# Is this reasonable rent?



## Raffish_Chapish

Greetings one and all,

I'm moving to Japan soon (long term) and have been looking at apartments to rent when out there.

I have found a one bedroom studio in Roppongi for 150,000 Yen a month that says it includes bills.

Does this seem like a good deal to you?? If not, what sort of price should I be looking at for a studio around there?

Many thanks,

R_C


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## larabell

Seems kinda cheap for Roppongi. Are you sure it's not a one-room apartment? A quick check on Google shows most places in that same range are around 20 square meters -- basically one room plus a kitchenette and unit bath.

The price is really going to depend on the exact location (ie: how far away from the station) and the condition. But the price you quoted isn't out of the ballpark.

Ya know... you could get the same kind of place for half the price if you were willing to commute maybe 20 or 30 minutes. Are you going to be working right in Roppongi?


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## Raffish_Chapish

larabell said:


> Seems kinda cheap for Roppongi. Are you sure it's not a one-room apartment? A quick check on Google shows most places in that same range are around 20 square meters -- basically one room plus a kitchenette and unit bath.
> 
> The price is really going to depend on the exact location (ie: how far away from the station) and the condition. But the price you quoted isn't out of the ballpark.
> 
> Ya know... you could get the same kind of place for half the price if you were willing to commute maybe 20 or 30 minutes. Are you going to be working right in Roppongi?


Thanks for the reply - yes I meant a one room plus a kitchenette that's exactly what it is. Like a studio flat.

My office will be in Roppongi yes - Any ideas on locations that are pretty cool and easily commutable to there (that you mentioned were half the price). I'm keen to live near(ish) the action, make friends etc..

R_C


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## larabell

Raffish_Chapish said:


> Any ideas on locations that are pretty cool and easily commutable to there (that you mentioned were half the price). I'm keen to live near(ish) the action, make friends etc..


Just West of the city center. The Hibiya-sen (via the Toyoko-sen) can take you to Jiyugaoka. That's a fairly lively and "artsy" place. The Oedo-sen can take you to Nakano Sakaue or Higashi-Nakano. The latter having significant restaurants and bars as far as I can tell.

If you're a party animal, you might fit in well in Roppongi. But the people you're likely to meet are more likely to come from other places to party rather than actually living there. A less notorious neighborhood with a reasonable selection of restaurants and bars will allow you to meet people that live in more-or-less the same area. I find it easier to meet people at local places than at crowded night clubs where you don't expect to see the same people ever again. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. Just remember that you can always take the train to Roppongi on Saturday night whereas if you live right there you can't get away from the hustle when you're not in the mood.

That said... if you're the kind to party until 4am, you might enjoy not having to spend cab fare to get home. And being close to work is worth something, I suppose.

BTW, if you want to be close but not *that* close, Hiroo and Azabu Juban are nice neighborhoods. But they're right up on top of Roppongi so the prices aren't going to be that much different. Both seem like nice places to hang out on weekends.


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## Raffish_Chapish

larabell said:


> Just West of the city center. The Hibiya-sen (via the Toyoko-sen) can take you to Jiyugaoka. That's a fairly lively and "artsy" place. The Oedo-sen can take you to Nakano Sakaue or Higashi-Nakano. The latter having significant restaurants and bars as far as I can tell.
> 
> If you're a party animal, you might fit in well in Roppongi. But the people you're likely to meet are more likely to come from other places to party rather than actually living there. A less notorious neighborhood with a reasonable selection of restaurants and bars will allow you to meet people that live in more-or-less the same area. I find it easier to meet people at local places than at crowded night clubs where you don't expect to see the same people ever again. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. Just remember that you can always take the train to Roppongi on Saturday night whereas if you live right there you can't get away from the hustle when you're not in the mood.
> 
> That said... if you're the kind to party until 4am, you might enjoy not having to spend cab fare to get home. And being close to work is worth something, I suppose.
> 
> BTW, if you want to be close but not *that* close, Hiroo and Azabu Juban are nice neighborhoods. But they're right up on top of Roppongi so the prices aren't going to be that much different. Both seem like nice places to hang out on weekends.


Thanks a lot I'll check them out - no not going to be out until 4am tooo often I don't think, so I may well prefer to be _near_ the action rather than _wallowing_ in it.


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## xenocrisis0153

Y150,000/month for a studio apartment?? I don't know about prices in Tokyo, but that seems extremely high. I pay less than half that for a place of the same size, but decent quality and great neighborhood in Kobe.

The general rule for accomodations is 1/3 your salary, so unless you're making Y450,000/month, you might want to keep looking.


