In our experience, most landlords in Tokyo only accept applications from tenants who can start the lease within two to three weeks, and well-priced units near major stations often receive multiple applications within days of listing.
For rentals, starting too early can be almost as frustrating as starting too late. If you begin shortlisting apartments three months before your move-in date, as you might in New York or London, most of the units you like will be gone before you are ready to apply.
Buying works differently. Buyers need more lead time, not because properties stay available longer, but because financing and eligibility can slow the process down. Many foreign buyers find the right property first and consider the mortgage second, only to lose out to another buyer who already has financing in place. For non-permanent residents, mortgage screening can take four to eight weeks.
In this guide, we will explain how early you should start looking for a rental apartment in Tokyo, how early to prepare if you are planning to buy, and what the timeline looks like at each step, so you can avoid overlapping rent payments, making rushed decisions, or missing the right property.
How early should you start looking for a rental apartment in Tokyo?
When you apply for an apartment in Tokyo, you are usually committing to start the lease and start paying rent within about two to three weeks. Landlords do not want a unit sitting empty while they wait for a tenant who plans to move in two months later. If another qualified applicant can start sooner, that applicant will usually have the advantage.
This is why starting too early can be frustrating. If you begin shortlisting specific apartments two or three months before your move-in date, most of those units will be gone by the time you are ready to apply. Anything more than five or six weeks before your move-in date should be treated as research, not apartment hunting.
That research is still valuable. It helps you understand what different neighborhoods cost, how much space your budget can realistically get you, which train lines make sense for your commute, and what a good listing looks like when it appears. The key is not to get attached to individual apartments too early.
A practical rental timeline looks like this:
- Six or more weeks before moving: Use this period to research neighborhoods, set your budget, and prepare documents. As a general rule, many landlords and guarantor companies want your monthly income to be at least three times the rent. You should also start gathering your residence card or Certificate of Eligibility, proof of income, employer details, and any other documents your agent may need. If your income comes from outside Japan, expect more questions, since some agencies and guarantor companies place more weight on income earned in Japan.
- Three to four weeks before moving: This is when the actual search begins. Contact agencies, request viewings, and be ready to move quickly when a suitable apartment appears. In Tokyo, it is usually better to view a good listing within a day or two rather than wait until the weekend, especially if the apartment is well-priced or close to a major station.
- Two to three weeks before moving: Apply for your chosen apartment. Screening usually involves the guarantor company, the management company, and the landlord, and can take anywhere from a few days to around two weeks. Once approved, you will sign the lease and pay the initial move-in costs. These often total four to six months’ rent once you include items such as the deposit, key money, agency fee, guarantor fee, first month’s rent, and other upfront charges.
- The final week: After payment is complete, you receive your keys and set up utilities. From choosing an apartment to moving in, the full process usually takes around one and a half to four weeks, depending on the property, the landlord, and how quickly screening is completed.
The time of year also affects how quickly you need to act. Tokyo’s rental market is busiest from January through March, ahead of the April start of the fiscal and academic year. During this period, good listings can disappear before viewings are easy to arrange, and applicants who are slow to respond may lose out quickly. September is another smaller peak because of corporate transfers.
Outside those busy periods, roughly April through August and November through December, the search can feel less rushed. Landlords may be more open to concessions such as one month of free rent or reduced key money. That does not always mean the monthly rent itself will be lower, and there may be fewer listings to choose from, but you may have more breathing room and slightly more negotiating leverage.
If you are searching from overseas, you can do useful preparation before arriving, but it is difficult to complete the full rental process from abroad. Agencies that work with foreign tenants can help you identify buildings that are more likely to accept non-Japanese applicants and may be able to begin some paperwork remotely. In many cases, however, screening of guarantor companies cannot be completed until you have entered Japan and received your residence card.
For that reason, many people moving to Tokyo book temporary housing for their first five to six weeks, such as a monthly apartment or share house, and then run their serious apartment search from inside Japan.
It may cost more than moving directly into a long-term lease, but it gives you time to view apartments in person, understand the neighborhood, and avoid committing to a one- or two-year contract for a home you have never seen.
How early should you start looking for an apartment to buy in Tokyo?
If you are planning to buy an apartment in Tokyo, start preparing about three to six months before you want to receive the keys.
