Leasing

Whether you’re nearing the end of your lease or you want to know your options for moving out early, it’s important to be clear about the rules around renewing and terminating housing agreements. Extending or Renewing a Housing Lease Renewing a housing lease depends on the individual contract. Having said that, there are two main types of lease in Japan. Standard Lease The first type is a two-year agreement, in which the term automatically renews every two years, unless the tenant submits a cancellation notice. The contract simply renews for another two years with no requirements for the tenant and no paperwork. Almost all residential leases are this standard type. With a standard lease, the landlord may only refuse to renew with just cause. Such circumstances include: In any of these situations, the landlord must inform the tenant in advance and may need to pay compensation to the tenant (except where the tenant has committed a violation). Fixed-Term Contract The second type of housing lease contract is a fixed-term contract. Extending an agreement with a fixed term is a bit more involved. Fixed-term contracts have a “hard stop” at the expiration date. When you near the end of the agreement, you’ll need to…