Many friends from Hong Kong and Taiwan who are planning a move to Fukuoka think the same thing: "If I lock in a flat six months ahead, I can move straight in and feel secure."
But in Fukuoka, earlier is not necessarily better.
The answer is: start looking about 6 weeks before your move-in date, and decide on your application about 4 weeks before at the latest.
Say you want to move in on 1 December. Counting back, the timeline looks roughly like this:
- About 6 weeks before move-in (mid-October): start looking for a place
- About 5 weeks before (late October): decide on your application, at the latest about 4 weeks before (end of October)
- The following 3 to 4 weeks (November): screening → cleaning → signing the lease
- 1 December: move in
※ Reminder: February to April is the peak moving season, and properties go quickly. Fukuoka's rental stock is fairly tight to begin with, and Japanese people are looking for homes too, so it is a little harder for foreign residents. During this period, start even earlier.
Where do these timings come from? Let's break them down one by one.
1. An application is not one step; it takes 3 to 4 weeks
Many clients assume that once they like a property, they "apply" (mōshikomi, 申込) and can then move in.
In reality, going from application to move-in in Fukuoka usually takes 3 to 4 weeks:
Application → screening → cleaning → signing the lease → move-in
Screening includes a check by the guarantee company (hoshō kaisha, 保証会社). For details, see my earlier article "What does the guarantee company usually ask foreigners on the screening call?"
So if you want to move in on 1 December and only apply in mid-November, it is usually too late.
2. Why is "the earlier you book, the safer" a misunderstanding?
From the management company's (kanri gaisha, 管理会社) point of view, it is very simple:
If you book a property for move-in six months from now, that flat has to stay empty for six months.
For those six months, the landlord receives no rent at all.
So most management companies will not accept this kind of arrangement. Instead, they will ask you to bring forward the start date of the lease (keiyaku kaishibi, 契約開始日). In other words, you have not even moved in, but the rent has already started to be charged.
※ Note: booking early is essentially paying for peace of mind. Unless you are happy to pay extra rent for nothing, applying too early makes no sense.
There are two exceptions, however:
① "Move in within 1 month" is not a hard rule. A difference of about a week either way can usually be discussed, but in the end it depends on each management company's judgement, and every case is different.
② New-build properties. If your move-in date lines up with the completion date, you can apply early. For example, if a building is completed on 1 June, you can apply in February and move in on 1 June. But if you apply in February and want to wait until 1 September to move in, that will not work: a completed building cannot sit there without collecting rent either.
3. Should you keep waiting for new listings?
How do listings appear? Roughly like this:
A tenant gives notice to leave to the management company (in most of Fukuoka, 1 month in advance) → once the management company receives it, the listing usually goes online within about a week → cleaning and repairs after the tenant moves out → only then can you actually move in
For example:
- 1 Sept: a tenant gives notice that they will move out on 1 Oct
- Within about a week after 1 Sept: the property is listed online
- 1 Oct: the tenant moves out
- Around 1 Nov: cleaning and repairs are finished, and you can actually move in
In other words, from the tenant moving out to you being able to move in takes about a month.
When a property is listed, the current tenant may not have left yet. This does not affect your application; you just cannot view the flat for the time being.
Also, how long cleaning and repairs really take is only known after the previous tenant has moved out. If the flat is left in a poor state, it will take longer than expected.
So the answer to "should I keep waiting for new listings?" depends on how long you have until your move-in date: if you still have 6 weeks or more, you can wait a little longer; once you are about 5 weeks away, it is best to decide, rather than leaving it to the last 4 weeks.
💡 Local insight: the one who loses out is usually the one who is too late, not too early
Helping clients from Hong Kong and Taiwan find homes on the front line, what I see is this: many clients think applying for a flat is a simple matter, and only after going through application, screening, cleaning and signing do they find out it takes 3 to 4 weeks.
Please add these suggestions to your preparation list:
- Set your move-in date first, then count backwards: don't look for a flat first and think about when to move in later.
- Don't be fooled by "book early": unless you are willing to pay rent early, booking early brings no benefit.
- Don't leave it to the last minute: decide about 4 weeks before at the latest; deciding 5 weeks before will be more comfortable.
If you are planning a move to Fukuoka, or have questions about how to schedule your move-in date, feel free to get in touch with me any time. I hope my first-hand local information can help you time your move-in just right.