With most rental apartments in Japan, you are usually charged a cleaning fee of around 20,000 or 30,000+ yen as part of the rental fees when moving out. However, this doesn’t mean that you should leave the apartment in a dirty state!

When moving out in Japan, cleaning rental apartments is very important, even if you are paying a cleaning fee. If the apartment is visibly dirty, the inspector checking the condition of your apartment in the final inspection will be a lot more thorough.

When renting in Japan, making a good impression is always important! If an inspector walks into a clean apartment, they are much more likely to assume you’ve been looking after the apartment!

Damages When Moving Out in Japan

With rental apartments in Japan, the tenant will have to pay for the restoration of any damage which could include any marks or tears to the walls or floor, grease in the kitchen, or mold in the rooms

Generally, when moving out in Japan, the longer a tenant has stayed in a property, the less responsible they will be for general wear and tear since some damage does naturally occur over time.

Often when renting in Japan, repair expenses related to age deterioration and wear and tear from normal use are covered by the general monthly rental fees.

So, one of the main benefits of cleaning rental apartments could be to mitigate excess damage fees rather than the cleaning fees, which you’re required to pay. Also, it leaves a good impression.

Cleaning Up and Clearing Out

When you are leaving Japan, don’t forget you need to sort out your belongings and this can be more difficult when moving out in Japan compared to other countries. This is the first part of the cleaning process and probably the most important part when you are moving out of rental apartments in Japan.

Large items need to be disposed of properly with organized sodaigomi (oversized garbage) collections rather than ordinary garbage. You need to prepare for this in advance, residents often have to arrange the sodaigomi at least a month in advance and this can be done at the town hall.  If you’re leaving Japan, please check out our guide on how to get rid of stuff when moving out.

It’s important to think about bin collections too when you are moving out in Japan. If any trash is left behind, you will usually be charged for it. Since bin collections are only on specific days of the week, you need to make sure you’ll have disposed of all your garbage before moving out.

As well as sorting out your belonging, please make sure to call and cancel all utilities and pay any final bills before leaving Japan.

Once you have organized all your belongings and generally cleared out the space it is time to get on with the cleaning. The most effective way to arrange cleaning rental apartments is room-by-room. If you’ve only got one room then try and divide it into different areas – the sleeping space, the eating space, etc. Always start with the room or space you use the least. If you have any storage areas that you have already cleared out, these would be a good place to start.

Some of the different areas of rental apartments in Japan that should be cleaned include; the bedroom, the kitchen, the shower and bathroom, the toilet room, the dining and living space, the corridor(s), the entryway, and any additional storage space.

Thankfully, rental apartments in Japan do tend to be on the smaller side compared to some other countries – and a small space means less space to clean! Also, don’t forget that there will be a cleaning charge in addition to any final rental fees, so you don’t need to go overboard with the cleaning.

Important Things to Clean – Don’t Forget!

When you are renting in Japan, in every room you should give the walls a check, clean windows, floors, doors, and any other surfaces. You’ll want to dust and sweep or hoover, remove any marks and clean, and also mop the floors.

Drains

Cleaning out the drains in the kitchen sink, bathtub, and shower area is important when cleaning rental apartments. The drains are a good indicator of how the overall condition of the apartment was maintained. If the drains are filthy, an inspector may be more inclined to do a thorough check and could end up noticing more things.

Floor

When you are moving out in Japan, it can be easy to overlook some of the unclean elements of an apartment. One of these is the floor. It can be hard to spot marks on the floor, especially if they have been there for a while – so do make sure to have a thorough inspection of your floor before leaving Japan.

Bathtub and Shower Room

Another thing that’s easy to forget when you are moving out in Japan is the bathtub; make sure to scrub it thoroughly to remove any grime or marks. Follow suit with the rest of the shower room. Don’t forget to clean the bathtub tap!

Air Conditioning Unit

If you are renting in Japan, your apartment may have already come with an air conditioning unit or even a fridge. Remember to clean the air conditioning unit and the filters, if you need help, please check out our article on how to clean air conditioners.

Fridge

Similarly, it’s important to clean the fridge freezer. You will need to turn it off before moving out, so it is best to defrost it beforehand and then give it a thorough clean once the fridge is defrosted. Don’t forget to clean the seals of the door since they can gather dirt and grime.

Grill, Hobs, and Kitchen Storage

The kitchen area can be one of the harder places to clean when leaving Japan, grease accumulates and it can be quite stubborn, especially if you haven’t been maintaining it.

Make sure to thoroughly clean the grill, the hobs, the sink, and any kitchen surfaces. Kitchen storage can be an easy thing to forget – remember to clean inside any shelving units and to clean their doors too.

Good luck with the moving out process! Don’t forget that you do normally have to pay a cleaning charge regardless, so a decent clean should be good enough!