Foreigner-friendly real estate agents in Japan: how to find one

The most reliable way to find foreigner-friendly real estate in Japan is the Japan Property Management Association’s (JPM) list of agencies offering foreign-language services. As of October 2026 it lists about 441 agencies, sorted by prefecture, with the languages each one offers. If you’d rather skip agents and guarantors, UR public rental housing charges no key money (礼金), agent fee or renewal fee and needs no guarantor. Foreigner-focused portals and share houses are other options.

How do I find a foreigner-friendly real estate agent in Japan?

1. Use JPM’s multilingual agency list

The Japan Property Management Association (日本賃貸住宅管理協会, JPM) is the rental management industry body. It works with MLIT on guidance for foreign tenants. Its List of Real Estate Agencies Offering Foreign-Language Services has English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese versions. It is organized by 11 regions, then by prefecture.

The prefecture counts add up to about 441 agencies. Tokyo has the most (72), followed by Saitama (23), Aichi (23) and Osaka (22). Some prefectures have only one. Each entry lists the languages offered: some about ten, some only English.

2. Look for the language stickers

JPM says agencies display Foreign-Language Service Stickers at their offices, showing which languages their staff speak. If you’re walking around the neighbourhood you want, look for them in the window.

3. Ask your city, school or employer

MLIT’s Apartment Search Guidebook suggests:

• Your local government’s consultation desk for foreign residents and the international exchange association (国際交流協会). They can answer housing questions, and some local governments provide staff who go with you to an agent.
• Your school’s student office, if you are a student. It may have student housing information.
• Prefectural schemes. Saitama Prefecture, for example, registers “Trusted Renting Support Agents” who help foreign residents find housing.
• People you know, who may hear of vacancies.

4. Search MLIT’s Safety Net Housing site

MLIT’s guidebook points to its Safety Net Housing (セーフティネット住宅) website, where you can search for rental housing that accepts foreign tenants. It is in Japanese only.

What should I look for in a foreigner-friendly agent?

• Your language, in writing. Can they explain the contract and the important points explanation (重要事項説明) in a language you understand?
• Guarantee companies with language support. MLIT publishes a list of registered rent guarantee companies with foreign-language support (as of September 30, 2026). Ask which ones the agent uses, and compare them in our guarantor companies guide.
• An itemised estimate before you apply. MLIT’s rule of thumb for initial costs is 4 to 7 months’ rent. See renting an apartment in Japan as a foreigner.
• No pressure on insurance. You can often choose your own fire insurance if it meets the lease. See renters’ fire insurance.
• Honest screening questions. MLIT says agents usually ask about your job, income, Japanese ability and who will live with you. A good agent tells you up front what the landlord and guarantor will need.

If your Japanese is limited, MLIT suggests bringing a Japanese speaker to the agent.

Can foreigners rent UR housing?

Yes. UR rental housing (UR賃貸住宅) is run by the public Urban Renaissance Agency. Its English pamphlet (information as of September 2022) lists four advantages:

Who qualifies for UR?

You must be a Japanese national or a foreign national with the qualifications UR requires, and meet an income standard. For an individual applicant:

For household applications the thresholds are 4 times the rent below ¥82,500, ¥330,000 from ¥82,500 to under ¥200,000, and ¥400,000 above that. If you don’t meet the income standard, UR offers an advance rent payment system or a savings standard instead. Ask at a UR shop for the details.

Two practical points for foreign applicants:

• Your residence record (住民票) needs extra items. UR asks foreign nationals to request a copy showing nationality, the date you started living in Japan, your status and period of stay, and your residence card (在留カード) number. These are often left off unless you ask.
• Language. UR’s pamphlet says people who need Japanese support should have a coworker or another Japanese speaker contact UR.

What are foreigner-focused rental portals?

Several websites list apartments open to foreign tenants, in English. We name them so you know what they are. This is not an endorsement or ranking.

• Best-Estate.jp describes itself as an apartment search site for foreign residents. It showed 279,401 listings on October 20, 2026, in seven languages including English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Portuguese. It is run by Global Trust Networks (GTN), which is also a guarantor company.
• Real Estate Japan and GaijinPot Apartments are long-running English rental portals. Both sites blocked our checks, so we can’t report their current listings or terms.

Portals show listings from agencies. You still sign with an agent, a landlord and usually a guarantor company. The same checks apply.

Is a share house a good option for foreigners?

A share house is a building where you rent your own room, or a shared one, and share the kitchen and other spaces. Some operators rent to you directly, so you deal with one company instead of an agent, a landlord and a guarantor.

For example, Oakhouse, a share-house operator since 1992 with houses in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka and other cities, advertises no key money or guarantor needed and online booking. Its site is in English, Chinese, French and Korean, and you can filter for “Foreign Residents Allowed”. Some of its listings advertise no deposit and short-term stays.

Read the share-house contract as carefully as a lease: contract type, notice period, fees and house rules.

Related guides

• Steps, documents and costs: renting an apartment in Japan as a foreigner
• Guarantor companies compared
• Renters’ fire insurance
• Setting up a bank account for rent: bank accounts for foreigners