How to Actually Rent a UR Apartment — Step-by-Step from First Search to Move-In

You've confirmed you're eligible — right visa status, income that clears the threshold. Now what? The UR application process has a specific sequence, and a couple of steps that trip up first-timers (especially the part where you have to show up in person). This is the procedural walkthrough: what you do, in what order, and where the deadlines are.

1. Start online — search and shortlist

UR's official site lets you filter by prefecture, city, rent range, and room type. Use it to build a shortlist of 5–10 buildings you'd actually want to live in. Save the building names — vacancy status changes daily and popular units disappear fast.

The practical problem: UR's site has no notification feature. You can check manually, or use UR Alert to get emailed within minutes of a vacancy opening at a building you're watching. Popular units in central Tokyo typically fill within a few hours of being listed — checking at the end of the day usually means you've already missed it.

2. 仮申込 — provisional application

When a unit you want opens up, the first step is a 仮申込 (kari-moushikomi)— a provisional application. This is done online through UR's website, or by phone to the building's 営業センター. You'll need:

• Your name, contact details, and current address
• The specific unit (building name + unit number)
• Basic household information (number of occupants, ages)

This doesn't lock in the unit — it signals your interest and starts the process. UR will contact you (by phone or email) with next steps, usually within a day or two.

3. 内覧 — viewing the unit

After the provisional application, UR will offer a viewing (内覧, nairan). You book a time slot and a UR staff member will show you the unit in person.

Worth doing: check the floor and orientation (north-facing vs. south-facing matters in Japan), the kitchen and bathroom condition, noise from hallways, and distance from the elevator to your unit. You can skip the viewing and go straight to the full application if you're confident, but most people who do this end up wishing they hadn't.

4. 本申込 — full application (must be done in person)

Here's the step that surprises most foreigners: the full application (本申込, hon-moushikomi) must be done in person at a UR 営業センター (sales office).You cannot complete it online. Allow 1–2 hours, bring your documents, and if your Japanese isn't strong, bring a Japanese-speaking friend or colleague.

UR staff are generally patient and professional. Some larger offices in central Tokyo occasionally have English-capable staff, but this isn't guaranteed. Don't count on it — come prepared either way.

5. Document submission — 1-week deadline

After the in-person application, you have approximately one week to submit your documents. Missing this deadline means your application lapses and the unit goes back to the pool. Documents typically required:

• Residence card (在留カード) — copies of both sides
• Passport — photo page copy
• Income proof: 源泉徴収票 (year-end tax statement), recent 給与明細 (pay slips), or bank statements showing savings balance
• 住民票 (juuminhyo) — residence certificate from your ward office. Request the version without your My Number (マイナンバーなし version).
• Personal seal (印鑑) — a standard hanko is fine for this stage

Call the 営業センター before your visit to confirm the exact list. Documents vary slightly based on how you're proving income — salaried vs. self-employed vs. savings path.

6. Contract signing — 10-day window

Once UR approves your documents, you'll be invited to sign the contract. You have roughly 10 days from approval to sign — another hard deadline.

What you pay and sign at this stage:

• 敷金 (shikikin / deposit):typically 2 months' rent, paid upfront. Refunded when you leave, minus damage beyond normal wear.
• Prorated first-month rent: if you move in mid-month, you pay from your move-in date to end of month.
• The lease agreement — standard UR contract

No key money. No agent fee. No guarantor company fee. The only upfront costs are deposit and prorated first-month rent.

7. Move-in — key handover

Move-in day means collecting the keys at the office or meeting UR staff at the building. UR will have cleaned the unit before handover.

• UR does:clean the unit, handle pre-existing repairs, change the locks — you're not charged for this separately
• UR doesn't: provide furniture, appliances, or internet — you arrange those yourself
• Set up rent auto-debit from your Japanese bank account before your first rent date — UR requires this for ongoing payments

8. Practical tips for foreigners

• Get your 住民票 before you start looking.It requires a trip to your ward office. If you recently moved or haven't registered your current address, do this first — running out to get it after finding the unit often eats into the 1-week document window.
• Prepare your Japanese bank account early. Rent auto-debit is mandatory. Yucho, megabanks, and most online banks (Sony Bank, PayPay Bank) work.
• Bring a Japanese-speaking friend if possible. Not required, but the in-person steps are significantly smoother with one.
• Expect 2–3 weeks from provisional application to key handover. Delays almost always happen at the document submission stage.

The short version

The UR process is more structured than a typical private rental — fixed deadlines, mandatory in-person steps, specific document requirements. But it's also more predictable: the rules are published, applied consistently, and there's no landlord subjectivity to navigate. Have your documents ready before you start looking, and don't miss the 1-week document deadline once you've applied.