UR Rental Housing: The Foreigner-Accessible Default
UR rental housing Japan is public stock managed directly by the Urban Renaissance Agency, and it is the closest thing Japan has to a foreigner-accessible default lease.12 It removes the guarantor hurdle and the key-money plus agency-fee stack that block many private-market applications, replacing them with a published income test anyone can check before visiting a sales office.12
Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Urban Renaissance Agency rental housing site.
Overview
This guide covers UR rental housing (UR賃貸住宅, yū-āru chintai jūtaku, "UR rental housing") in depth: what the stock contains, who it suits, how the income and lump-sum qualification works, how the application runs end to end, how wait times and lotteries behave, and how rent and renewal work once you live there.123
It applies equally to Japanese and foreign applicants under one national application standard, so no ward-level variation applies; what varies is availability by region.23 Readers who only need the short search-stage comparison of UR against private rentals should start with UR Rentals: No Key Money, No Guarantor, No Agency Fee instead, then return here for the stock and application depth.
What the Stock Contains: 700K Units, Old and New
The current agency is the independent administrative agency (独立行政法人, dokuritsu gyōsei hōjin, "independent administrative agency") Urban Renaissance Agency (都市再生機構, toshi saisei kikō, "Urban Renaissance Agency"), established on July 1, 2004 through a merger and managing rental housing inherited from its predecessors.4 UR traces its rental-housing work to 1955, when it began as a public institution answering each era's housing needs.5
The stock runs to roughly 700,000 units nationwide, concentrated in the Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya metropolitan areas (as of 2026-09).67 Most buildings use reinforced-concrete or steel-framed reinforced-concrete construction, and UR states that it pursues seismic diagnosis and retrofitting.1
The Old Danchi Core
Danchi (団地, danchi, "housing complex") sites are the family-oriented core: nearby kindergartens and schools, parks and play lots, community rooms and shared spaces, with ongoing rebuilding and layout renewal as lifestyles change.8 Green grounds and child-rearing amenities are the selling point here, not centrality.
Much of this stock dates to the 1960s to 1980s construction waves, with some units fully renovated (as of 2026-09; practitioner sources describe this age pattern, but no UR page states the distribution directly).97 Older complexes often sit at a distance from stations, so a renter prioritizing a short station walk should filter by access from the start rather than browsing the whole pool.
The Newer and Tower Buildings
Tower stock (タワーマンション, tawā manshon, "tower condominium building") is the urban counterpoint: good train access, often multiple usable lines, high-grade fittings and refined design, with upper-floor views as an explicit selling point.8 Centrality is framed as the tower stock's advantage, mirroring how green space is framed as the danchi advantage.
UR also runs renovated units and selected collaboration lines (including MUJI and IKEA styled units and DIY-possible units) at certain properties, though per-property availability is not published as a fixed list.3 Because applications go to UR shops rather than private brokers, the whole process reads more like dealing with a public counter than negotiating with a landlord.1
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 団地 (danchi) | Housing complex, the large-site danchi stock8 |
| タワーマンション (tawā manshon) | Tower condominium building, the station-proximate urban stock8 |
| 独立行政法人 (dokuritsu gyōsei hōjin) | Independent administrative agency, UR legal status4 |
Who UR Suits, and Who Should Look Elsewhere
UR suits renters who can meet a published income or savings test and want to avoid guarantor screening, key money, agency fees, and renewal fees (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with the Urban Renaissance Agency).12 Screening is rule-based and published in advance, so applicants can check qualification before visiting rather than discovering hidden conditions at the counter.6
UR suits foreign residents holding one of UR three qualifying status categories who can fully understand the Japanese lease, since no separate nationality filter or municipal lottery applies beyond those UR categories (as of 2026-09).2 There is no agent guiding the process, so applicants research and apply themselves.7
UR is a weaker fit for renters needing immediate centrality, for renters with neither qualifying income nor savings nor a lump-sum budget, and for very short stays where the two-month deposit dominates the savings from zero fees (as of 2026-09).71 Comparing one month rent against a nearby private unit without amortizing the absent key money, agency fee, and renewal fee over the planned stay understates the UR advantage for long tenancies and overstates it for short ones.1
UR savings compound over a long stay through zero key money, zero agency fee, and zero renewal fee (as of 2026-09).1 Compare total tenancy cost across the planned stay, not the monthly figure alone.
