By the HalfKey team
Late rent on a Tokyo furnished apartment: what to do
A failed transfer and an inability to pay need different solutions, but both call for prompt contact. Keep the payment record, ask for a clear balance and deadline, and get advice quickly if you receive a termination notice.
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Contact the company you're renting from as soon as you know a rent payment will be late. Give the invoice reference, amount, reason and realistic payment date. Ask it to confirm the outstanding balance, any charge and the next deadline in writing.
If you've already sent the money, find out whether it is still pending, was rejected, or arrived without a reference the company recognises. Don't make a second payment simply because an automated reminder arrived.
Check the recipient if a guarantor has paid
J-Lease’s explanation of rent guarantees shows the company paying the landlord after a missed payment, then asking the tenant to repay the company. If that has happened, you may need to repay the guarantor instead of sending rent to the landlord's usual account.
If you've already paid, send the receipt and rent month to the landlord and guarantor so they can match it to their records. Before paying anything further, confirm the remaining balance, recipient and reference on the current notice.
If a card or transfer failed
Save the error message, time and payment reference. For a card, ask your issuer about the particular transaction and check whether the amount is temporarily reserved on your card even though the payment has not completed. Our foreign-card payment guide explains the information to collect.
For a transfer, compare the account details and booking reference with the invoice. Ask the bank or service you sent the money through whether the payment is complete. If the rental company cannot find it, ask for a reference it can use to track the transfer. Send the rental company the transfer confirmation, leaving out unrelated account details.
If another method is offered, verify the recipient through an established contact. Ask how any previous attempt will be handled before paying again.
If you can't pay the full amount
Explain the situation and propose an amount and date you can meet. Ask whether the company will agree a payment schedule and how it would affect fees or any notice already issued. Keep the agreement in writing.
A part payment may reduce what you owe without changing the deadline for the rest or stopping further action. Don't treat the deposit as this month's rent unless the company explicitly agrees to an arrangement that is permitted under your agreement.
If a guarantor company is now seeking repayment, include it in the discussion. Your guarantee agreement may be separate from the lease.
Understand a late-charge calculation
Where the Consumer Contract Act applies, Article 9 sets a limit on agreed charges for late payment: the amount calculated at 14.6% per year on the unpaid sum. The company cannot enforce the part of an agreed late-payment charge that exceeds this legal limit. See the official law translation; a qualified adviser will need to read your agreement to check whether the law applies and how to challenge a disputed charge.
For an illustrative ¥250,000 unpaid balance at 14.6%, using a 365-day year gives ¥100 a day, or ¥500 for five days. Your agreement may use a different rate, and the company may take other action while rent remains unpaid.
Ask for the rate, unpaid rent and counted days if the invoice is unclear. Paying a late fee does not clear the unpaid rent or settle a dispute about ending the rental agreement.
Don't rely on a three-month grace period
Act on the deadline in your own agreement or notice. Another tenant's experience of how long a landlord waited won't tell you how much time you have.
If you receive a formal demand for payment or a notice ending your rental agreement, read it promptly. Keep the envelope, message and agreement together and seek qualified advice if you cannot resolve it. Ask specifically what response is required and by when; don't assume paying a late fee means you can stay after a notice ending the agreement.
For a furnished booking before arrival, check the cancellation and payment conditions too. Not paying the first booking invoice can have different consequences from falling behind on rent after your tenancy starts.
Close the issue in writing
After payment, ask for confirmation that it has been credited and what balance, if any, remains. If a revised schedule was agreed, record the next date and method. Set a reminder a few days before the next payment is due, so you have time to sort out a declined card or delayed transfer.