Governmental apartment will support your budget for living cost. Check UR apartment!

What is UR apartment

UR apartment is house complex managed by the Urban Renaissance Agency (an abbreviated title; UR) which is incorporated administrative agency under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan. This company is an organization managed by Japanese government.

UR is originally public multiple‐dwelling complex called “Danchi” managed by Japan Housing Corp to provide workers residence after the war.

In 1950 to 1960, the number of rental houses for the worker whom gathered CBD of Metropolitan city became not sufficient. To respond to this demand, It launched large scale development in the suburbs of urban areas where there were relatively remaining lands.

Its scale is about 100 to 1000 households per place. Japan Housing corporation developed a large amount of condominiums and houses in the suburb all around Japan in this period.

Later, the Japan housing corp transformed its organization as UR in 2004 and it has been managing rental apartment and condominium　 for installment sale as of old and also has been handling reforming apartments and houses　tying up with a famous furniture manufacturer such as IKEA. Recently UR has a lot of old apartments renovating for designer’s apartment to bring in new tenants.

→UR Apartment URL (all written in Japanese)

Pros & Cons of UR Apartment

I just summarize the good points and bad points of UR apartment which I mentioned above.
-Pros-

You can save your living costs

When you make a contract with a general apartment through a real estate agent, you need to generally pay the following expenses

• Security deposit (1 to 3 months rent)
• Key deposit (1 to 3 months rent)
• Agent charge (1 month rent)
• Renewal fee (1 month rent)

In contrast, in case of UR apartment , you just pay security deposit

• Security deposit (2 month rent)
• Key deposit (0)
• Agent charge (0)
• Renewal fee(0)

After you move in, all the payment you need to make is monthly rent and community service expenses so you can save initial costs overwhelmingly. Rental contract will be automatically renewed without paying renewal fee. Cost performance is excellent.

It is not tough to satisfy the contractual conditions

UR apartment is not necessary to find guarantor which you are usually required to find when applying for a general apartment. You are not obliged to join in fire insurance. Only the point you pass though the screening is whether you satisfy the income or savings standard, what is better, for those of you who can’t satisfy the income and savings standard with unavoidable circumstances, UR prepares the payment in a lump sum system.

Room area is relatively bigger than any other general apartments

With the background that UR progressed with estate development in the suburb of Metropolitan cities, an apartment site is wide and open. Depending on the building, it has public park, hospital and supermarket within the grounds.

Each room is wide and has plenty of space. For example, an apartment whose layout generally defines as 2 bedrooms is provided as 1 bedroom by UR. So the ratio between rooms and its space tends to be wider than general apartments.

-Cons-

There are some apartment you feel more expensive than market price

Reflecting room width on rent, rent tends to be as expensive as the size of room you rent. As I wrote in introduction, UR positively renovate old apartments tying up with famous furniture manufacturer for transforming into designer’s apartment to bring in new tenants, whose factor is pushing up rent.

However, as is often the case that you think about initial cost performance, whole costs was much cheaper than other general apartments.

Ground floor rooms are for old people

UR prioritizes to get old people to move in rooms in the ground floor. Mostly you don’t have a chance to win a room located in the ground floor if an apartment is so popular.

Basically, rooms are booked on a first-come-first-served basis. But in this case, UR change its priority and place importance on old people’s intention. There are some apartments which has no elevator so it is natural to be thought these factor preferentially.

Screening standard is relatively strict

The conditions imposed on tenants instead of finding a guarantor are relatively strict. For example, you need to clear the conditions your monthly income need to be more than the income standard designated by UR. For example, you need to prove that your income is 4 times more than the rent of an apartment you desire to move in or your savings is 100 times more than the rent. However, UR prepares easing measure that if you pay annual rent in one go, you are exempted from these conditions.

How much rent is

A room layout has basically two types which is single type (one bedroom)and family type (3 bedrooms). There is no restriction to rent a one room studio or a wider room as long as your savings or earnings allows, regardless of whether you are single or married.

It is oblivious that the wider the room is, the more expensive the rent becomes, and the closer to the metropolitan area the apartment is located , the more expensive the rent becomes. Its rent price is also changeable depending on whether the room is renovated or not. So I can’t categorically describe as how much exactly is the market price.

I often see the rent costing you from 60,000 yen to 20,0000 per month. You can search by yourself from here → UR apartment search engine ( all written in Japanese)

In regards of other expenses than monthly rent, all you have to pay is “common service expense”, “security deposit”. No key deposit, no agent commission, no renewal contract fee are claimed to be paid.

Your contract is automatically renewed every year without renewal fee. So this apartment has favorable conditions for those who wants to make a living for long term.

Your security deposit is usually two month’s rent but if you are student and use student studying abroad move-in promotion schemes, your deposit will be discounted to one month rent.

Rent simulation

If you live in an apartment costing you 100,000yen for 3 years….

