Landlords are sometimes very particular about who they want to rent to, and there could be quite a few things that will influence it. The biggest is what kind of person you seem to be like when trying to rent, and while you rented a previous property. It isn’t a hard thing to think about when you want to ensure your landlord will remain happy with you. There are a few things you can do to make sure you don’t end up on the bad side of your landlord.
Pay up
Before you move in you have to pay all the fees added into basic living. Then there the other city taxes and health insurance to keep up with. Landlords can check to make sure you have a good payment history with these things, and find it easier to rent to people who pay their bills on time. It will look bad when you have a lot of late notices, and late payment times. Learn how to budget your monthly expenses correctly or they can deny you the chance to live or continue living at their properties.
Follow the Rules
Something that people tend to have a problem with is following the basic rules set forth for their apartments and houses. Most common rules are keep noise to a minimum, which is hard because of the thin walls of Japanese buildings, be courteous to neighbors, no pets, and so on. If you get a lot of complaints on these basic rules you can eventually be forced to leave before your contract is up. Some will lead to instant eviction, especially the no pet rule. There are some places that have special rules just for that mansion or building, so you should become familiar with them as soon as possible. The less they have to hear about you, the better.
No Modifications
This is stated in almost every contract, but most people will overlook it or outright ignore it. You are never allowed to augment you room in any way without the express consent of the landlord. This means no hanging picture using nail or tacks that damage the wall, no changing the basic appearance of the room, like painting or adding structure to the main one, and things of that nature. If you are unsure about you can and can’t do you should double check with the landlord. This includes any damage to the room and floors. If you scratch up the wood floors or accidently knock a hole in a wall, it will come down on you in the end. Try to be careful when living in your new apartment as it isn’t yours and someone will be living there after you finish your time there. Not only will you not get your deposit back because of it, you will garner new charges since they will have to repair any damages. If you can show that you can live in an apartment with little to no fuss, it will look good for future rentals.
Get Your Trash Sorted
Another basic, but easily messed up rule, is to properly sort and place your garbage. This can lead to a lot of conflict with neighbors and the landlord if it isn’t done right every time. Look at the weekly trash schedule and separate the trash accordingly. The complaints will come swiftly if you are not doing it the proper way. Get a neighbor to help you if you truly can’t seem to figure out the right way to sort it all out. The next to put it out on the right day. It is very frustrating for the other renters to have to deal with improper trash placement. Plus, the trash can smell horrible and attract all manner of wildlife that will make a huge mess. Try you best in following this particular rule as it will reflect on later renting attempts.
Visitation
Even though you are an adult and should be able to have over whoever you want at whatever time, there can be rules that limit how many people can be in your apartment at a time. There won’t be a group of people counting entrants, but if it becomes too noisy, they will complain it you will be addressed be the landlord in some way. Have over people whenever you want but try to remember it makes more noise in moving and having conversations. This also speaks to people who try to let others stay at their apartment for long periods of time. The typical rule for someone to stay at your apartment is about 10 days before it becomes a dual occupancy. It is against the rule of renting to have anymore that the original party living at the signed apartment. If you have some friends staying for a while it ok, but they cannot live their permanently, and the neighbors will notice another person being there. They will complain if it becomes obvious that someone who is not supposed be there is living in their building. Try and keep this to a minimum so that both you and your landlord won’t have to deal with the new complaints being lodged against you.
It is actually a very simple thing to keep your landlord happy with you. Try and follow the ground rules of your building and keep all complaints to a minimum. Now with that being said it won’t always be easy, and some neighbors are just hard to live next to. It depends on each living situation and the temperament of each person involved. Do your best in making your stay as stress free as possible and you will enjoy your time in Japan even more.