When you leave Japan, your apartment is often the contract with the longest notice period and the largest amount of money at stake. Read your lease early, record the condition of the room, and agree with your landlord or agent how any deposit balance will reach you after you have left.
Information checked September 27, 2026. This is general information about Japanese rental practice. Your obligations depend on applicable law and the valid terms of your lease. Ask for an itemized explanation of proposed deductions; this guide cannot assess a specific dispute.
Check the notice period in your lease
The notice period is set by your contract, not by a single national rule. The government’s English Apartment Search Guidebook says to notify the landlord or real estate agent in writing within the period in the rental agreement, which is usually one to two months in advance.
Find the clause and check how notice must be given, when rent stops, and whether rent for the final month is calculated by the day. Once your last working day and flight are fixed, send notice and keep a copy.
What restoration does and does not include
Japan’s Civil Code, Article 621, sets out a tenant’s restoration obligation for damage arising during the tenancy, excluding ordinary wear and aging and damage not attributable to the tenant. Valid special clauses may affect how particular costs are allocated. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) says the same in its English leaflet on restoring rental housing.
The Ministry of Justice leaflet on the 2020 rules (Japanese) gives examples. Marks left by furniture and discoloration behind a refrigerator are ordinary wear. Scratches made while moving, cigarette stains and odors, and pet damage are examples the tenant may have to pay for.
MLIT’s restoration guidelines give a general standard for sharing costs. They take the age of fixtures into account, and they are not legally binding. For a contract already signed, the contract is the starting point, and the guidelines are a reference when it is unclear.
Special clauses such as cleaning fees
Many leases include special clauses. MLIT’s leaflet lists house cleaning and air-conditioner cleaning as examples that may be charged to the tenant under such a clause. It also warns that cleaning the apartment yourself before leaving may not remove a contractual cleaning fee.
Read the special clauses before you plan your final week. If a clause is unclear, ask the landlord or agent to explain it in writing.
Record the condition and attend the inspection
The Apartment Search Guidebook explains that the agent or landlord usually inspects the room with you at move-out and compares it with its condition at move-in. MLIT recommends a checklist and dated photographs. It publishes an English condition checklist you can use.
If you made a record at move-in, bring it. If you did not, take clear, dated photos of each room before you hand over the keys. Ask when the settlement statement will be sent. It may arrive after the inspection, not on the day.
Getting your deposit back from abroad
Under Article 622-2, money given as security, whatever it is called, is a deposit. It must be returned, minus any unpaid amounts you owe, after the lease ends and the property is handed back. MLIT’s leaflet adds that you pay the difference if repair costs exceed the deposit.
Before you leave, agree how the statement will reach you and which account will receive the balance. If you plan to keep a Japanese account, see keeping a Japanese bank account after departure. The National Consumer Affairs Center (Japanese) gives advice on move-out disputes and lists the consumer hotline, 188.
For the rest of your preparations, including utilities and your phone contract, use our free departure checklist.