Moving Out of a Japanese Apartment: Notice, Restoration and Your Deposit

Published August 28, 2026 | Kurabeel

The deposit (敷金, shikikin) you paid on moving in is refundable — minus whatever the landlord charges for restoration. How much comes back depends less on how carefully you lived than on what your contract says and how you handle the final inspection.

Here is the full process, and where the money is actually decided.

Step 1: Give notice, in writing

Most leases require one month's written notice; some require two. Notice goes to the managing company, not the agency that arranged your lease — a common and expensive mix-up.

• Use the cancellation form attached to your contract if there is one
• Send it by a method that leaves a record; email or fax confirmation is fine
• The period runs from receipt, so send it early in the day, early in the month
• You pay rent through the notice period even if you leave sooner — usually pro-rated to the final day

If you are leaving within the first year or two, check for a short-term cancellation penalty before you commit to a date.

Step 2: Cancel utilities and register your move

• Electricity, gas and water — notify each 3–5 days ahead with your final date and forwarding address
• Internet — check for a removal fee or contract-term penalty; fiber equipment often has to be returned
• File a moving-out notification (転出届) at your ward office, and a moving-in notification at the new one within 14 days
• Set up mail forwarding with Japan Post — free, and available online for one year

Step 3: The move-out inspection (立会い)

On or near your last day, a representative walks through the empty apartment with you and records its condition. This meeting is where most of the money is decided, so treat it seriously.

• Clean thoroughly first — especially the kitchen, bathroom and any mold. It genuinely reduces charges even where a cleaning fee is fixed.
• Photograph everything before the inspector arrives, with timestamps
• Do not sign a blank or open-ended document. If you are asked to sign a form agreeing to unspecified charges, write down what you are agreeing to, or decline and ask for an itemized statement instead.
• Bring a Japanese-speaking friend if you can, or ask for the findings in writing to review later

What you should and should not be charged for

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism guidelines draw a clear line: ordinary wear and aging are the landlord's cost, because they are covered by the rent you already paid.

Two charges deserve particular attention. Replacing an entire room's wallpaper because of one damaged panel is a frequent over-charge; depreciation should also be applied, since wallpaper is treated as having a limited useful life. And a fixed cleaning fee written into your contract will generally stand, even if you cleaned perfectly — which is why it is worth spotting at signing time (contract clauses explained).

Step 4: The settlement

An itemized statement and the refund usually arrive within one to two months. For a reasonably kept one-bedroom flat with a one-month deposit, getting back 50–80% after a fixed cleaning fee is a normal outcome. A refund of zero, or a bill on top of the deposit, warrants questions.

If you disagree

1. Ask for the itemized breakdown in writing, with unit prices
2. Compare it against your move-in photos and the inspection record
3. Cite the ministry's restoration guidelines — managing companies know them well
4. If it goes nowhere, your local consumer affairs center (消費生活センター) handles these disputes routinely and advises free of charge

Most disputes end once a tenant asks calmly for line-by-line justification. The charges that cannot be justified tend to disappear at that point.

Do this on move-in day, for the next move-out

Photograph every existing mark, scratch and stain on the day you get the keys, and email the set to the managing company. Two years later, that timestamped record is the difference between "this was already here" and an argument you cannot win.

* The agency fee is as low as ¥0. Listings for which the landlord pays no advertising fee (AD) may not qualify. We always confirm the exact amount in a written estimate before you sign.