Sangenjaya - FAQ
I am adding answers to newly asked questions around Sangenjaya flatshare.
Contract
Q. How much will be the initial cost?
Deposit is the same amount as one-month rent of the room. Receiving that secures the room, that means I turn down all Internet ad posts on the web.
First month rent plus utilities (6000 yen pre-paid every month) by your move-in. If move-in is at the middle of the month, it will be prorated (for example, if move-in 11th of a month with 31 days, rent x 21 / 31).
Then, the next rent should be paid by the end of the previous month.
Q. Are there minimum stay?
A. Unless it is permitted as a B&B/hostel, sub-month residential lease is illegal in Japan. It is one-month noticing based so minimum stay is one month. Staying shorter period than one month with full one-month rent is acceptable, but anyway, I prefer longer stayers so that I will not need to find another flatmate soon.
Q Can I take my pet with me?
A No. Pets are not allowed. No dogs. No cats. few Goldfish? maybe
Q What is the price difference between the rooms?
A The rents are set by the following criteria in level of importance,
- room size (Room 1 > 2 > 3 > 4)
- facing direction (room 1, 2 faces South. 3,4 faces North)
- closet size (1 has the largest, 2 has nothing)
- terrace size (1 has a wide one)
- deficit (Room 3 has an odor issue in back of cupboard)
They also have been getting small adjustments by how popular each room is when multiple vacancies happen.
Q Can I pay by PayPal credit?
A Yes in Japanese yen or US dollar. If in other currency, it should be the amount when it is exchanged to Japanese yen. In any service, exchanging currency reduces its value by commissions.
Q. Can you wait/discount deposit?
A. No. I prefer to keep the room vacant instead of renting it out, rather than discounting the deposit for security.
Q Can I sublet my room during my trip?
A Yes you may. I do not prohibit subletting itself but there are some conditions. First of all, a person you sublet must not be some random person but who you know well and you can guarantee. you will have to get permission from every single flatmate, to guarantee that person is not a person from nowhere but the one you guarantee. If anyone does not feel it unconfortable, no sublet.
The subletting term must not be less than a month, otherwise it would be illegal by falling it into running hotel in Japan.
I lease to you, you lease to your friend. I will receive rent from you as usual. It should not be affected whether your friend pays you or not. How much you charge to your friend under what conditions, and what deposit you ask for your friend, is totally up to you.
I am not against that you can rent out your room during your vacation, which is good for me if you can keep renting the room. However, any troubles caused by sublet are under your responsibility.
Rooms
Q Is that possible to rent one bedroom with two, such like a couple?
Due to the size of the flat, it will be too crowded for more than four people to live comfortably. However, if you are able to persuade the other flatmates, such as rent negotiation, and come to an agreement, as long as total rent is the same and everyone is happy, I am content. It happened only once in over 15 years of the flat’s history. The couples (both foreigners) were extremely brite, open and considerate. Usually, with the average couple, it would be difficult.
Q. Can I view the rooms online?
Yes. Landlord(me) is not living there so timing is limited, or if any flatmates can help, s/he can show you the room online.
There may be some videos in room photos page on this blog as well.
Q Can my boyfriend/girlfriend/family/relatives stay? If yes, how long?
A As the landlord, I have no problems with guest staying over. However, please be respectful of the other flatmates and consult with them before any long term or last minute guest. Utilities will be charged accordingly to long term guest.
Q Can I install a lock on my room door?
Basically, you may change or renovate your room freely, as far as those change won’t lower the value of the room. If it is about a key and a lock, I need to ask you give landlord a spare key for an emergency case. That key would be kept in landlord’s home and it does not mean that the landlord can move in without your permission.
Q. Are the rooms furnished?
A. Yes, mildly. There are furniture remained by ex-flatmates for years. You may see some unused ones to pick up. They are first-come, first-served. Because of this, if you are the last person to move in, good furniture might be taken by other two flatmates.
You may bring or purchase your own if none fit your criteria. In that case the landlord pay large garbage dump fees for the old one. If you want me to set up better furniture but do not want to purchase by yourself, I can also arrange them but it is charged on you.
You may bring your own bed, but please keep in mind that the flat is at the forth floor in an apartment with no elevator. Large bed might not go through the stairs if it can not be disassembled for carry.
If no very basic furniture (bedding, desk and chair) is in the flat, it is negotiable to let the landlord arrange them.
There are no extra cleaning fees or renovation fees, so basically your rooms are served as are.
Common space and Rules
Q Who cleans the common space in the flat?
A Cleaning is a shared responsibility discussed between flatmates. The current system a weekly cycle where each flatmate cleans the common area for their week.
Outside of the flat, the apartment hires a management agency. They cleans a few times per week.
Q Are there chores?
A Yes. Chores are discussed and fairly distributed between flatmates. Garbage is disposed in the back of the apartment, and pick up is twice a week in the front of the building.
Q How is the Internet speed?
The internet access is on optical internet plan (NTT East’s Flets Hikari with Excite Hikari as a provider). The router is in a shoebox and connections from each room is by WiFi.
There are ethernet sockets to every room but no one has been using those wired lines for years. If you are a serious Internet user who needs wired connection (e.g. gamer, trader or what else?), you may try the RJ-45 wall socket, but it is not guaranteed to work.
Optical Internet speed is not bad, however, as the single Internet line is shared by 4 flatmates, there would be a case when you need to coordinate usage. A serious Internet addict still has an option to contract her/his own line independently.
Q I am a smoker. Is that okay if I smoke outside?
A Smoking on the balcony is prohibited as we have had previous complaints by neighbours of tobacco ash getting on their hung clothes. Smoking by the entrance and building is also prohibited. There is a Lawson across the street.
That is why I wrote ‘non smokers’.
Q How about vapor/electronic cigarette?
A It is supposed to be smoking as well.
Q Do you have TV set in the common area?
A No. There is not a lot of space in the common area. Cable is quite expensive in Japan. About terrestrial televisions, if you own working TV, public broadcast station NHK charges 1310 to 3590 yen per month per house. Previous tenants have used streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and dTV which are more cost efficient. Here there is still a TV aerial socket in the flat (south-east Japanese room) if you need to watch regular TV, but you need to make a contract with NHK.
Flatmates
Q Does everyone speak Japanese?
A Not always. This ad has been posted on both English and Japanese classifieds. Sometimes a new flatmate may not speak Japanese or English.
Q Does everyone speak English?
A Not always. Some Japanese do not speak English well. But they are at least willing to communicate. (If not, they will not apply to this flatshare)
Facilities
Q Can I park my bicycle?
A Yes. There is a bike shed with roof behind the apartment. You need to register and get a sticker. The fee is 200 yen / month, which should be paid on top of your rent/utilities, then I pay it to the managment company with monthly management fee. The bike shed slots are not fixed, you park your bike wherever a slot is available.
Q Is the building earthquake-proof?
A Yes. Although the building was constructed under the old construction standard, our apartment management committee asked professional to investigate the real structures, got a certification from Japan Aseismic Safety Organization in 2011. The building is as good as recent buildings with the new construction standard. The certification paper can be showed upon request.
Q Are there public bath (sento) nearby?
A Kouzen-yu and Koma-no-yu are both at 8 minutes walk from the flat.
Things I need to write down;
- How close are 24-hour supermarkets