	General apartment
Rent	¥100,000 x 24 months = ¥2,400,000
Security Deposit	¥10,000 x 2 months = ¥20,0000
When moving out	170,000 yen return(Presuming 30,000yen is deducted out of your deposit = 200,000yen)
Key money	100,000 x 2 months = 200,000
Renewal fee	100,000yen x 1 = 100,000 yen (1 year contract)
Agent commission	100,000yen (one month rent)
Total cost	2,830,000yen

	UR apartment
Rent	¥100,000 x 24 months = ¥2,400,000
Security Deposit	¥10,000 x 2 months = ¥20,0000
When moving out	170,000 yen return(Presuming 30,000yen is deducted out of your deposit = 200,000yen)
Key money	0yen
Renewal fee	0yen
Agent commission	0yen
Total cost	2,430,000yen

2,830,000yen – 2,430,000yen = 400,000 If you rent UR apartment costing you 100,000 per month, you can save 400,000 yen. How do you look at this difference?

Tenant Screening

Standard ratio between rent and your income

Move-in condition is much easier than any other general apartments but tenant screening pays more strictly attention to your income level and your property.

Look at the following tables. These are the ratio between house rent and your monthly income. Your income need to be 4 times more than house rent.

If you apply for family type

Rent	Required income
More than 60,000 yen, less than 82,500yen	240,000 yen
More than 82,500yen, less than 200,000yen	330,000yen
More than 200,000	400,000yen

If you apply for single type

House rent	Required income
less than 62,500	200,000yen
More than 62,500yen, less than 200,000yen	200,000yen
More than 200,000yen	400,000yen

This is the basic standard income ratio that UR requires a tenant to move in. If your monthly income goes lower than the standard income level which corresponds to the rent of an apartment type that you desire to move in, you may have to prove that you have sufficient savings amount.

If your income is half of the standard income corresponding to the rent of an apartment that you desire to move in, your savings amount needs to be 50 times more than the rent.

For example, if you want to move in an apartment costing your 100,000yen per month, your savings amount should be 5,000,000yen. You need to submit both your pay slip and bank statement.

However, if you can prepare documents that prove your income satisfying the condition, even though your income doesn’t reach the standard, your screening will be passed through.

If you don’t have revenue source

If you don’t work and you are in the situation where you can’t expect revenue, Your saving amount need to be 100 times more than rent.

If you move in a single apartment costing your 100,000yen per month, standard savings amount should be 10,000,000yen. It is not realistic for young people to rent. It is assumed that this condition should target retired people who lives on their pension.

If you are student

Even if you are more than 18 years old and your income is less than half of the standard income, if you satisfy the condition of Special Provisions for the Income, you are qualified to move in. Make sure the following conditions if you are student

• You are 18 years or more.
• You go to college, university or technical college regulated in school education Act Article 1 or, technical school regulated in school education Act, Article 124.
• Your dependent has more monthly income than the standard or has more savings than the standard.
• Your dependent makes a firm commitment to taking responsibilities for the payment of rent

You need to submit the following documents that your deponent has capacity to cover the rent of apartment.

• Your deponent’s pay slip
• Your depaendant’s bank statement
• certificate of your family register (to inform the relationship between you and your dependent)

You also prepare memorandum with your registered Inkan and Inkan certificate that your dependent makes a firm commitment to taking responsibilities for the payment of rent.

If you are a student and your family doesn’t intend to back up your rent

You can enjoy the benefit of payment in a lump sum system.

This system gives you a benefit that provides you discounted house rent by paying a rent and common service expenses for a fixed term in one go.

If you apply for this system, you are not required to satisfy the conditions of the standard income and savings regulated in qualification for application

The person who is qualified to apply for this system should be

• to have capacity to pay one year rent and common service expenses (you can choose 1 year up to 10year for lump sum payment)
• to have savings account of Japanese bank to transfer the rent into the account designated by UR until the deadline.

House sharing

If you are concerned about the rent and you want to save your money, you can use the house sharing system. This system helps you support your living cost mutually with your friend. Most of general lease apartments prohibit tenants from using a room for house sharing because they want to avoid the risks of sublease.

Conditions

To take advantage of sharing house, all the members who live together needs to coclude a lease contract under their name. In other words, if you are your friend move in an apartment, Both of you and your friend will be contractors of the lease contract.

Which means both you and your friend need to satisfy the standard income level designated by UR. In a case where one of you doesn’t satisfy this condition, the lease contract will not be concluded.

If two of you live together in an apartment costing you 100,000yen, two of you payment should be 100,000 in total. So the amount of payment that one of you need to make is 50,000. Therefore, based on the condition that your income need to be 4 times more than rent of an apartment you desire to move in, your required income should be 200,000yen per month.

Of course, the more people live together , the less the required monthly income per person becomes. But if the number of people living together increase, you may have to choose a wider apartment type and house rent will be expensive. it could be the case where the amount of rent that three of you burdens individually would be no less than the amount of rent that two of you burdens because of the condition.

And this system doesn’t allow you to use “payment in a lump sum system” simultaneously. So you cannot help satisfying your income condition and savings condition.

In principle, in order to secure the privacy of dwellers, UR regulates only 2 people are allowed to live together in an apartment as house sharing. However, depending on the room type and its width, there is a case where three or four people are allowed to live together.

