What to Do If Your Rental Application Is Rejected in Japan: Common Screening Reasons for Foreigners and Your Next Steps

It is very discouraging when you look for a room and are told, "I'm sorry, this time it is difficult." But being turned down does not mean you cannot rent a room in Japan. There is more than one possible reason, and once you know the reason, there are things you can do next.

This guide focuses on "what to do after being turned down." The basics of searching for a room, rent guidelines, initial costs and how to think about a joint guarantor are explained in how to find housing in Japan. Reading that guide first will make this one easier to follow.

We checked the official pages listed below on 9 November 2026. Systems and contact points can change. Before you apply, check the latest information on the official pages and with your school.

What to know first

In Japan, after you apply for a rental, there is a "tenant screening" (入居審査). The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "Guidebook for Finding a Room" (Japanese version) explains this flow.

1. 1Go to a real estate agency and tell them what conditions you want.
2. 2Look at rooms you like (viewing is free, and you may decline if you do not like a room).
3. 3Submit an application and go through tenant screening.
4. 4If you pass the screening, sign the contract.

The same guidebook says it takes a standard 1 to 2 weeks from application to move-in. The Ministry's guideline on smooth move-in for foreign residents also explains that even if your documents are complete, you may not be able to rent the room unless you pass the screening and the landlord also gives approval.

In other words, the real estate company or the guarantor company does the screening, and the landlord makes the final decision. Even if there is no problem with the student, you can be turned down because of the conditions of the room or the landlord's thinking.

At the same time, the Ministry of Justice has announced that there are cases in which foreign nationals are refused move-in to an apartment because they are foreign. So you do not need to think "it is all my fault," and you do not need to think "it can't be helped, whatever the reason." First, find out the reason.

Common reasons for being turned down

From the Ministry's guideline and the "Guidebook for Finding a Room," we have organized what is checked in tenant screening and where people often get stuck. Reasons differ by property and by company. You cannot know the actual reason unless you ask the real estate company.

The guideline also includes answers to the real estate companies' own worry that "we are uneasy about renting to foreign nationals." The core of those answers is to use guarantor companies that handle guarantees for foreign nationals, to make sure that the rules of daily life and the contract contents are communicated through foreign-language translations of the contract and the condition checklist, and to use support from local governments and NPOs. So guarantees, language and the rules of daily life are considered the three important points in tenant screening.

What to do after being turned down

1. Ask for the reason, politely

Try asking, "What was the problem?" You may not be told the reason, but if you find out something you can fix, such as the guarantee, documents, income or Japanese, you can use it in your next application. If it is hard to ask in Japanese, show a note or ask someone who speaks Japanese to help.

2. Get your guarantee ready

The guarantee is one of the easiest parts to see as a reason for being turned down. There are these ways.

• Look for a registered rent guarantee company that offers foreign-language support. The Ministry publishes a list of rent guarantee companies registered with the national government that provide foreign-language support (52 companies as of 30 September 2026). Registration is a voluntary system, and a company can do guarantee business without being registered. Choosing a registered company is one factor in your decision.
• Ask your school whether it has support for joint guarantors or guarantees. According to the Ministry's materials, about half of international students are asked for a guarantor, and the guarantors are a school representative (24%), a guarantee system (19%), a Japanese acquaintance (17%) and a relative (16%) (JASSO, "FY2017 Survey on the Living Conditions of Privately Financed International Students").
• Check the Comprehensive Housing Guarantee for International Students (留学生住宅総合補償). This is a JEES system that pays a compensation (up to 300,000 yen) when a joint guarantor (such as a school staff member) is asked by the landlord to pay. It can be used only at cooperating schools. Ask your school.

When you use a guarantor company, a guarantee fee (the fee you pay to the guarantor company) is required. The Ministry's guideline explains that this fee is not refunded. Before you sign the contract, check in writing the amount and whether there is a yearly fee.

3. Look again at a different real estate agency

Even if one agency turns you down, you may pass at another agency or for another property. Websites of real estate agencies that can serve you in foreign languages are introduced in the Ministry's "Guide to Moving into a Rental Home for Foreign Residents" (a leaflet in plain Japanese).

When you go to a real estate agency, it helps to do the following.

• Go with someone who speaks Japanese. The guidebook also recommends this.
• Some local governments and companies offer support such as accompaniment. Ask at your city, ward, town or village office.
• Write your conditions in advance on the "condition checklist." This sheet is included in the Ministry's guidebook in 14 languages, including Nepali.
• Decide the priority of your conditions, such as rent, distance from the station and size. If you loosen your conditions a little, your application may pass the screening for more properties.

4. Prepare your documents

Keep your residence card and passport, as well as your certificate of enrollment and documents showing your income or money sent from home, ready to show right away. As examples of documents when you have no income, the Ministry's guideline lists a bank remittance certificate, a scholarship payment certificate and proof of savings (a copy of your passbook). If you do part-time work, the permission to engage in activity other than that permitted by the status of residence is relevant. The rules for part-time work are explained in the guide to part-time work for international students.

