Apartment/house hunting/discrimination

[captainspoke]

I haven't experienced it (was only a renter for a bit long ago and was a student in a college town), but I've read/heard that for apartment rentals in the US you need to authorize a credit check (for what is called a FICO score there), and landlords can refuse based on that, and set their own threshold for what that needs to be.

And criminal background checks are a thing, too.

[Established]

Housing discrimination based on age is a serious issue in Japan as well. The government is attempting to combat this with new legislation. In the past, the focus has been on really encouraging homeownership as a means to combat this issue.

If the government has just started to deal with the old-age discrimination issue (which is understandably a higher priority), do not hold you breathe for any major reforms in regards to renting to foreigners.

I could forgive higher security deposits and language proficiency requirements. I cannot forgive blanket refusal.

[KCLenny]

I am a renter. I can’t afford to just buy a house. And I probably can’t even get a mortgage yet because, as already discussed, I’m a foreigner and most banks wouldn’t give a mortgage to a foreigner.
And trust me, if I know I could do something to try and change the situation, I would be. Except japan is also a country that doesn’t give constitutional rights to free speech to its foreign citizens.
If I go to a protest about immigrant rights or something, and I’m identified, I can literally have my visa renewal refused. There is precedent for that. So what exactly am I supposed to do to attempt to change the entire political system? Because I am genuinely all ears.
The solution is simple. The route there is not. Landlords need to be told that they can’t just be racist scumbags because they are worried the foreigners don’t understand their mystical garbage disposal methods or that they are worried the foreigners will run off in the night without paying rent (despite having paid colossal key money, security deposits and probably having payed a guarantor company who’s literal job it is to sort this kind of problem out in the first place.

And what am I supposed to say to immigration office?
“Hey why are some landlords refusing me to even view their apartments because I’m foreign?” Do you honestly think anyone working in the immigration office would A. Give a toss, and B. Do anything about it anyways?

[Established]

I am a renter. I can’t afford to just buy a house. And I probably can’t even get a mortgage yet because, as already discussed, I’m a foreigner and most banks wouldn’t give a mortgage to a foreigner.
And trust me, if I know I could do something to try and change the situation, I would be. Except japan is also a country that doesn’t give constitutional rights to free speech to its foreign citizens.
If I go to a protest about immigrant rights or something, and I’m identified, I can literally have my visa renewal refused. There is precedent for that. So what exactly am I supposed to do to attempt to change the entire political system? Because I am genuinely all ears.
The solution is simple. The route there is not. Landlords need to be told that they can’t just be racist scumbags because they are worried the foreigners don’t understand their mystical garbage disposal methods or that they are worried the foreigners will run off in the night without paying rent (despite having paid colossal key money, security deposits and probably having payed a guarantor company who’s literal job it is to sort this kind of problem out in the first place.

And what am I supposed to say to immigration office?
“Hey why are some landlords refusing me to even view their apartments because I’m foreign?” Do you honestly think anyone working in the immigration office would A. Give a toss, and B. Do anything about it anyways?

If you are seriously asking about what you can do politically, you can contact your:

(a) Local Representative
(b) Prefectural Representative
(c) National Representative

They are elected to represent you, even if you cannot vote for them.

Finally, reach out to organizations like the Japan Property Management Association, and let your concerns be known. Name, names, and provide evidence of refusal.

[RetireJapan]

I’m a foreigner and most banks wouldn’t give a mortgage to a foreigner.

My understanding is that any bank will treat you exactly the same as a Japanese citizen in terms of getting a mortgage, provided you have permanent residency.

If you don't have PR, some banks will give you a mortgage with slightly worse conditions, but review the terms if you subsequently get PR.

[concerned]

I wonder how much of the discrimination is actually from the Landlords and how much is by the intermediary rental agency who do not want to deal with foreigners and assign blame to the landlord

[Ori]

Leaving aside question whether it is legal or not, I suggest to get a better agent.
I've experienced this first hand and can testimony that an eager agent can make wonders in this regard, provided you are a seishain.
Most agents don't even try to mention to a home owner that you are a reliable tenant, let alone persuade.

[Tanuki]

I second to what Concerned and Ori said. It is also my experience that there are RE agents who try to give good service and make everyone happy (landlord, renter, agent), and there are, let's say, less professional people. It's all business : A good agent will negotiate a lower rent on your behalf if he knows that the landlord badly needs a tenant, etc. It's happened to me. It was just after another RE agent had discriminated against me. He did in subtle ways, by making an embarrassed face when he first saw us, and by showing us "unrentable" apartments, like the second floor of a factory, then the second floor of a mah-jong parlor, etc.. He got rid of us quickly, just like he wanted.

[TJKansai]

Yes sometimes I hail a cab and it does not stop. Because I am a foreigner? I don’t know. Maybe.. I will get the next cab.

Pre-Uber, my Black friends in mid-town Manhattan would have the same experience...

[TJKansai]

I have rented three times in Japan. The first two were arranged by the convesation school and no issues. The third time we looked at about 5 places before deciding on our preferred place. The agent might have been screening out some who had a no-foreigner clause, but I doubt most landlords in our non-urban area actually care.