Japanese for Moving Out of an Apartment: Notice, Inspection, Deposit

Moving out in Japan starts with a notice to your landlord or agent, kaiyaku (解約), usually a month or more ahead, and ends with a move-out inspection, tachiai (立ち会い), that decides how much of your deposit, shikikin (敷金), comes back. Along the way you book bulky garbage collection, stop the utilities and file a change of address.

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What you need to know

Japanese for Moving Out of an Apartment: Notice, Inspection, Deposit

Leaving an apartment in Japan involves more steps than many people expect, and most of them happen in Japanese: a phone call to the management company, a form, a booking with the city for large rubbish, calls to the electricity, gas and water companies, a visit to the city office and, on the last day, an inspection of the empty flat with the agent. None of it is difficult if you know the words. This guide follows the process in order, with the phrases for each call and visit, a mini dialogue for the inspection, and the vocabulary of deposits and restoration costs, where a little knowledge can save money. Rules differ between contracts, landlords and cities, so treat the legal points here as general background and always check your own contract.

Give notice (kaiyaku) early; one month is common, but check your contract

The move-out inspection (tachiai) decides deductions from your deposit

Normal wear and tear is generally not the tenant's cost under national guidelines

Book bulky garbage (sodai gomi) early and file tenshutsu todoke if you move away

The four lines of moving out

Every move-out in Japan has the same backbone: you announce the date, complete the cancellation of the contract, attend the inspection and wait for your deposit. Taikyo (退去) means leaving a rented home, kaiyaku (解約) means cancelling the contract, and these four lines carry you through the process.

Four picture cards: announcing a move-out at the end of the month, asking to start the cancellation, asking the date of the inspection, and asking when the deposit comes back.
Four lines that cover notice, cancellation, the inspection and the deposit.
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
月末で退去します。Getsumatsu de taikyo shimasu.I'm moving out at month-end.
解約の手続きをお願いします。Kaiyaku no tetsuzuki o onegai shimasu.I'd like to cancel my lease.
立ち会いはいつですか。Tachiai wa itsu desu ka.When is the move-out inspection?
敷金はいつ戻りますか。Shikikin wa itsu modorimasu ka.When will my deposit come back?

Step 1: giving notice

Find the cancellation clause in your contract first. Residential contracts in Japan commonly ask for one month's notice, sometimes more, and rent may be calculated to the end of the month or by the day depending on the contract. Call the management company (kanri gaisha, 管理会社) or the agent who handles your flat, and ask how they want the notice: many send a cancellation form, a kaiyaku todoke (解約届), to fill in and return.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
来月末で退去したいんですが。Raigetsu-matsu de taikyo shitai n desu ga.I'd like to move out at the end of next month.
解約届はどうやって出せばいいですか。Kaiyaku todoke wa dō yatte daseba ii desu ka.How do I submit the cancellation form?
家賃は日割りになりますか。Yachin wa hiwari ni narimasu ka.Is the rent calculated by the day?
退去日は何日になりますか。Taikyo-bi wa nannichi ni narimasu ka.What date will my move-out be?

Step 2: bulky garbage, utilities and address

Furniture and large appliances cannot go out with the normal rubbish. Book a sodai gomi (粗大ごみ) collection with your city, buy the disposal ticket (shori-ken, 処理券) it tells you to, and put the items out on the morning of collection. Collection dates can be weeks away in busy periods such as March, so book as soon as you know your date. Some appliances, such as fridges, washing machines and air conditioners, follow separate recycling rules, so ask the city or the shop.

Call the electricity, gas and water companies with your move-out date so they stop the service and send a final bill. Then visit your city or ward office. If you are moving to another municipality or leaving Japan, you file a tenshutsu todoke (転出届); within the same city, a tenkyo todoke (転居届). Japan Post can forward your mail for one year if you submit a forwarding notice, a tensō todoke (転送届).

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
粗大ごみの収集を申し込みたいです。Sodai gomi no shūshū o mōshikomitai desu.I'd like to book a bulky garbage collection.
ベッドとソファを出したいです。Beddo to sofa o dashitai desu.I want to get rid of a bed and a sofa.
引っ越すので、電気を止めたいんですが。Hikkosu node, denki o tometai n desu ga.I'm moving, so I'd like to stop the electricity.
転出届を出しに来ました。Tenshutsu todoke o dashi ni kimashita.I've come to file my moving-out notification.
郵便の転送をお願いしたいです。Yūbin no tensō o onegai shitai desu.I'd like my mail forwarded.

