"NO GAIJIN"

[Yuki's Passion 1]

begin rant

 

just as the title says its what I ran into yesterday while apartment hunting. Unfortunately, my job was decided extremely late in the game leaving all but nothing for me to choose from for my new dwellings. Found 2 nice places that were both 3LDK and decent price range of 6man+.

 

Problem is, the realitor asked me if Im familar with Japanese customs. I said like what? Taking off shoes? Eating with chopsticks? bowing? ...not really know where shes going with "customs in Japan" and then she says that many landlords dont like gaijin living in their places.

 

HOW THE FACK is that a custom? I told her its not a custom, its racism and that and customs are two different things

 

Regardless of the fact that my principal will be my guarantor and Im working at a prestigious Intl HS it still didnt matter.

 

In the end I found a place - its quite nice, sunny, close to school but expensive at 75,000/month. More than I wanted to pay. Bloke who owns it said no worries bout me being a gaijin... but I have to pay more now

 

Guess Ill have to tough it up for one year and find something else next year thats cheaper.

 

gotta love racist :the finger:

 

end rant

[tsondaboy 0]

It was more or less the same for me when I was looking for an apartment. The problems usually started when the landlord was above 60. I didn’t have hard time finding something nice, apart from a place owned by a J-obaasan that didn’t want gaijins renting the place.

I had a conversation about it with the real estate guys and said that most of the landlords have issues dealing with SE Asia gaijins. Westerners have not that much problem finding something, but communication is a problem sometimes (which was not a problem in my case).

As she was telling me, it’s a common practice for SE Asian renters to rent a 1K room and have 6-7 people living in there. Also a big percentage flees Japan owing 6 months rent or more. To tell you the truth, under these conditions if I owned land in Japan I would also hesitate rent my place to gaijins.

3DK at 6-7 man range! Man rents are cheap down there.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

my current 3LDK in Ashiya is more expensive though I got a sweet deal on it as it was actually 130,000 but the owner is an OB from my current HS so he knocked it down to just under 10man. Tokyo is expensive as hell.

 

Ive heard that reikin, shikikin, and houshoukin are much better up there though.

[tsondaboy 0]

I dont know how much is down there but 2 shiki 2 rei 1 month in advance and 1 contract fees is standard. So if you want to find a new place in central Tokyo you have to think 6 months rent in advance...

[YellowSnow 0]

Same situation all of above.

 

Except I had to pay 1:1 Reikin Shikin. In the end despite I actually had a guarantor(president of my company)

They said I had to pay for them to be a guarantor irrespective plus I had to pay for the cleaning before I even went to the flat.

 

No matter what it says on the paper you will always end up paying 2:2 plus fire insurance ofcource.

 

Its all bolics, Japanese themselves never protest charges that is why the agencies can charge anything they want. On the day of the signing there was loads of mistakes on the paper I threw a fit and got the key money droped and just paid one month deposit.

 

Plus you have to pay for agent fees. Yeah six months of money I will never see back.

 

I am hoping if I move to Okinawa or somewhere its not as bad as Tokyo.

 

They also gave me the race excuse, the actual landlord can be as racist as they want. But when you go to the agent and speak to them, nothing is their fault.

 

I like Japan but the biggest thing that pisses me of rightly is that nobody can ever claim or accept real responsibility. Yeah sumimasen/gommen shit all you want, but it isnt really your fault right.

 

To me if you help perpetuate something you don't agree with you still are equally responsible. In this case agents being racist on behalf of their clients.

[bobby12 0]

I didn't have any problems like that while flathunting last May, although I my company was supporting and they are pretty big in this little city, and also a japanese wife which probably helps.

 

Theres more info here about this kind of racism towards gaijin in japan (mainly stuff like 'no gajin allowed'.)

 

10man for a 3LDK in ashiya - not bad I reckon so long as its under 12 year old.