Income and Lump-Sum Qualification in Depth
UR replaces the guarantor with an income test. The applicant average monthly income must meet UR standard monthly income for the unit rent band (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with the Urban Renaissance Agency).2 Average monthly income means continuing, taxable, provable income such as salary, business, real-estate, or pension income, divided by 12 from roughly the past year (as of 2026-09).2
Salaried applicants prove income with the prior-year withholding slip plus the current tax certificate or residence-tax decision notice (as of 2026-09).10 Self-employed applicants use the tax-payment certificate, and pensioners use the pension certificate or transfer notice (as of 2026-09).10 Lump-sum advance payment users skip income documentation altogether (as of 2026-09).10
The qualification routes relate to each other like this:
Household and Single-Person Income Tables
UR runs two tables depending on who applies. Figures below are UR published standards (as of 2026-09).2
| Applicant type | Rent band | Standard monthly income | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household | Under ¥82,500 | 4x rent (¥60,000 rent needs ¥240,000) | 2026-092 |
| Household | ¥82,500 to under ¥200,000 | ¥330,000 fixed | 2026-092 |
| Household | ¥200,000 and above | ¥400,000 fixed | 2026-092 |
| Single | Under ¥62,500 | 4x rent (¥50,000 rent needs ¥200,000) | 2026-092 |
| Single | ¥62,500 to under ¥200,000 | ¥250,000 fixed | 2026-092 |
| Single | ¥200,000 and above | ¥400,000 fixed | 2026-092 |
Applicants whose income falls short but who hold substantial bank savings can still qualify through the savings standard below (as of 2026-09).2 Running both numbers before giving up on a unit saves a wasted search.
The One-Year Lump-Sum Alternative
The lump-sum advance system (家賃等の一時払い制度, yachin-tō no ichiji-barai seido, "lump-sum advance payment system for rent and related charges") prepays rent plus common-area fees (共益費, kyōekihi, "common-area fee") for 1 to 10 years in one-year units starting the month after the move-in month, at a UR-set discount, and removes the income requirement entirely (as of 2026-09).2 The one-year minimum unit is the pay-up-front alternative for applicants without qualifying income (as of 2026-09).2
The advance contract sits separate from the lease and generally cannot be cancelled mid-term except for unavoidable circumstances, so it suits settlers rather than anyone expecting relocation (as of 2026-09).2 After the advance period ends, the tenant resumes monthly payments or signs a new advance contract (as of 2026-09).2
Savings and Combination Routes
The savings standard lets bank savings of 100 times monthly rent or more substitute for the income requirement, proven by a balance certificate for yen deposits issued within 7 days (as of 2026-09).210 A ¥60,000 unit needs ¥6,000,000 in savings under this route (as of 2026-09).2
Partial-threshold applicants holding at least half the income or savings standard can combine a cohabiting relative income or savings, draw a rent supplement from a non-cohabiting relative or employer, or qualify under exceptions for elderly, disabled, single-parent, and adult-student households with a supporter joint undertaking (as of 2026-09).2
Foreign nationals must fully understand the Japanese lease content and hold one of three statuses: permanent, diplomatic, or official status; special permanent resident; or mid- to long-term resident under the Immigration Control Act (as of 2026-09).2 Cohabitants are limited to the applicant or relatives living together or planning to: a spouse including de facto partners and fiances within 6 months, blood relatives within the sixth degree, and in-laws within the third degree (as of 2026-09).2 Friends cannot co-apply.2
All household members must be able to move in within one month of UR set move-in date and live communally without trouble.2 Applicants with unpaid amounts owed to UR, or past UR-housing violations such as rent arrears or false statements, can be refused.2
How to Apply: Search, View, Sign
The official flow runs search, eligibility check, provisional application, viewing, document submission, contract, and move-in.3 UR allows one provisional application per household, filed at a UR shop.3 The sequence looks like this:
Searching: Website, Phone, and UR Centers
The UR website supports vacancy search by area, train line, layout, and rent.3 House hunters can follow up favorite rooms by phone or mail, and housing advisors at UR shops assist with condition-based searches.3 Searchable regions span Hokkaido and Miyagi, the Kanto prefectures, Tokai, Kansai, Chugoku, and Fukuoka.3
No property-search app is part of this flow; search runs through the website plus direct contact with UR shops and in-person UR centers.3 UR shops can explain contract content online on request.3
Viewing, Documents, and Signing Timeline
Documents are due within one week counting from the day after the provisional application, and the contract date falls within ten days counting from the day after the application, at the same shop where documents were submitted (as of 2026-09; confirm current timing with the UR shop handling the application).3
A viewing is possible after application, and even before application for units whose repairs are complete.3 Viewings run normally once, through a key-loan slip (鍵貸出票, kagi kashidashi-hyō, "key-loan slip for viewings") at the management office with photo ID (as of 2026-09).3
