So I’ve been looking for a new apartment, and it’s made me realize just how easy it was to live in a guesthouse!

Renting in Tokyo is SO expensive. That’s not the main problem… the problem is that initial costs are so high!

Usually when you rent an apartment, there’s just a deposit to pay, but in Japan, there are like two or three types of deposits you have to make, and they’re often several months of rent. So you can end up paying up to 6 months of rent before you get the key.

Some of this deposit — the “Shikikin” deposit– you’ll get back when you move out, but key money– “reikin” — is just a “gift” you’ll never see again! Truly tragic.

Luckily we were able to get away with only paying one month of each.

Oh I almost forgot! You’ll also usually need a guarantor, i.e. somebody rich enough to co-sign for you. It usually has to be a relative, so foreigners are almost totally out of luck unless their company sponsors them. Luckily, there are guarantor companies to which you can pay a small fee and they’ll cover for you.

That’s what was so great about Oakhouse– you could move in quick, simple, and cheap. Seriously, just look around at the home page! Poke around!

I’ll be sure to post pics when we finally move in. 🙂