1k

located at center of TSUKUBA, so you will need the　bus or cars for transportation to KEK.

 　Real estate agents have some leasehold properties with furniture near KEK, which you could commute by bicycle, but the rent fee is from 35,000yen and they are 1Ks only.
   There are a lot of Real estate agents in Tsukuba, but they have only a Japanese homepages and most staff member can communicate only in Japanese. But we are glad to help you.


    yellow Takezono house and Ninomiya house ：

       http://www.jsthouse.com/information/index_j.html
                                          

shikaku Terms used when borrowing


1 ”Fudosan-ya” (不動産); Real estate agent
　　Shops that buys/sell or intermediate apartments, houses, and leaseholds.


2 ”Yachin” （家賃）; Rental fee
　　Charge for renting the house and the apartment. They are usually charged monthly.


3 ”Kanri-hi” （管理費）and “Kyo-eki-hi” （共益費）; Maintenance fee and common-area   

      charge
　　Monthly charge necessary for the management and cleaning etc. of places (stairs and
     passage, etc.) commonly used by the residents.


4 ”Shikikin” （敷金）;  Security Deposit
　　   Money deposited to the landlord (owner). When the tenant moves, it is used for unpaid rent or
     for restoration of dirty or, destroyed equipements. The balance will be reimbursed.


5 ”Reikin”（礼金）; Key money
　　   Reward money traditionally paid to the landlord when contracting, and it will not be paid back.
     This may not be necessary for some leaseholds.


6 ”Chukai Te-su-ryo”（仲介手数料）; Agent commission
　　It is a commission paid to the real estate agent who mediated the room search.


7 ”Rentai ho-sho-nin”（連帯保証人） Guarantor system
　　   The guarantor is uaually required to secure the responsibility of tenants to restore the unusual
    damages of the house/leasehold. You can join to a guarantor exemption program with some
    additional payment.
   　　In some real estate agents of Tsukuba, you can find properties which need not a guarantor,
    instead, by joining to "Guarantor exemption plan" When you apply for "Guarantor exemption 
    plan"  you need the passport, the foreign resident' registration card, and the incumbency
    certificate, etc. 　　Fee for this program is about 2.0-2.5% of the rent every month.
    If you want more information about the real estate agents and the guarantor exemption program,
    please give an e-mail to Shibasaki (hshiba@post.kek.jp) in the users offices.

shikaku Basic knowledge


  1k3

1 Fee/ deposit

    When you rent it a room/apartment, various fees/deposit such as monthly rent,  security deposit fee ( It is not necessary occasionally), key money, fire insurance and the agent commission, are necessary.


2 Room size
　　  In Japan, the size of an apartment is expressed as the number of tatami-mats that make up
    the room, for example, "6 jou[畳]", or in "tsubo" (Japanese unit measuring area equivalent to 2
    jou). One tatami-mat size "1 Jo" is equivalent to 1.62 square meters and one tsubo, 3.3 square
    meters.


3 Interior of the room cannot be changed
　  　In Japan, tenant usually is not allowed to change/damage the interior of their apartments,
    including nailing  in the wall. Changing the colors of the wall, partitions or doors needs
    permission of the landlord in advance.
　　   Please keep this in mind that you may be charged for the changes without permission when
    you move out of the apartment. You must not share the room without permission of the landlord.

4 Noise Trouble
　  　One of the main problems people encounter is the NOISE from neighboring rooms.
   In apartment buildings the walls and floors are not thick enough to shut out the noise. If  you can    hear the voice or sound from the room next to you or above you, you may be the noise source  
   against the neighbors.
　  　Particularly after 10:00 pm, we advise that you keep your TV or radio on low volume, and also
   walk quietly up and down the stairs.
　　  On the same reason, please refrain from using your washing machine, vacuum cleaner, or
   other loud electrical appliances late at night.

5 The Culture of Taking your Shoes OFF
　　   Traditionally, in Japan people do not wear shoes in the house. In Japan landlords and
     real estate agents assume that the tenants will take their shoes off upon entering the
     apartment.
　　    Even if you wear shoes in the house in your home country, please take your shoes off
      before entering your apartment.
      Also, when entering a Japanese style room ("Wa-shitsu" in Japanese), it is proper
      etiquette to remove your slippers before entering.

6 Prevent from getting kitchen walls Greasy.
　　    Japanese food is mainly grilled, boiled, or mixed. Compared to other Asian countries,  
    Japanese dishes are fried in oil less frequently. So, kitchen walls spotted with grease and oil are
    not desirable. Dirty kitchen may cause you an additional charge for cleaning/refurnishing when
    you move out.
       If you use oil in, please be sure to clean diligently so that the ceilings and walls aren't left
    sticky with grease. Also, please be sure to ventilate your kitchen well.
       To protect against stickiness or spattered grease, you can buy special aluminum foil to cover
    the walls and kitchen counters at any supermarket.
    Please take extra care to keep your kitchen area clean.

shikaku Floor Plan

L means living room, D means dining room and K means kitchen.
" 1K" means, one room with kitchenette and "2DK" means 2 rooms with dining kitchen.

   1k      1dk      2dk

                1K                                            1LDK                                            2DK

玄関：Entrance, 　浴室：bath　洗面所：Lavatory,　物入：Closet,　廊下：Passage,　

The Japanese-style room indicates the room with the tatami-mat, and the Western-style room indicates the room of the wood-flooring, cushion floor or the carpetted. When you rent tatami- mat rooms, and damaged them, you may be charged for the refurbishment. The cost is from 5000yen to 10,000yen for piece. Please take care using it.

shikaku Necessary document for the contract

      ･Copy of your Foreign registration card
      ･Income statement
      ･Bank account register and Bank sign
      ･Guarantor approval book
      ･Money

  When you make a rental contract, total amount of money required would be 5 or 6 fold of monthly rent (Rent of this month and next month, deposit, key money and agent commission, etc.)

Parking fee is not included in the rent. So you have to pay additionaly.

shikaku Electricity, gas, and water service

Let's prepare for living, when the rental contract of room has been set.

pink Electricity

  Fill the address, the name, and the date you start using, on the postcard that is hanged down from the main breaker soon after you enter the room, and sends it to the office of Tokyo Electric Power Company. Electricity becomes available immediately after you turn on the breaker.

pink The gas
  You have to call the gas corporation and determine the date when you want to start using the gas, after making the contract. The gasman comes on that day to open the valve. Most leasehold properties are not equipped with gas cookers. So you need to buy it beforehand.

pink Water service
  After you received the room key, call TSUKUBA city water service customer service (029-0851-2811), and tell them your apartment address, apartment name and the room number, telephone number. It becomes available in 2 or 3 minute. The customer service is open from 8:30 to 17:15 (Sunday, National holiday, and January 1st, 2nd, 3rd are closed). Can communicate in Japanese only.