Denied an apartment because I'm a FG

[Mini_B]

Can you believe that 7 out of 7 apartments that I chose to look at the other day denied me because I am a Gaijin? It's true. Right here in good ol' Saitama. I have a job, I'm getting married to a Japanese chick, I speak decent Japanese and I've been living in Japan for about 3 years. Still...I was denied.

I have to wait until my fiance gets back into town to make any further attempts to find an apartment. I really don't know if I can take the humiliation.

Has anyone else had the same or similar experience?

Forgive me for being a US Citizen.

[Taro Toporific]

Can you believe that 7 out of 7 apartments that I chose to look at the other day denied me because I am a Gaijin?
Has anyone else had the same or similar experience?

You're lucky. The under 200,000yen/m apartments they do show FGs are always sheeeee-it: bad location, poor price, site of suicide, next to a graveyard...misushobai neighbors woo! Welcome to Japan.

[Andocrates]

You act suprised.

[Watcher]

I feel ya...
Even did an experiment where twice we went to the same agency with the same demands on days following each other. Once together and once just my girl went. The result? Together we got shown the above mentioned graveyard dumps, next to train track shakers, and other rotten hell holes. The next day she went alone. I had to really encourage her to do this... she didn't think they would act in such a way and that we were just not offering enough key money. Well she went and talked to a different guy at the same office early in the day and said the same criteria and the that it was for 2 people. She got shown really nice places... and took pics too. The third day we both went back and I inquired about all the apartments and about getting into the nicer ones... after much "eto"ing and "mmmmmmm"ing they picked up the phone and then came back to me with "It was just taken". This did not sit well with me and I nearly exploded on these SOBs. It took a week to calm down from that treatment.
End of freakin' story. Welcome to Japan.

BTW you ought to try the same thing with your fiance... see how it goes if only she does the negotiating (and you just show up on moving day).

[Captain Japan]

I feel ya...
Even did an experiment where twice we went to the same agency with the same demands on days following each other. Once together and once just my girl went.

I just went through an apartment search - on my own - about two months ago and didn't have any problems with discrimination (at least that I know of). I used the Internet. It is really easy and you get to choose what you are interested in. The decision is not left up to the trembling hands of a hack fudosan in need of another cigarette]http://www.chintai.co.jp[/url]
http://www.able.co.jp
http://athome.co.jp
http://www.ensen-homes.jp/
http://www.forrent.jp/

Certainly they are a start.

[GomiGirl]

This happened to me a few times. I would look through the books and find an apartment that I liked and then the agent would call the owner to schedule an appointment to see the place and the first thing they said was "this is a foreigner, do you want to rent to her?" Of course the owner said "No" immediately citing silly reasons like not being able to communicate. Bollocks!!

I walked out of agents as soon as they said that. It shouldn't matter who is the person. I have a good job, I am clean and I do all of my ritual sacrifices in alternative venues.

Agents shouldn't be so difficult in the present economy as there are so many vacant apartments around Tokyo.

There was an FG who successfully sued an agent for discrimination like this.

[kamome]

There was an FG who successfully sued an agent for discrimination like this.

This is an important point. Anyone here actually sued for housing discrimination in Japan, or know someone who has?

Moreover, has anyone sued, or know someone who did, for on-the-job discrimination in Japan (i.e., for getting shat upon as a gaijin employee in a Japanese company)? I've got a buddy who is contemplating an employment discrimination suit against his company for getting a raw deal (again, I'm not talking about myself this time either).

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Has anyone else had the same or similar experience?

Well in university, even the cleap working people flats were heaper then the 'student' flats. Everytime I went to see a flat once I said I was a student they wouldnt give it to me. Student flats were extorsionate amounts of money and they were all price fixed.


This is a similar 'experince' like jez's news is 'relevant' to japan. Its an experience but it has nothing to do with japan. Like Jez's news is news but has nothing to do with japan.

[Mini_B]

I guess I should have expected this treatment. I got the same run-around a couple years ago when I was looking for a place with my employer. I was shocked then...and naive this time to think that things have changed.

Oh well. No sense in getting all worked up. I'm glad that this forum is here to discuss these incidents with my fellow FG's.

I'll take a peak at the websites mentioned and...once moved in...will have a raging keg party to warm up the neighborhood.. ALL FG's invited. I'll make whoever rents to me SORRY they ever did!

FG for LIFE

[Cubed]

If your avatars a self-portrait then well, I wouldn't give you an apartment either.