[tsondaboy 0]

I would be pissed if the 2:2 or 2:2+2 rule was opposed only to gaijins. Unfortunately, since it is a reality for everyone that wants to rent an apartment in Japan either Japanese or foreigner, although I don’t like it I have to go along with it.

The rent prices and practises are being forced by the market and ruled by the demand/supply law. That’s why you get that big difference between Tokyo and Osaka (and even bigger according to a friend that lives in Nagoya). So basically since demand is higher than supply in Tokyo, the landlord can ask for anything he wants and you will still have to kiss his ass to get it.

 

PS: Debito is a comic character.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

off topic, but some bloke who took the part-time position at my current school from April decided not to take it - anybody in Kansai (close to Ashiya) who is looking for some PT work with paid vacation send me a PM...trying to help out my school in a bad situation.

[NoFakie 45]

So you didn't fancy moving into Ye Olde Chateau de Fattwins then?

 

Apparently it had a beautiful barbeque in the garden....

[YellowSnow 0]

tsondaboy its not as easy as supply and demand.

More like artificial monopolies vs. 'people who are stuck' demand.

 

There are so many places available but people would rather let a house go unoccupied than reduce the price. e.g. over a 2 year period.

 

Basic Rent: 1 million a year.

 

So there is a chance of getting 2 mil.

The landlord has 2 options.

1: lease to somebody for 2 years but can only afford 1.75 mill

2: lease for 1 year at 1 million, but go unoccupied for 1 year.

 

The landlord and the agent (especially the agent) would rather get the 1 year lease in Japan. The landlord because they want to cover their investment(despite rethinking the price) and the agent because in a year he can get a renewal/ chance of a new customer fee.

 

Even when you finish your contract, the bastards will try and get all kinds of renewal fees back.

 

It is neither a free or fair market and never will be. Unless you are able to reclaim land from the sea.

[me jane 0]

Not sure if this is on topic but the move to Tokyo is off. Had found a 2DK (46sqm) for 17 man 3 mins from Ebisu Station. (So CB, I guess you got a good deal!) It was expensive and small but had a 30sqm roof balcony so I was sold! Told my boss about it and he decided to change his rules about only married men being able to move their families into company housing (think I complained about that on here a few years back). He doesn't want us to go to Tokyo and for me to have to commute so has offered us a 3LDK, 3 mins from work, 5 mins from the station for 26 thousand a month(including parking)!

No deposits required, gaijin welcome

[skidaisuki 0]

CB, 75K for a 3LDK? You don't know you're born, mate

[Yuki's Passion 1]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Mr Wiggles:
So you didn't fancy moving into Ye Olde Chateau de Fattwins then?

Apparently it had a beautiful barbeque in the garden....

wrong part of Kyoto mate - and I felt that if I sneezed in that place Id bring it down

I know its cheap for what Im getting compared with other major cities; Hiroshima and Fukuoka are even much cheaper too. Just a pain in the arse that I feel the real estate person is pushing me into this one when Id rather have something cheaper even if its a bit smaller.

>You don't know you're born, mate
what...?am I forgettin all my slang?

MJ, you got a 3LDK for 26000?? sweet!

[skidaisuki 0]

CB, I mean try living in Tokyo...

[tsondaboy 0]

Lucky girl!

 

Were is that place, in Yokohama, how old is it?

 

We are paying 15 man for a 2LDK (49 sqm) in Yoyogi-Uehara.

[me jane 0]

Yep, in Yokohama at the station I work at. It's old (1976) but the bad bits have been reformed. Three tatami rooms with new tatami & the LDK is flooring. Toilet is a high tech job but the bathroom is old tiling. At least it's not the old handle crank type! It's a normal auto-fill, reheating one. There is one funky red carved leather light switch left behind by the former hippy occupants and the living room has a pretty disgusting light fixture! Can't complain at that price anyway! We were paying 13 man (including parking) for a 10 year old 73sqm 3LDK in the same area.