The purchase process, from offer to final settlement, usually takes 60 to 90 days. Cash buyers may be able to close faster, sometimes in 30 to 45 days, but most buyers need extra time for the property search and mortgage approval.
This is the main difference between renting and buying. With rentals, starting too early can be a problem because landlords usually want the lease to begin within a few weeks. With purchases, starting early is usually helpful. The risk is not that you begin too soon; the risk is that you find the right property before your financing is ready.
Sellers take financing seriously. If two buyers make similar offers, a seller is more likely to choose the buyer who already has mortgage pre-screening in place. This is especially important for foreign buyers, because mortgage approval can take longer depending on residency status, income source, and the bank’s requirements.
Before you begin viewing properties seriously, speak with banks or a mortgage broker and complete preliminary screening, known as jizen shinsa. This tells you what you can actually borrow and gives your offer more credibility when you find a property you want.
A practical buying timeline looks like this:
- Five to six months before purchase: Start the mortgage conversation. Get a realistic borrowing range, confirm how your residency status affects financing, and decide what type of property you are looking for. This is also the time to research neighborhoods, compare prices, and decide whether you are more interested in a secondhand apartment or new construction.
- Three to four months before purchase: Begin viewing properties seriously. For secondhand apartments, especially occupied units, viewings often need to be arranged around the current owner or tenant’s schedule, so they may take a few working days to set up. Once you find the right property, you submit a purchase application or letter of intent.
- Two to three months before purchase: After your offer is accepted, you usually sign the purchase and sale agreement within one to two weeks and pay a deposit, often around 10 percent of the purchase price. At the same time, you submit the formal mortgage application. The bank’s final screening then runs in parallel with the contract and closing process.
- The final month: Once the loan is approved, you move toward settlement. The remaining balance is paid, ownership is transferred through judicial scrivener registration, and you receive the keys.
For foreign buyers, financing is usually the step that determines how early you need to begin. Buyers with permanent residency are generally treated more similarly to Japanese applicants, and mortgage approval may take around two to four weeks.
Without permanent residency, screening often takes longer, commonly around four to eight weeks, and fewer banks may be willing to lend. Some non-permanent residents are also asked for larger down payments, sometimes 30 to 50 percent. Non-residents buying from overseas face the most limited options, with fewer lenders and lower loan-to-value ratios.
This is why it is better to start with the bank, not with the property. A foreign buyer who finds the perfect apartment and only then starts mortgage screening may be asking the seller to wait several weeks, or even close to two months. In a competitive price range or popular neighborhood, many sellers will not wait if another buyer is already financially prepared.
The timeline also depends on whether you are buying a secondhand apartment or a new construction. A secondhand apartment, or chuko mansion, usually follows the standard purchase timeline above. If the property is vacant and financing is in place, you may be able to move in within two to three months of your offer being accepted.
New construction works differently. Developers in Japan often sell units before the building is complete, so you may be viewing a model room rather than the actual apartment. Popular buildings may allocate units by lottery, and the time between signing the contract and receiving the keys can range from a few months to one or two years, depending on the construction schedule.
If your move-in date is fixed, a new-build condominium under construction may not give you much flexibility. You are working around the developer’s delivery schedule, not your own.
Listings may increase slightly in spring and autumn, and slower periods such as midsummer or the New Year holidays can sometimes give buyers more negotiating room. But there is no equivalent of Tokyo’s January-to-March rental rush.
For buyers, the more important question is not which month you start searching, but whether your financing is ready when the right property appears.
Start your Tokyo apartment search at the right time
The short version of everything above comes down to two numbers. If you’re renting, start your serious search about one month before your move-in date, and treat anything earlier as research. If you’re buying, start three to six months before you want the keys, and have your financing conversation with a bank before you make an offer, not after.
Both timelines get harder to manage from outside Japan, and both involve steps that are difficult to navigate without Japanese language skills, from guarantor company screening to purchase contracts.
At Tokyo Portfolio, we help foreigners through both sides of this process. We’re operated by Blackship Realty, a licensed Tokyo brokerage, and we handle everything in English, from finding rental listings from landlords who accept non-Japanese tenants to guiding buyers through financing, offers, and settlement.
If you’re starting your search, browse our apartments for rent in Tokyo and apartments for sale, or get in touch and tell us your move-in date.
