Renting with a pet in Japan: deposits, rules and pet-friendly options

Many rental apartments in Japan do not allow pets unless the lease and building rules say so. A pet-allowed unit (ペット可) usually costs more up front: as of October 2026, the agent ABLE says the security deposit is often raised by 1 to 2 months’ rent, and cats can add another month. Before you sign, ask what animals, sizes and numbers are allowed, and read the special clauses (特約) on move-out costs.

What does “pet friendly” mean in a Japanese apartment?

The word covers two different things, according to the portal athome:

• ペット可 (pets allowed): a normal unit where the building rules permit pets. Limits on type, size and number are common.
• ペット共生型 (built for pets): a building designed for owners, with a foot-washing area, scratch-resistant floors and walls, and waist-height outlets.

Some units allow only dogs or only cats. ABLE adds that cats can face stricter terms than dogs. The rules sit in the building’s management rules (管理規約) and in your lease, so ask for both before you apply.

How much more does a pet apartment cost?

There is no national price list. These are the figures we found, and they come from agents and media, not from the government:

Example: on ¥100,000 rent, one extra month of deposit is another ¥100,000 at signing, FINANCIAL FIELD says. MLIT’s English guidebook gives about 2 months’ rent as the usual deposit guideline, so a pet unit can mean 3 or more months of deposit before key money and fees.

Ask the agent for the deposit, any non-refundable amount (MLIT calls it Shikibiki), and the monthly rent in writing, for your exact pet.

What lease rules should you check before you sign?

MLIT’s English guidebook tells you to ask, at the important-points explanation, whether keeping pets is prohibited. It also lists the questions to ask about deposit, key money and restoration conditions. Its sample house rules include “I will not keep any pets or other animals”, so read yours.

Check these points:

• Which animals: dog, cat, small animals, and any size or number limit.
• Special clauses (特約): MLIT’s restoration guideline gives wallpaper replacement cost, to allow a pet in the room, as an example of a special clause.
• Move-out costs: MLIT’s guideline says scratches on pillars and wallpaper, and odor, from pets are often judged the tenant’s cost.
• Common areas: athome says to carry pets in your arms or a cage in halls and elevators, and not to feed or groom them on balconies.

Your deposit pays for these costs first. MLIT’s guidebook says that if restoration costs more than the deposit, you pay the difference.

Can foreigners rent a pet-friendly apartment?

The pet rules are the same for everyone. The extra step for a newcomer is that you still need the usual paperwork on top of the pet terms: residence card, guarantor company (保証会社) and an agent who will take your case. If you have little Japanese, start with an agent that works in English, then ask for pet-allowed units in your first message.

When you contact an agent, say:

• the animal, its size and how many (for example, “one small dog, 5 kg”)
• that you need ペット可 listings and want the deposit terms in writing
• whether the guarantor company screening needs any pet details. We did not find an answer to this in the sources we checked, so ask.

Does UR housing allow pets?

Mostly no. UR’s English guide says dogs, cats, pigeons and chickens are prohibited in ordinary UR complexes, and that small birds and fish are fine if they do not disturb others. Pets are allowed only in designated houses in some complexes, under set rules. UR’s guide says owners who break the rules are asked to fix it and, if not, to leave.

UR calls its pet buildings pet-coexistence housing (ペット共生住宅). UR’s Japanese guide says dogs and cats are allowed there, with limits on type. At Comfort Myojindai in Yokohama, 3 of the 16 buildings are pet-coexistence (UR page from 2019). They have an elevator pet button, a foot-washing area and a waste-disposal sink, and owners must join the pet club (ペットクラブ), although UR notes that some complexes have no club. For the general UR process, see UR housing for foreigners.

How do you find and rent a pet-friendly apartment?

Dog rules come from the Rabies Prevention Act. Yokohama’s Konan Ward says dogs must be registered within 30 days of getting them (for puppies, counted from after 90 days old), vaccinated for rabies once a year, and that you must notify the city when details like your address change. Procedures vary by city, so ask your ward office.

If a move-out bill or a special clause looks unfair, ask your local consumer center (消費生活センター). For general rights over deposits, see getting your security deposit back.

More guides

• The full renting process: how to rent an apartment in Japan as a foreigner
• Agents who work in English: foreigner-friendly real estate agents
• Search sites in English: apartment search sites in English
• The screening you will face: guarantor companies in Japan
• Move-out costs: getting your security deposit back