Benefits

Only the benefits you can enjoy from this system is saving your living costs. Your monthly rent? half of the price. Your security deposit? only one month rent. Your gas and electricity expenses? half of the price. Your loneliness? You can grab warm home.

Do you have a visa valid for one year?

Your move-in qualification is in accordance with your visa type. Although this UR prepares both fixed lease contract (rental contract shall be terminated when contractual period expires),and regular lease contract (you have to continue renewing contract for about 2 years). Please check “the difference between fixed lease contract and regular lease contract”

Even if you use UR for a short term, you’re required to have mid to long term visa. Regardless of what types visa you have, as long as your visa status grants you mid to long term stay in Japan, you are qualified to stay in this UR apartment.
However, its severe tenant screening pays attention to whether you have sufficient savings and whether you receive monthly salary constantly which is 4 times as much as the house rent of room you’re going to rent.

According to the regulation established by UR, you should be a person who is

• granted permanent stay under Refugee Recognition Act
• granted special permanent visa
• granted “Diplomat” or “Official”.
• granted under Immigration Act, paragraph 3 in Article 19

Immigration Act, article 19-3

This is a concrete contents of visa status for foreigners who accept to move-in UR. Please think which one of conditions corresponds to your visa status from the following list down below.

　

The Minister of Justice shall issue a residence card to foreign nationals, other than those persons given below, who are residing with a status of residence in Japan (hereinafter referred to as “mid to long-term residents”).
　

　

• A person who has been granted a period of stay of not more than 3 months.
• A person who has been granted the status of residence of “Temporary Visitor”.
• A person who has been granted the status of residence of “Diplomat” or “Official”
• 　A person provided for by an Ordinance of the Ministry of Justice as equivalent to a person listed in any of the preceding three items.

If your visa status corresponds to any of the above 4 requirements, you are not seen as mid to long term visa holder.

Check your visa status→　List of statuses of residence

If you study abroad in Japan

The student studying abroad move-in promotion schemes

You can make a contract with UR under your own name by taking advantage of the student studying abroad move-in promotion schemes which is concluded between UR and affiliated universities. You can receive a benefit that security deposit will be discounted from regular two month rent to one month rent

In case where you rent a room under the name of college you go to

By the Japanese government, municipality or college concluding rental agreement as contractor with UR, you can move in an apartment

In the case where you are a student and didn’t satisfy the payment condition, if your dependents earn constant income and have sufficient savings, there is possibility that you are allowed to move in through screening.

Working holiday visa

According to Immigration Act, article 19 designated by UR, “Working Holiday” regarded as “Special Activity” grants applicants permission to stay in Japan for 1 year. Hence, working holiday makers are mid-to-long term stay visa holder and this visa status satisfies the UR visa regulation.

But I can’t make sure any lease conditions about working holiday maker. when I think about how those of you who come here in Japan for working holiday can rent UR apartment, Satisfying general condition proposed by UR is apposite for working holiday makers who have backup from nowhere. So I think the following condition is applicable to move in.

• If you don’t work, you need to prove your savings is 100 times more than the rent
• If you work, you need to prove your monthly earnings is 4 times more than the rent
• To prove the second case, you need to prepare your pay slip and employment certificate.
• If you have dependents who take care of your living while you’re in Japan, you need to prove your dependent property has capacity to make the additional sufficient payment for your living except for their living.

If you clear the income standard of UR, even if your length of your service is short, there is possibility to pass through the screening.

Application flow chart

Select a room

Please check vacancy room from the UR website (Click this link This site is all written in Japanese). For first-come-first sold basis, you cannot find an apartment which meets your expectation.

Apply for a room

Access UR website and follow the necessary procedures through the advice on each pages. To apply for a room, you need to complete user registration first. * There are some of apartments for which you can’t apply from the internet.

You can throw inquires to and also apply for a room at local UR consultant office or UR business center. You cannot apply for more than 1 room.

Inspect your room

You can inspect a room you apply for. Some of apartments don’t give permission for inspection. Please check the website if you can inspect a room you desire to move in.
When room inspection, you need to submit your ID card. Room inspection is just one time. You should prepare a paper with itemised lists of points you need to pay attention to prior to renting a room.

Submit necessary documents

You fill the following documents down below with necessary certificates and identification documents

• Rental apartment move-in application
• Pay slip or certificates which prove your revenue
• certified copy of resident register

Your sumbmitted certificates should be returned

Make a contract

You visit UR business center where you submitted your necessary documents indicated by UR to conclude a contract

When making a contract, you submit your ID documents such as your Japanese driver’s licence, your insurance card, your passport.

You must bring your registered Hanko and a hanko registration certificate. A hanko registration certificate is the one proving your Hanko’s authenticity. Concluding a contract by sign is not still standard for UR apartment. So you need to register your Hanko at a municipal office near where you live before application for a room.

You fill in contract from and stamp your hanko on a certain position in the presence of UR staff. Later, you transfer first month rent, community expenses and security deposit (2 months rent) to a bank account designated by UR.

Move in

You receive a room key from Danchi management service office. In principal, you need to move in a room within a month from the move-in possible date.