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## larabell

xenocrisis0153 said:


> Y150,000/month for a studio apartment?? I don't know about prices in Tokyo, but that seems extremely high. I pay less than half that for a place of the same size, but decent quality and great neighborhood in Kobe.


No offence but, comparing Roppongi to Kobe is like someone in Atlanta complaining about apartment prices in Manhattan. Tokyo, in general, is more expensive than Kobe and Roppongi is one of the most expensive areas in the city (not counting the Imperial Palace, I suppose). Supposedly, Roppongi is where Dave Spector lives if that means anything.


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## xenocrisis0153

^ which is why I said it depends on the salary being offered. No matter where you're going to be, if it's more than 1/3 of what you're making, it's not going to work out.


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## nevaeh

Hi Raf,

My two cents: Consider living a few stations away from Roppongi/up to 20 min walk away, or at least don't live somewhere that requires you to pass through the main roads in Roppongi. Basically my message is: don't live where others go to shi...

My first place in Japan was in Roppongi. I came over with several contacts set up, saw several places and ended up in a nice little flat between Roppongi St and Roppongi Itchome St. House was nice, really quiet actually and a 3 station commute to work. The internets said Roppongi was where the action was, so I thought I had it all set.

It took me about 2 weeks to loathe it and 4 weeks later I was packing up.

Just to give you an idea, everyday around 6.30 pm I'd walk home from the station and in those 8 minutes I was always asked by "promoters"/"pimps"/"door staff"/(not sure what to call them) if I was looking for some fun, if I wanted to have a drink, if I was looking for a good time, was I looking for a boy or a girl,.. Some of them were pushy and some were just attempting the friendly "hey girl, where you from?" routine. Now do this Monday to Friday.

Don't expect better treatment if you're a guy, men also get similar reactions, a bit more vulgar actually.

So yeah, it was beyond annoying. I was clearly not a lost tourist, and you'd think that after they've seen you a few times they'd figure out you're just passing by. Also, a woman alone in that area might be seen as a target or a worker. If you're moving to the Tokyo Midtown area (but I highly doubt you'd get a place there for even 300K) then it might be better as it's more "elegant"

While Roppongi is GREAT for a night out, cool little eateries, a bit of daytime shopping, that's pretty much all there is to it. For me the big problem was getting verbally harassed every day. Have you been to the area where your flat will be? Roppongi has some nice areas and others that aren't so appealing. 

Anyway, I ended up moving just one station down to AZABU JUBAN and heck, what a difference. Life then fell into place  rent was not significantly cheaper, but loads of supermarkets, cafés, no one bothering me outside, clean streets, etc.

I often went to Roppongi at night with friends, it was about a 12 minute walk. If it was raining or I was tired and didn't want to do an all nighter I'd take a cab home, it was the minimum fare. 

Just consider all the cons and pros, and don't pay anything before you've seen the place, during the day AND at night.


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## Raffish_Chapish

nevaeh said:


> Hi Raf, My two cents: Consider living a few stations away from Roppongi/up to 20 min walk away, or at least don't live somewhere that requires you to pass through the main roads in Roppongi. Basically my message is: don't live where others go to shi... My first place in Japan was in Roppongi. I came over with several contacts set up, saw several places and ended up in a nice little flat between Roppongi St and Roppongi Itchome St. House was nice, really quiet actually and a 3 station commute to work. The internets said Roppongi was where the action was, so I thought I had it all set. It took me about 2 weeks to loathe it and 4 weeks later I was packing up. Just to give you an idea, everyday around 6.30 pm I'd walk home from the station and in those 8 minutes I was always asked by "promoters"/"pimps"/"door staff"/(not sure what to call them) if I was looking for some fun, if I wanted to have a drink, if I was looking for a good time, was I looking for a boy or a girl,.. Some of them were pushy and some were just attempting the friendly "hey girl, where you from?" routine. Now do this Monday to Friday. Don't expect better treatment if you're a guy, men also get similar reactions, a bit more vulgar actually. So yeah, it was beyond annoying. I was clearly not a lost tourist, and you'd think that after they've seen you a few times they'd figure out you're just passing by. Also, a woman alone in that area might be seen as a target or a worker. If you're moving to the Tokyo Midtown area (but I highly doubt you'd get a place there for even 300K) then it might be better as it's more "elegant" While Roppongi is GREAT for a night out, cool little eateries, a bit of daytime shopping, that's pretty much all there is to it. For me the big problem was getting verbally harassed every day. Have you been to the area where your flat will be? Roppongi has some nice areas and others that aren't so appealing. Anyway, I ended up moving just one station down to AZABU JUBAN and heck, what a difference. Life then fell into place  rent was not significantly cheaper, but loads of supermarkets, cafés, no one bothering me outside, clean streets, etc. I often went to Roppongi at night with friends, it was about a 12 minute walk. If it was raining or I was tired and didn't want to do an all nighter I'd take a cab home, it was the minimum fare. Just consider all the cons and pros, and don't pay anything before you've seen the place, during the day AND at night.


