Along with divorce and bereavement, hikkoshi (Òý¤ÃÔ½¤·, moving house) is widely considered one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through, and adding an unfamiliar language to the mix can be enough to drive the best of us bonkers. It doesn¡¯t help that in Japan ´Ú³Ü»å¨²õ²¹²Ô²â²¹ (²»„Ó®bÎÝ, estate agents) and ¨²â²¹ (´óÎÝ, landlords) have a pile of infuriating and expensive customs; simply renting a place to live here can take almost Spartan stamina.
Perhaps the most painful element of finding a new home is reikin (Àñ½ð, or key money), a nonrefundable wad of cash usually equal to two months¡¯ rent that most ¨²â²¹ demand you to pay as a ¡°gift¡± when signing a keiyakusho (Æõ¼s•ø, contract). Think of it as reciprocating their great generosity in letting you give them rent every month from now on. Feeling stressed yet?
Many ¨²â²¹ also expect you to pay °ì¨²õ³ó¾±²Ô°ù²â¨ (¸üÐÂÁÏ, a renewal fee) when renewing a lease, so even staying put can be costly. However, these days you can find many koushinry¨ nashi no ie (¸üÐÂÁϤʤ·¤Î¼Ò, homes with no renewal fee).
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