Own a home in Tokyo? Rent it to HalfKey.
HalfKey rents your home directly, so you get steady monthly rent without the landlord work. One simple arrangement, and we take it from there.
Own a home in Tokyo? Rent it to HalfKey.
HalfKey rents your home directly, so you get steady monthly rent without the landlord work. One simple arrangement, and we take it from there.
Who this is for
Which situation sounds like yours?
You operate a furnished rental and it's become a second job
Manage it yourself and it takes time. Hire a company and you pay the fees, while vacancies are still yours. Lease it to HalfKey instead. We pay you steady rent and run the home.
Learn more
You're leaving Tokyo, but want to keep your home
Rent it out without emptying the home you plan to return to. We lease it with the furniture in place, look after it while you’re away, and hand it back when the lease ends.
Learn moreThe difference in numbers
What you actually keep over two years
Compare what remains after vacancy, fees and running costs - not just the monthly rent.
You rent it out monthly
¥270,000/mo
83% occupied
included in the fee
8%
in the rent
furniture wear
You keep
¥4,320,000
¥180,000 a month
You rent it out long term
¥200,000/mo
a gap every 6 years
one month’s rent
5%
tenant’s contracts
wear and ageing
You keep
¥4,176,000
about ¥174,000 a month
You lease it to HalfKey
¥200,000/mo
You keep
¥4,800,000
¥200,000 a month
Illustrative example for a Tokyo 1LDK that lets for ¥200,000 a month unfurnished. Property tax and the building's management fee and reserve fund fall on you whichever way you rent, so they are left out of all three columns. For a home this size the management fee and reserve fund together usually run ¥15,000 to ¥25,000 a month. Fees are shown before consumption tax.
The arrangement
HalfKey becomes your tenant
With a traditional rental, the resident rents from you and the resident risk sits with you. With HalfKey, you lease the home to us and we handle the residents.
The usual way
The resident rents from you. An agent or manager may help, but the resident risk still sits with you.
Resident risk sits with you
With HalfKey
HalfKey rents the home from you, pays you every month and handles the residents. The resident risk sits with us.
Handled by HalfKey
Resident risk sits with us
You never pay us. We pay you.
Who lives in your home
Every resident, carefully selected
Your residents
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Working professionals
Relocating to Tokyo for a new role
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People on corporate assignments
Sent to Tokyo by their employer
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Visiting researchers
Working at Tokyo’s universities and institutes
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Long-stay professionals
Living and working in Tokyo for several months or longer
- 30 days or longer
- No nightly stays and no anonymous bookings. A furnished residential lease, not minpaku or a hotel.
- Identity verified
- Every resident completes a government ID check before move-in.
- A named agreement for every stay
- Each stay is documented with HalfKey, under the resident’s own name.
- Building rules carry through
- Residents follow the property's management and use rules.
- Residents contact us, not you
- Questions, incidents, and everyday needs come to our team.
Property care
How we care for your home
Professional turnover cleaning before each move‑in, followed by regular care throughout every stay.
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Monthly cleaning
Cleaning is arranged once a month during every stay, keeping us regularly involved and helping us notice changes in the home's condition early.
-
Maintenance and resident-caused damage
Residents contact HalfKey directly. We arrange day-to-day maintenance and take responsibility for damage caused by our residents.
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Two layers of insurance
HalfKey maintains business cover for the home, and separate tenant home insurance is arranged for every resident before move‑in.
-
Structural damage and major repairs
We alert you promptly if we identify structural damage or a major repair, and coordinate the next steps with you.
The term
A lease built around your plans
Whether you need flexibility for the near future or certainty for several years, choose a lease term that suits you.
Lease starts
Home comes back
24 months of steady rent. One simple agreement.
Choose a shorter lease to keep your options open, or a longer one for more years of steady, hands-off rent.
Your month
Keep one month a year for yourself
If you’d like to stay in your home when you visit Tokyo, we can write one month of your own use each year into the lease. We agree the dates in advance and handle the calendar and handover. Rent simply pauses for the time you stay.
Getting started
From address to rent, in four steps
Tell us about the home
The address and a few details. About a minute.
We visit
We come see the home at a time that works for you or your key holder.
Receive our offer
The rent, the lease length, and the start date, in writing. Take your time with it.
Sign and hand over
We sign the lease, take the keys, and the rent starts.
Homes with HalfKey
Homes already leased to HalfKey
A few of the furnished homes owners have leased to us across Tokyo.
Yotsuya
Nakameguro
Shirokane
Chitose-Funabashi
Find out what your home could earn with HalfKey
Enter your address and a few details to get your estimate.
Step 1 of 3
Step 1 of 3 Step 2 of 3 Step 3 of 3Where is your home?
Start by entering the property address.
Tell us about the home
This helps us understand the home. It does not change the estimate.
FAQ
Common questions
How much would HalfKey pay for my home?
Every home is different, so the quickest way to find out is the estimate above. Enter your address and a few details and you'll have a range in about a minute. If you like what you see, book a free visit and we'll put the exact figure in writing. Nothing is deducted from it.
Is the rent the same every month?
Yes. The rent we agree goes into the lease and arrives every month for the whole term, whether the home is occupied or not. It doesn't go down, and nothing is taken out of it. To see what that number could be for your home, try the estimate above.
What does it cost me?
Nothing. No fees, no commission, no setup charge. The day-to-day costs move to us: utilities, wifi, cleaning, furniture, everyday repairs. Property tax and building fees stay yours, the same as with any way of renting out a home.
Would HalfKey be interested in my home?
If it's in Tokyo's 23 wards, very possibly. We rent apartments and houses of all sizes, furnished or not. Put your address into the estimate above and you'll know in about a minute.
Who would live in my home?
Working professionals on assignment or relocating to Tokyo, screened before they move in. They sign with HalfKey, not with you, and they pay HalfKey, so a missed payment is our problem, not yours. There are no nightly stays.
How long do residents stay?
Months, not nights. Most residents stay three to six months, and some stay a full year. The home changes hands only a few times a year, and we handle every move-in and move-out ourselves, so you are never involved.
How long is the lease?
As short as one year or as long as five. You choose the length before signing, and the rent stays the same for the whole term. At the end you can take the home back, or we can agree a new lease.
Can I see the home during the lease?
Yes. Whenever a resident has checked out, you can ask to see the home and we'll walk it together. It's written into the lease.
When do I get the home back?
On the date in the lease. You choose the length, one to five years, before signing. The home comes back professionally cleaned, aircon serviced at our cost, with everything checked against the inventory we signed on day one.
Do I need to be in Japan?
No. The lease, the visit, and the monthly payments all work with you abroad. If someone holds a key for you in Tokyo, that covers the visit.
Free, about a minute, no commitment.