Court: Landlords collecting renewal fees violates tenants' rights

Friday 24th July, 10:57 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 76 Total Comments Show All

sfjp330 at 07:41 AM JST - 25th July

nigelboy;

Some of the accelerated full depreciation offered in California for commercial can be as short as 8 years full depreciation.

Moderator: All readers back on topic please.
DenDon at 10:56 PM JST - 25th July

even nigelboy has to go off on a tandem to avoid having to agree Japan is wrong on this one
DenDon at 10:57 PM JST - 25th July

but still tries to argue and get all knowledgable about something haha
DenDon at 12:01 AM JST - 26th July

Talk about going off on tandem there buddy.

the topic is Japan and it's messed up landlord rules. your chatter about U.S. and property devaluation is the tandem, helloooooo. any comment on 2 year renewal fees? I would imagine they are the bees knees in your world
nigelboy at 12:12 AM JST - 26th July

the topic is Japan and it's messed up landlord rules. your chatter about U.S. and property devaluation is the tandem, helloooooo. any comment on 2 year renewal fees? I would imagine they are the bees knees in your world

Hooray for the tenants! What more needs to be said?

But you go on with your "Japan is wrong" rants.
DenDon at 03:10 AM JST - 26th July

But you go on with your "Japan is wrong" rants.

tell me about my rants. find one and point it out to me.
DenDon at 03:31 AM JST - 26th July

yeah...
lordomni at 11:40 AM JST - 26th July

This is a good step toward reforming the housing industry. If they can get rid of 'key' money as well, they might even have some level of population mobility so people can live closer to work and not jump in front of trains.
Eizenhauer at 10:36 PM JST - 26th July

Yeah, 2 year term pay is called "koushinryo" and most rental agencies have this fee that you must agree upon before moving into your new place. Been in Japan 5 years and moved 4 times already in search for a good rental agency. If you are a foreigner your chances are equal to none to rent a nice apartment unless you have a japanese spouse. I call this 2 year rental fee a BS payment (bull sh... payment). I have never heard of such a ridiculous payment anywhere else in the world...
Biagon at 12:36 AM JST - 27th July

Interesting enough, we folks in the military don't pay the renewal fee. We do have to pay the 4 months rent upon intial move-in. I guess that backs up the claim that those extra fees are irrelevant. But, then again, those landlords who were smart enough to jump into a specialized market of leasing to the Dep of Defense personnel know that they will have a high turnover rate of people and also know that they will ALWAYS be able to get their money from the government. A lack of failure to pay will result in your wages being garnished.
Nessie at 12:27 PM JST - 27th July

I've lived in 5 different apartments in Sapporo, and I've never heard of a renewal fee.
Richard_III at 09:13 PM JST - 28th July

this system exists in NO OTHER first world nation in the world

You can't compare Japan with other first world countries. Not only would reikin not exist but discrimination on letting due to being a foreigner would also not be practiced: it might be written in law, but such discrimination exists throughout Tokyo.

Let them smell cake.
knowitall at 11:09 AM JST - 29th July

If you are a foreigner your chances are equal to none to rent a nice apartment unless you have a japanese spouse.

That is utter BS. If you have a steady job and speak Japanese, the real estate agents are usually more than happy to provide you with a nice place at the same price they charge Japanese. The places I lived in before acquiring a Japanese spouse were better than the ones I got after. Also, even after marriage, the rental agreements have been in MY name, not my spouse's. While there are hurdles to overcome being foreign in any country, you are not unilaterally excluded from a decent apartment.

I've lived in 5 different apartments in Sapporo, and I've never heard of a renewal fee.

It is a regional thing. Some places have it and some don't. Just as key money (礼金) is mostly a Kanto thing.
nisegaijin at 05:32 PM JST - 30th July

well, i just managed real estate agent knock off 10% of rent, 2 months key and renewal fee.. i asked where deposit goes and they said land lord... question is why?
FightingViking at 09:59 PM JST - 1st August

I ealize it's a little late (better late than never!) but is there anyway I could get hold of a Japanese language edition of the Kyoto Court's ruling in this matter to show my lawyer? Thanks in advance!