Hi that's interesting - I'm looking at Azabu Juban actually.

Did you get a long term leased apartment?

I would ideally like to rent an apartment and just pay monthly without all the up front costs - any ideas where to start with that?


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## nevaeh

Raffish_Chapish said:


> Hi that's interesting - I'm looking at Azabu Juban actually.
> 
> Did you get a long term leased apartment?
> 
> I would ideally like to rent an apartment and just pay monthly without all the up front costs - any ideas where to start with that?


I put this link in another post of yours, maybe you didn't see it:

Guesthouses and rental apartments in Tokyo

This is a long list of monthly rentals (shared and private apartments). I recommend you check each site.

Regarding my experience, I had a monthly rental fee, the first place I stayed at was a private apartment, and in Azabu I had a large private room in a share house, I was in my mid twenties and I actually liked it a lot as I was able to socialize with housemates, where as before I was a socially limited as my office was just a small delegation and I was the only person under 40.

I had a quick look:
SAKURA HOUSE - AZABU JUBAN - Tokyo Apartments for Rent - Room
http://www.tokyoapartment.com/en/sh...&rooms=&updated_within=&order=1&submit=Search

These might suit your needs in terms of budget, location, space, etc. They might be occupied now, but since you're coming later in the year you can always make a request and see if you get lucky. It's worth waiting a month to get the right place for the rest of your stay, so if you have to slum it for 4 weeks until the place you want becomes available, then definitely do it.

In Azabu, for less than 200,000 for 25m2 flat you won't get luxury design & features (you can in other areas of Tokyo) but a "nice" apartment in this neighbourhood commands hefty fees, so don't expect high rise views and staff opening the door for you unless you're willing to fork out. It's a question of lifestyle, budget and ultimately choice.


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## Raffish_Chapish

nevaeh said:


> I put this link in another post of yours, maybe you didn't see it:
> 
> Guesthouses and rental apartments in Tokyo
> 
> This is a long list of monthly rentals (shared and private apartments). I recommend you check each site.
> 
> Regarding my experience, I had a monthly rental fee, the first place I stayed at was a private apartment, and in Azabu I had a large private room in a share house, I was in my mid twenties and I actually liked it a lot as I was able to socialize with housemates, where as before I was a socially limited as my office was just a small delegation and I was the only person under 40.
> 
> I had a quick look:
> SAKURA HOUSE - AZABU JUBAN - Tokyo Apartments for Rent - Room
> Minato-ku - Tokyo - Japan - Short-term Rent - Tokyo Apartment
> 
> These might suit your needs in terms of budget, location, space, etc. They might be occupied now, but since you're coming later in the year you can always make a request and see if you get lucky. It's worth waiting a month to get the right place for the rest of your stay, so if you have to slum it for 4 weeks until the place you want becomes available, then definitely do it.
> 
> In Azabu, for less than 200,000 for 25m2 flat you won't get luxury design & features (you can in other areas of Tokyo) but a "nice" apartment in this neighbourhood commands hefty fees, so don't expect high rise views and staff opening the door for you unless you're willing to fork out. It's a question of lifestyle, budget and ultimately choice.


Thanks a lot - yes sorry I did see your link and went thought it there are some good options in there.

It's annoying a lot seem to list places that aren't available...

I think I'll concentrate on getting a decent guesthouse and look when I'm out there, I think I'll come a week before I have to start work to nose around a bit.


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## nevaeh

Not available means currently occupied. Temporary housing has a huge turnover... The ones you like are not available right now, most people stay just a few months, so it'll get shuffled around! if the places were available now then they'd likely be filled by the time you came. Short list some places and have another look 45-30 days before you arrive.

Like I said, if you arrive Nov 1st and the place you want is only available Nov 21st... I'd find a temporary solution and wait move in on the 21st. 

The only place I have personal experience with is Sakura house. They'll charge you 30K as a start-up fee, and they have a 1-month minimum stay, but you can change to another location after that month and I think (not sure) you don't have to pay the 30K again. They also have an advanced reservation system where you get on a waiting list of some sort.

Don't fret, we've all survived this, you will too


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## Raffish_Chapish

Yes more worried about my work visa application - it's just getting processed


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