Please note that non-furnished apartments cannot be reserved from overseas as you must be here in person in order to complete the detailed application process. The application process can take up to 2 weeks depending on your application details. The management company of the apartment you are interested in renting will then either accept or deny your application. This process can be time consuming so this is a good reason to rent a fully furnished apartment or room in one of our share houses for when you first arrive in japan.
Below is a brief outline of the process to obtain a non-furnished apartment after you have arrived in Osaka should you decide to stay long term.
1. First and foremost we provide an exhaustive in-depth search for the type of property you are searching for.
We will negotiate with building owners/management companies to get you the best possible price available.
We will assist you in getting all the necessary documentation you will need to complete the application process successfully. You will need such items as proof of alien registration documentation from the ward office as well as proof of employment from your employer, etc. We have prints prepared explaining what these documents are and why they are needed and they are translated into Japanese so that you may obtain them easily at your local ward office or from your place of employment. If you need our assistance at the ward office we will also accompany you there.
2. We will provide you with a request letter written in Japanese that you can hand to a Japanese friend or colleague asking them to act as an 'Emergency Contact Person' to use in completing your rental application form. Many owners we deal with will accept this in lieu of an actual personal guarantor. The letter will help the Japanese person you are asking this favor of, to understand that they will not be taking any responsibility either personally or financially for your actions. It will also include our office details should that person wish to contact us and confirm the information requested of them.
We will also assist in having you signed up for apartment rental insurance. This is your basic housing insurance that will cover such things as water and fire damage, as well as content insurance in case of theft etc.
3. If you need a personal name seal 'hanko' we will have one made for you at a cost of about 1,000 yen. We will assist you in having that 'hanko' registered at the ward office so that it can be used officially at banks etc. The ward office will also provide a card that will act as proof of this registration.
We will help you move into your new apartment with our company van. Though we do stress the fact that you need to be awake and fully packed and prepared on the day we arrive to help you move!
4. We will assist in having your gas, electricity and water turned on. You will need to choose a day that you can be at the apartment to allow the gas man entry into the apartment to do the work necessary to have the gas safely turned on. You will also need to be there in person to sign the contract for this service.
We will also help you with having your internet hooked up and can even start the application process before you move into your new place. Your rental application will need to be approved before this step can be completed but once it has been it can save valuable time leaving you internet-less for the least amount of time necessary.
When the day comes that you decide to vacate the property we will also assist you in having your utilities, phone and internet contracts cancelled and turned off.
5. This is a basic outline of some of the main services we provide. We are open every day and are always available to help in whatever way possible.
In short, we are all about service. If you need help and we are able to provide it, we will be glad to do so. Allow us the opportunity and we will prove it to you!