Getting back deposit. Tips?

[GomiGirl]

A friend moved out of their apartment in late June and the landlord hasn't yet paid back the deposit. The contract was for a 3 month deposit that was paid but one month was not refundable. The other 2 months refundable. But no refund has been paid yet.

Any tips?

She is being a total cow saying that as the tennants smoked, the wall paper has to be replaced. It has to be replaced anyway. She keeps saying they need quotes for repairs etc which is taking the time. This is total bullshit of course.

The people were in for two years.

Any scare tactics or war stories to share?

[samuraiwig]

Not sure there's much your friend can do, other than keep up the harassment in the hope that the landlord will cave or wait for the LDP to launch its consumer affairs agency

There's some info in this thread that might be helpful.

But I'm not sure that legal case has changed anything in reality. I've moved several times in Japan and mostly been screwed on the "refundable" deposit. Even taking photos when you move in to show as evidence the lack of wear and tear when you move out usually has no impact.

[Mike Oxlong]

I've never heard of difficult landlords...

[pheyton]

Not sure why you guys couldn't get your deposits back, but 3 out of the 4 places I lived in my wife and I got ours back. I'll have to ask her about one in which she really gave the rental shop and landlords a hassle. They tried to pull the wallpaper bullshit too. I cleaned that place spotless though so there wasn't much else they could complain about. The ojisan who owned the rental shop threatened my wife at first telling her not to make touble. That's when I got involved.

Our best experience was with Pitat House. Fuckin treated us like royalty. If we have to use a rental company when we move back, we are going straight to Pitat.

[TFG]

The best way to get your deposit back is to join a tenants union.
The fee is something like 3,000 Yen per year, for which they will not only get your deposit back but also do an appraisal on the building a rent when it comes time for contract renewal and in many cases they actually get the rent reduced on the basis that the building is now two years older than when you moved in.
They will also extend their lawyers to you and take the case to court for little or no extra charge.

These tenants unions are not very publicized in Japan but they do exist.

[GomiGirl]

I have heard there is a "window" in the government building in Tochomae that is specifically for disputes with landlords.

Apparantly you go there with the contract copies etc and state your claim and they assess what the landlord should be paying back to you and what they can hold. They will then call the landlord on your behalf.

Am looking for links..

This is kinda the link.. but not perfect.

Tokyo Metro website

[Greji]

I have heard there is a "window" in the government building in Tochomae that is specifically for disputes with landlords.

If you want I should send a couple of the fellows around with crowbars, just call. I'm sure they can come to an agreement with the landlord, his health insurance provider, or next of kin......

[Iraira]

I have heard there is a "window" in the government building in Tochomae that is specifically for disputes with landlords.

Tokyo Metro website

Can I push my a-hole ex-landlord out of this "window"? How far of a fall is it? I really only want to seriously maim him. Can this "window" be used for grievences other than real estate? For example, the guy who sneezed on the back of my neck during this morning's Ginza Line crush?

Just want to know what my options are.