Actually I wouldn't give myself one either.

Don't take it personally - the landlord will die before you. Even if you are one uglee mofo.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

Went through this when I first got here. The company I work for would find the apartment through an agent to agents (This country needs more middlemen). Get there and the agent says it's OK. They ring the owner, they say no.
The one I did get they rung the owner, they asked where I was from and got the OK. Basically they didn't want Asians.

Some of the excuses for "no" were very lame. The "he won't understand the gomi rules" being the worst. Damn right I won't understand.

"Don't I just open the window and throw it out with the slops guv."

"How often does the 'bring out ya dead' guy come"

Tools.

Anyways, the place I have now was through Able, little bit more cash initially, but didn't waste my time. Also things are changing. Some shoebox owners actually like getting FG's in as they tend to turn over quick. KEY MONEY chi-ching ever year and a half. Suckers aint getting me out in a hurry.

[Mini_B]

I mut be honest. Since this picture was taken I've had my teeth fixed and I cut my hair so I wouldn't come off as a drug dealer or something. Looks really shouldn't make a difference though. I'm a really nice guy once you get to know me.

One SARS prevention mask and some thick glasses next time I enter the Fudousan YA.

PS. Robpongi...your clips on your site are great dude!

[Mini_B]

I mut be honest. Since this picture was taken I've had my teeth fixed and I cut my hair so I wouldn't come off as a drug dealer or something. Looks really shouldn't make a difference though. I'm a really nice guy once you get to know me.

One SARS prevention mask and some thick glasses next time I enter the Fudousan YA.

PS. Robpongi...your clips on your site are great dude!

[ramchop]

It was a breeze for me. Guess I was lucky.

The "Is a gaijin OK?" question from the agent on the phone to the landlord was replied with an "Is he an English teacher?". When that assumption was quashed everything was sweet. :P

[AssKissinger]

It was a breeze for me. Guess I was lucky.

The "Is a gaijin OK?" question from the agent on the phone to the landlord was replied with an "Is he an English teacher?". When that assumption was quashed everything was sweet. :P

I wouldn't want me living in my place either.

[kamome]

I think it's also a matter of money. J-landlords are probably more willing to rent to FG's sponsored by renowned companies and willing to pay boatloads of rent than those FG's living hand-to-mouth.

[ramchop]

I wouldn't want me living in my place either.

I'm sure you're less destructive than a 3 year old. Anyone know a good way to get ink off walls, or a shop that replaces smashed in cupboard doors?

[Big Booger]

I'd find out the place where the owner lives and torch his fucking joint. Kidding of course.

Sue, move on, or post up the details and start a movement. I'd tell the agent to kiss your ass and move on to the next.

It's a shameful day and age when people can do this kind of shit. Aside from being a smoker (I can see how you can not want a smoker in an apartment), or a pet owner.. age, race, sex, religion etc.. should never play a part in the rental or leasing of an apartment.

[rc]

I knew the crap that landlords pull before I tried finding a new apartment in Tokyo. What pissed me off was how many of the old bastards asked if I was black when they were told that I was an American. Some of them really need to pull their heads out of their asses.

[Big Booger]

I just asked my wife about this and she agreed with the apartment manager.

She said gaijin are loud, have parties, and don't dispose of garbage properly....

I am utterly pissed off at her.. what a bunch of shit.

[Watcher]

That's true for many BB... Lots of us are loud, do have parties, and don't dispose of garbage properly (hey, some of the rules are confusing and we don't have space to store all the different bags). But it's also true of many Japanese. In my building I'm the only gaijin and the owner has said I'm also the only tenant (11 other Japanese-tenanted) who pays on time (his only complaint). There are 5 DJs in my building and they are always having parties. There is one collective garbage dump next to the building... so that solves that problem. My point? No one should put it down to just FG's acting this way. Explain that to your wife.

[American Oyaji]

I had no problem getting an apartment. We had a child.

Next time you go to get an apartment and the landlord says no gaijin...(this is for married folks)...tell them your wife is pregnant. (a thought that just occured to me).

If they still say no, invoke Japanese pride. infer that you thought that Japanese were kinder than other countries, but you've now found that Japanese are crueler....(this is just another thought)

See if that works.

[ibiza]

I just asked my wife about this and she agreed with the apartment manager.

She said gaijin are loud, have parties, and don't dispose of garbage properly....

That pretty much describes me. Sorry.