About the Apartment

From HyogoAJET

With burdens like language barriers and "key money", finding an apartment in Japan is not a pleasant business. One of the blessings of the JET Program is the Contracting Organizations usually arrange housing for participants. Of course, that means we get plenty of questions about housing.

Contents 1 My friend's apartment is better/cheaper than mine. 2 My fridge is broken! Will my school buy me a new one? 3 My school wants to charge me a lot of money for new tatami. 4 Can I move?

My friend's apartment is better/cheaper than mine.

Contracting Organizations are not required to provide participants with housing, so anything you receive is at the discretion of your CO. Depending on the CO and the area you live in, you may arrive in Japan to find anything from a palace of a two-story house to a tiny, run-down studio apartment, or perhaps teacher accommodations. Try to make the best of it!

Of course, if you arrive in Japan to find a serious problem with your housing (holes in the wall, large-scale mold infestation, etc), please let your CO know and try to work with them toward an acceptable solution.

My fridge is broken! Will my school buy me a new one?

It is not your contracting organization's responsibility to buy you anything. If something in your apartment breaks, please do not expect your contracting organization to replace it. Some schools will provide you with furniture out of the kindness of their own hearts, but it is important to remember that your home is not their responsibility. Sorry.

My school wants to charge me a lot of money for new tatami.

Things like tatami mats and fusuma (those sliding doors) need to be replaced periodically. Tatami mats are usually replaced once every three years, though some places change the tatami mats for each new tenant. Unfortunately, replacing tatami isn't cheap, as the price of one mat can vary from ¥3,000 to ¥7,000.

If you have a tatami room, we highly recommend you talk to your school about costs. Some schools charge their ALTs a monthly fee, others only ask for money from the ALT who is living in the apartment when they change the tatami. One of the former PAs used to live in an apartment with tatami and, as it cost about ¥40,000 to replace the tatami every three years, each ALT was asked to pay ¥13,000 a year. Talk to your school about how they do things, and if you think it's unfair, try to convince them to try a different approach.

Can I move?

Your contracting organization is probably involved in a one-year lease with your landlord, and it probably won't be possible to move out during that period without incurring some substantial headaches and costs for yourself and your CO. As such, changing apartments is not encouraged. If you feel strongly about moving, talk to your school about it, giving them your reasons for wanting to move (filthy carpeting, holes in the wall, etc). They might try to come up with other solutions (cleaning the carpeting), or they might try to find you a new apartment.

If your school tells you that they won't move you, and you believe your situation is absolutely intolerable, you do have the option of finding and moving into a new apartment by yourself (subject to the terms of your contract, of course). In this case you will be responsible for any and all costs concerned, which can add up to a mind-boggling amount of money. Also, the trouble you cause your school (who may have to continue paying rent for an empty apartment) may cause some bad blood between you and your coworkers, which you don't want. The final decision is yours, but moving out without the support of your CO is not advised.

Our advice would be that, if you really want to move, keep hounding your CO about it and try to convince them to let you. Don't expect to be able to move right away, as they probably need to draw up a budget for it, which will happen in March.

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General	Meet The CIRs ・ Meet The PAs ・ Phone Numbers and Emails ・ Hyogojets Mailing List ・ Emergencies ・ Useful Links ・ AJET ・ Acronyms ・ Information Centers
For New Jets	The Hiring Process ・ Buying From Your Predecessor ・ Japanese Customs ・ Bringing Medicine To Japan ・ Presents For Coworkers ・ Tokyo to Hyogo ・ Alien Registration Card ・ First Few Days ・ Pension Book ・ Settling In At Home ・ Letter of Appointment ・ Personal Seal
Money	How Much Money Should I Bring? ・ Banking in Japan ・ Sending Money Home ・ Paychecks ・ Paying Up Front ・ Taxes Back Home ・ Statement of Earnings ・ Resident Taxes
Work	Who do I work for? ・ Evaluations ・ Paid Leave ・ Special Leave ・ Unpaid Leave ・ Study Leave ・ Recontracting and Transfers ・ Conferences ・ Orientation Overview ・ The Mid-Year Conference ・ I have nothing to do!
Life In Hyogo	About the Apartment ・ How safe is Japan? ・ Map of Hyogo ・ Dealing with bugs ・ Shopping in Japan ・ Train Lines, Times, and Fares ・ Hyogo Winters ・ Hyogo Summers ・ Typhoons ・ Sports Opportunities ・ Trains: Vocab and Tips ・ Post Office ・ Useful Items to Help You Live in Japan ・ Religious Institutions
Traveling	Traveling ・ Leaving The Country ・ Buses ・ International Airports ・ Domestic Airports ・ Tourist Spots ・ Travel Agents ・ Ferries ・ Natural Disasters Abroad
Language and Culture	Learning Japanese ・ Language Resources ・ Japanese Classes in Hyogo ・ Proficiency Tests ・ Study Tips ・ Japanese Holidays ・ Japanese Etiquette ・ About the CLAIR Courses
Food	Food Shopping ・ Restaurant Vocab and Guidebooks ・ Types of Restaurants ・ Recommended Restaurants ・ Bars
Health	Bringing Medicine To Japan ・ Japan's Medical System ・ Counseling and Support Groups ・ Vaccinations ・ Find a Doctor ・ Medical Examinantions ・ About our Health Insurance ・ AJET Peer Support Group ・ Dentists ・ Insurance and Dental Work ・ Gynecology
Books, etc.	Book Stores ・ Hyogo AJET Library ・ Libraries ・ Magazines ・ Newspapers etc.
Driving	Attention Drivers! ・ Buying a Car ・ Driving in Winter ・ Getting Around ・ Getting Car Insurance ・ Getting a License ・ Rules of the Road ・ Driving School ・ Driving Test ・ Drinking and Driving ・ DUI / DWI ・ My BOE won't let me drive!
Visas, etc.	Immigration Offices ・ Visa Renewal and Status of Residence ・ Reentry Permits ・ Renewing Your Passport ・ Post-JET Visa Advice ・ Temporary Visitor Visa
Recommendations	Gym Recommendations ・ Recommended Restaurants ・ Find a Doctor ・ Find a Hairdresser
Legal Issues	Lost Passports ・ Arrested in Japan ・ English Speaking Lawyers ・ Getting Married
Computers and Phones	Buying a computer ・ Typing in Japanese ・ Getting Internet ・ Word in Japanese ・ Cell Phones ・ Home Phones ・ Phoning Home ・ Help with Technical Problems
Leaving JET	Checklist for Leaving Japan ・ Post-JET Visa Advice ・ Return Tickets ・ Shipping Stuff Home ・ The Pension Refund ・ Staying In Japan ・ Preparing For Your Successor ・ Predecessor Information ・ Reverse Culture Shock ・ Police Clearance Certificate ・ Certificate of Participation ・ I want to break contract ・ Goodwill Envoys