Options other than private rental housing

School dormitories and rooms introduced by your school

For dormitories and housing introduced by your school, the move-in procedures may be different from a private apartment. The timing, cost and rules differ by school. First ask your school.

UR rental housing

UR rental housing is rental housing run by UR. The official UR pages say the following. We list only the main points. UR's eligibility has several other conditions as well.

• A guarantor is not required. When you apply, you submit documents such as a copy of your resident record and an income certificate, and your own eligibility is checked.
• Foreign nationals must be able to fully understand the contents of the contract, and the people covered are those whose status of residence is permanent resident, diplomat or official, special permanent residents, and mid- to long-term residents.
• There is an income standard. Even if you do not meet it, there is a way to meet a savings standard (100 times the monthly rent). The page says that students aged 18 or older who are enrolled at a university, a college of technology or a vocational school (専修学校) can apply even if their income is less than half of the standard. However, there are conditions such as the income and savings of the person who supports you. Whether students of Japanese language schools are covered, check at a UR counter.
• People who have been behind on rent or other payments, or who wrote something untrue on the application, may be refused.

The location of properties, the rent, the necessary documents and the conditions for students change by property and by time. Be sure to check the official UR pages and counters.

Safety Net housing

The Housing Safety Net system is a system in which rental homes that do not refuse move-in by "persons requiring special consideration in securing housing" (住宅確保要配慮者), including foreign nationals, are registered with prefectures and others. A landlord can register by choosing, for example, "we do not refuse foreign residents." Anyone can search on the Ministry's "Safety Net Housing Information System."

Under this system there are also "housing support corporations" (居住支援法人) designated by prefectures. Housing support corporations are corporations that support daily life, for example through rent guarantees, housing information and consultation, and watching over residents. The Ministry's page publishes a list (as of 30 September 2026). However, who is covered, what support is offered and foreign-language support differ by corporation. Check with the corporation or the local government counter whether you can use it.

When you feel "I was turned down because I am a foreigner"

If you do not know why the real estate company refused you and it seems the only reason is that you are a foreign national, do not worry alone. Please ask for advice.

The Ministry of Justice's human rights organs offer human rights consultation to foreign nationals who cannot speak Japanese freely.

• Human Rights Consultation Dial in Foreign Languages: 0570-090-911 (weekdays 9:00 to 17:00). It supports 10 languages, including Nepali. The call goes through a private interpreting service to the responsible Legal Affairs Bureau.
• Human rights counseling offices for foreign nationals: Legal Affairs Bureaus and District Legal Affairs Bureaus across Japan offer consultation.
• Foreign-language internet human rights consultation: You can ask for advice on the internet in 10 languages, including Nepali.

The Ministry of Justice page says that there are cases in which foreign nationals are refused move-in to an apartment because they are foreign. However, whether something is actually discrimination depends on the situation. This guide does not make a definite statement. First, write down the facts (when, at which agency, and what you were told), and then ask for advice.

Other places to ask for help are summarized in the guide on where to get help. Talk to a staff member at your school early as well.

Things to be careful about

• Do not rush to sign after being turned down. Do not hurry to choose a room with bad conditions or a contract whose contents you do not understand well. If you do not understand the contract, ask your school or the real estate company before you sign.
• Confirm paperwork and money in writing. Before the contract, check the amounts of the initial costs and of money that does not come back (key money, brokerage fee, guarantee fee and so on).
• Do not write anything untrue. If you write something untrue in the screening documents, it can later become a reason for the contract to be refused (UR). If you do not know something, ask honestly.
• Be aware of your period of stay. If your period of stay is short and you try to sign a long contract, that can be a reason for being turned down. The procedure for extending your period of stay is explained in the guide to extending your status of residence.

FAQ

Does this mean foreign nationals cannot rent a room in Japan?

They can. Many foreign residents live in rental housing in Japan, and according to the Ministry's guideline, in the 2015 census about half of foreign-resident households lived in private rental housing. However, the conditions for accepting tenants differ by property and by landlord.

Will the real estate company tell me why I was turned down?

Sometimes they tell you and sometimes they do not. Ask, and use whatever you learn in your next application.

Can I rent without a guarantor?

With a contract that uses a guarantor company, a joint guarantor is sometimes not needed. The Ministry publishes a list of registered companies that offer foreign-language support. Support from your school and the Comprehensive Housing Guarantee for International Students may also be available.

If I choose UR, will I definitely be able to rent?

No. There are income or savings standards, and conditions such as status of residence. There is also screening. Check the official UR pages.

If I call the human rights consultation, will I get a room?

Not necessarily. Human rights consultation is a counter for consultation about human rights. Think about ways to look for a room separately.

What should I do if Japanese is difficult?

You can go with a friend or someone from your school who speaks Japanese. The Ministry's guideline also explains that when it is difficult to deal in Japanese, it is good to have someone who can interpret go with you.

What to do next

First, tell the staff at your school about your situation. Then review the whole process in how to find housing in Japan, and check how to think about costs in the cost guide. To compare schools by housing conditions, see the list of Japanese language schools. If you need help, please contact us. This site is free to use. We do not guarantee admission, a visa or a room contract.