It's basically free rent - the 26,000 is the maintenance fee & the parking. My biggest worry are those damm semi cos the apatment complex is full of trees so I know it's going to be bad...

 

Tsondaboy - sounds like you have a pretty reasonable deal. Yoyogi-Uehara is one of the more expensive areas.

 

CB - have you signed the contract? If your going to take it then it would be cheaper to stay for a while than look for something cheaper in the near future. Considering the start up money is usually 6 months rent, moving to a new place would cost you more over 4 years. I mean...

 

Stay in the same place for 4 years at 7.5man is 45man start up, 7.5man contract renewal after 2 years plus 360man rent = 412.5man

 

Move to a cheaper place after the 2 year contract is up

Expensive place 45man start up, 180 rent

6 man yen place for a further 2 years 36man start up, 144man rent = 405man

 

Oh okay after working it all out I was wrong! It is cheaper, providing your new place is 6man, don't use a moving company or rent a truck to move after two years, don't buy your mates any beer for helping you move and stay for exactly 4 years!

Something to think about anyway

[klingon 10]

Luckily I have never been on the front line trying to get a place - my work did it for me and I was replacing another alien. Nice place, but I sure wouldn't like to have to go on the hunt.

[SirJibAlot 0]

Yea, I got that gaijin descrimination as well. in the end, my company had to lease the apt. It's sad that this kind of descrimination exists here.

[daver 0]

it's not sad that it exists, it's sad that it's tolerated.

[tsondaboy 0]

And what is more sad than that, is that it is treated as a "Japan only" fenomenon.

[daver 0]

phenomenon

i thought you would have know that.

 

but seriously, i never suggested it was. however, we all live in japan right? and we are sharing personal experiences, so why would we bother discussing Jean Le Pen and the National Front Party?

[YellowSnow 0]

Well Japan is a developed country so it should have developed attitudes.

When I was in China in a very rural place there was a sign on the street saying No Whites Allowed.

But renting a flat or business back in Beijing you would never hear of such retard policies. That was 7 years ago I am sure there even has been more progress since them.

 

I am sure the agents say to the house owner: "Oh you do you want to rent to Gaijin because sometimes the cause trouble"

Home owner:"You know best, I will leave the decision to you"

Agent:"ah no Gaijin the"

Gaijin looking to rent:"I have the 6 months up front cash for this piss poor shoe box"

Agent:"Sorry the house owner said they didnt want gaijin"

Agent(thinking):"At lease the gaijin knows it wasnt my fault".

[tsondaboy 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by daver:
phenomenon

sorry typo.

Seriously now, lets assume we actually direct our complains towards some government officials and we manage to get our voice heard. Do you think that we will be taken seriously as long as, a) similar practises exist in our own countries, we accept them in our home environment and don’t strife to change them, but we argue about them only when we see them somewhere else. From my point of view this hall thing is a bit hypocritical and should not be treated as a local issue but as a global.
Also don’t forget that we “westerners” are a small minority of the gaijins in Japan with the vast majority from SE Asia. And although we don’t like the fact that we have to spend that extra cash to rent an expensive apartment through a real estate agency that caters “westerners” ie “KENT, Leopalace and the like” or through our companies, we can still afford them. What happens with the vast majority is a different issue..., or is it not?

[scouser 4]

 Quote:

75K for a 3LDK

That does not sound like something to moan about... there's a lot of people paying a lot more.

Where abouts you going to be living CB?

[daver 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by tsondaboy:
Do you think that we will be taken seriously as long as, a) similar practises exist in our own countries, we accept them in our home environment and don’t strife to change them, but we argue about them only when we see them somewhere else.

i can't speak for Greece, but i like believe in Canada we DON'T except it and we have laws in place that prevent it from happening. laws that don't prejudice a person's citizenship or lack there of.
housing is a basic human right. and basic human rights are not forfeit when you are a minority, or living outside your country of birth. these are the people who are in most need of such standards.