By the HalfKey team
Tokyo apartment paperwork your employer can use
Company-paid accommodation needs the right documents as well as a suitable apartment. Agree who will sign and pay, how the deposit will be returned, and what your finance team needs on the invoice before it is issued.
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Ask your finance team what paperwork it needs before paying for a Tokyo apartment. Send those requirements to the rental company with your dates and the apartment name or listing number, so the quote, agreement and invoice describe the same booking.
Start with who will book and pay. Your employer may sign and pay directly, or you may book personally and claim the cost back. Tell finance which arrangement you plan to use so it can confirm the documents you'll need.
Two documents, two jobs
A 請求書 (seikyūsho) is an invoice requesting payment. A 領収書 (ryōshūsho) is a receipt recording payment received. Ask finance whether it needs one or both, together with the agreement, proof of payment and any booking confirmation.
Get the employer's required legal name, billing address, finance contact and any order number or department code that finance needs on the invoice. Include Japanese details if the employer uses them, but don't invent a translated corporate name just to fill a field.
Also agree who will send the payment. If you will pay from a personal account for a company booking, tell both parties before doing so and ask how the paperwork should record it accurately.
Qualified invoices need a separate check
Your employer may need a qualified invoice to deduct consumption tax paid on a business purchase from the tax it owes. The National Tax Agency’s invoice guidance explains which businesses can issue one and what it must show. The required details include the issuing business’s name and registration number, the date and what was purchased, the amounts and tax rates, the tax charged at each rate, and the receiving business’s name. Ask finance which documents it needs for your booking.
Don't assume the entire apartment bill carries consumption tax. The National Tax Agency’s rent and deposit guidance distinguishes qualifying residential rent and refundable deposits from taxable transactions. Different consumption-tax rules can apply to accommodation and additional services, so ask the rental company to list each charge separately.
If finance asks you to check the issuing company’s registration, look it up in the agency’s public register. Tell finance if the name or number differs from the invoice before you pay. If the number is missing, ask finance and the rental company whether this booking requires a qualified invoice.
Keep the deposit outside the expense total
Take an illustrative three-month booking at ¥180,000 per month, a ¥30,000 clean and a ¥180,000 refundable deposit. If all three months and the fees are due upfront, the first payment would be ¥750,000. The rent and cleaning total ¥570,000; the remaining ¥180,000 is held subject to the deposit terms.
That difference matters if you are advancing the money personally. Ask whether your employer will give you the deposit money before you pay, or pay you back afterwards. Agree who should receive the refund and who will cover any amount the rental company deducts. If you pay the deposit but your employer receives the refund, agree how your employer will pay you back.
Suppose you pay the ¥750,000 yourself, finance reimburses the ¥570,000 rent and cleaning, and the deposit later comes back in full without a transfer fee:
| Where the ¥180,000 deposit refund goes | What you have received in total | What still needs arranging |
|---|---|---|
| Back to you | ¥750,000 | Nothing further for this example |
| To your employer | ¥570,000 | Employer pays you the remaining ¥180,000 |
If your employer advances the whole ¥750,000 instead, the deposit refund may need to go back to it. Agree this before paying.
Get written confirmation of when the company expects to refund the deposit and whether it will deduct a transfer fee. Our deposit guide covers the questions to settle with the rental company.
What to include on the invoice
| Line | What finance should be able to identify |
|---|---|
| Rent | Which apartment and dates the payment covers, how much it costs and whether consumption tax applies |
| Departure cleaning | What will be cleaned, when payment is due and whether it has already been paid |
| Utilities | Which services are included and whether the charge is fixed or depends on use |
| Refundable deposit | Who holds the money, what they may deduct and who will receive the refund |
| Setup or booking fees | What each fee pays for, how much it costs and whether it is refunded if you cancel |
| Optional services | Whether your employer has approved them and who will pay |
If your employer approves accommodation one month at a time, ask whether the rental company can issue a separate invoice each month. Also check how long the lease requires you to stay or pay rent. Monthly invoices don't necessarily mean you can cancel monthly. Check the early-exit terms before agreeing to a longer stay.
The email to send before you confirm
Hello, my employer will pay for [apartment] from [start date] to [end date]. [Name] will sign the agreement and [name] will send the payment. Can you issue the documents our finance team needs with this billing name, address and reference: [details]? Please list the refundable deposit separately and show when each payment is due and how much tax applies to each charge. Who will receive the deposit refund? Our finance contact is [email address].
Attach the employer's requirements if they are more detailed. Ask for a draft invoice when the format needs approval, then have finance check it before the payment deadline.
If you have already paid
Send finance the agreement, invoice, receipt and payment record. If the names on those documents differ, explain why and ask whether finance needs a correction or another document showing who booked and paid. Ask the rental company to correct any errors while keeping the record of who actually paid.
Keep the corrected documents with the messages explaining what changed. At checkout, check that the deposit refund and final utility charges match your booking records.