Application documents comprise the UR-designated application form, residence certificates for all occupants showing relationship and issued within 3 months without My Number, and income proof by income type.10 Foreign residents must request the nationality and visa fields on their residence certificate.10 Submitted documents are not returned, and false statements void the contract.10
Move-in payment is the deposit (敷金, shikikin, "security deposit") of two months rent plus prorated first-month rent and common-area fees, with no key money, agency fee, or guarantor-company fee added (as of 2026-09).1 Campaign periods can lighten the deposit burden (as of 2026-09).1
| Item | Amount | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 敷金 (shikikin, deposit) | 2 months rent | 2026-09 | Campaign reductions possible1 |
| Prorated rent and common fee | Day-counted first month | 2026-09 | Paid via UR slips before signing103 |
| Key money, agency fee, guarantor fee | ¥0 | 2026-09 | The UR policy zeros1 |
At signing, applicants bring a registered seal (実印, jitsuin, "registered seal") plus a seal certificate from within 3 months; foreign nationals without seal customs bring a consular signature certificate instead.10 Applicants who appear in person with photo ID skip the seal certificate.10 The deposit plus prorated rent and common fee must already be paid through UR-issued slips at a financial institution before signing.103
UR shops can explain contract content online on request.3 Rent accrues from the permitted occupancy date set at contract, and keys are collected at the property management office on or after that date.3
Wait Times and Lotteries
Most UR stock goes to whoever applies first while a vacancy stands.1 One provisional application per household means applicants cannot hold multiple units in parallel while waiting.3 A renter set on a central unit should therefore search, view, and file quickly rather than shortlisting for weeks.
New builds and senior-oriented housing are partly lottery-based instead of first-come-first-served.1 Secondary reporting describes central Tokyo stock as usually fully occupied, with new vacancies filling immediately and popular properties running lotteries on unpredictable timing (limitation: 2021 secondary reporting on occupancy tightness).9
Living There: Rent Stability, Renewal, and Daily Rules
The UR contract renews automatically with no renewal procedure and no renewal fee.1 Long stays therefore avoid the repeating renewal charge that private leases impose every two years. The full fee-by-fee private-market comparison sits outside this article scope.
Restoration costs are split explicitly at move-in, with normal wear-and-tear restoration borne by UR at move-out.1 The English resident guide serves as the post-signing rulebook, covering contract commitments, rent payment method and timing, repair cost splits, move-out and deposit-reimbursement procedures, and complex restrictions including the pet-keeping and subletting prohibitions.5
Good to know
Desirable Units Go Fast or Go to Lottery
Most UR stock goes to whoever applies first while a vacancy stands.1 Secondary reporting from 2021 describes Tokyo stock as usually fully occupied, with new vacancies filling immediately.9 A renter set on a central unit should therefore search, view, and file quickly rather than shortlisting for weeks.
The Document Clock Starts at Provisional Application
Full documents land within one week of the day after provisional application, and the contract follows within ten days at the same shop.3 Treat the provisional filing as starting a clock, not reserving a unit indefinitely. Gathering the withholding slip, tax certificate, and residence certificates beforehand keeps the clock comfortable.
Budget Two Months Deposit Plus First Month
Two months deposit plus prorated first-month rent and common fee still totals roughly three months rent at signing (as of 2026-09).1 Campaign periods can reduce the deposit load (as of 2026-09).1 Budget three months rent as the planning figure and treat any campaign reduction as a bonus.
Foreign Applicants Must Handle a Japanese Contract
Foreign eligibility turns on two gates: the ability to fully understand the Japanese lease, plus one of three status categories covering permanent, diplomatic, official, special permanent, and mid- to long-term residents (as of 2026-09).2 Short-term stays outside those categories are excluded. No separate municipal lottery or nationality quota applies; the UR categories are the entire test.2
Station Distance Is the Real Price of Older Stock
Older complexes trade centrality for size and green space, so filter by station access from the start rather than browsing the whole pool (limitation: location pattern from 2026 secondary reporting).7 Older units may also come with plain interiors and limited building facilities, which matters for remote workers checking fiber availability and for mobility-limited renters checking elevator access (limitation: secondary reporting).9
See also
- How Renting Works in Japan
- The Guarantor Company System
- Move-In Cost Breakdown: What 4-6 Months Actually Buys
- Renewal Fees (Koshin-ryo) and the Regional Variation
- Viewings (Naiken): What to Ask and What to Watch For
- Foreigner-Rejection Patterns and How to Navigate Them