Deposit and restoration: the words that cost money

Your shikikin (敷金) is a deposit held against unpaid rent and damage. When you leave, the landlord deducts the cost of restoring the flat, genjō kaifuku (原状回復), and returns the rest. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism publishes guidelines on who pays for what, and they are widely used: in general, normal wear and ageing (tsūjō shōmō, keinen rekka) is the landlord's cost, and damage caused by the tenant beyond normal use is the tenant's. Contracts can include special clauses (tokuyaku, 特約), such as a fixed cleaning fee, so your own contract matters too.

Key money, reikin (礼金), is different: it is a non-refundable payment made when you moved in, so do not expect it back.

Usually the landlord's costOften the tenant's cost
Wallpaper faded by sunlightHoles from screws or nails beyond what is allowed
Marks on the floor where furniture stoodStains or burns you caused
Tatami and fittings ageing over timeDamage from pets
Wear on the floor from normal useMould from neglecting to air or clean the room

These are general examples, not rulings. If a deduction seems wrong, you can ask for a breakdown and discuss it; local consumer advice centres also handle questions about deposits.

Step 3: the move-out inspection

On the last day, someone from the management company meets you at the empty flat for the tachiai (立ち会い). They check each room, note damage, read the meters in some cases and take back the keys. You may be asked to sign a confirmation of what was found. This is the moment to speak up: if a mark was there when you moved in, say so, and show photos from your move-in day if you have them.

A tenant and a property agent kneeling together to look at a small mark on the wooden floor of an empty apartment in afternoon light.
The move-out inspection: you and the agent check each room together before the keys are returned.
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
では、お部屋を確認させていただきます。Dewa, oheya o kakunin sasete itadakimasu.Agent: Then I'll check the rooms now.
この傷は入居した時からありました。Kono kizu wa nyūkyo shita toki kara arimashita.This mark was here when I moved in.
入居時の写真があります。Nyūkyo-ji no shashin ga arimasu.I have photos from when I moved in.
これは経年劣化ではないですか。Kore wa keinen rekka de wa nai desu ka.Isn't this just ageing over time?
鍵をお返しします。Kagi o okaeshi shimasu.I'm returning the keys.
明細をいただけますか。Meisai o itadakemasu ka.Could I have an itemised breakdown?

If you are leaving Japan

Leaving the country adds a few steps. File your tenshutsu todoke at the city office before you go; the counter will tell you what applies to your residence card and other records. Close or settle your phone contract, your utilities and any monthly payments, and decide how your deposit will reach you if it is returned after you leave: many people give the agent a Japanese bank account that they keep open for a while, or ask a trusted friend to help. Ask the management company early how they handle this, because procedures differ.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
来月、帰国します。Raigetsu, kikoku shimasu.I'm going back to my country next month.
敷金の返金は海外でも受け取れますか。Shikikin no henkin wa kaigai demo uketoremasu ka.Can I receive the deposit refund abroad?
帰国前に何をすればいいですか。Kikoku mae ni nani o sureba ii desu ka.What do I need to do before I leave Japan?
精算はいつ頃になりますか。Seisan wa itsu goro ni narimasu ka.Around when will the settlement be done?

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Giving notice by phone only when the contract asks for a written form. Ask how to submit it and keep a copy.
  • Leaving bulky garbage until the last week. Collections are often fully booked around March and April.
  • Putting large items out with ordinary rubbish. Unticketed sodai gomi is not collected and can cause trouble with neighbours.
  • Signing the inspection sheet without reading it. Ask kore wa nan no hiyō desu ka (what is this cost for?) before you sign.
  • Expecting reikin back. Only the shikikin deposit is refundable, minus valid deductions.
  • Forgetting the city office. Filing tenshutsu todoke when you move to another municipality or leave Japan keeps your records in order.
Key points

A practical way to improve

Moving out is a series of short calls, so practise them one by one. First, say your notice line with your own date: raigetsu-matsu de taikyo shitai n desu ga. Second, practise the inspection lines until you can say them calmly: kono kizu wa nyūkyo shita toki kara arimashita, and meisai o itadakemasu ka. Third, ask Mocchi, Unihongo's study assistant, to make flashcards for the moving-out words in this guide, with a picture you choose for each, and to review them with you over the weeks before your move. When you are ready for the calls themselves, rehearse them aloud with AI Sensei playing the management company.

  1. 1

    Choose one clear goal

    Focus each session on a situation or skill you can actually use.

  2. 2

    Practice actively

    Say complete answers aloud instead of only reading or recognizing Japanese.

  3. 3

    Review and repeat

    Keep useful corrections and revisit the same skill until it feels natural.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much notice do I need to give before moving out in Japan?

One month is the most common notice period in residential contracts, but some require two months or more, so check the kaiyaku section of your contract. Many companies want the notice in writing on their own form, not just a phone call. Ask kaiyaku no tetsuzuki wa dō sureba ii desu ka.

What is genjō kaifuku?

Genjō kaifuku (原状回復) means restoring a rented property to its original condition when you leave. Under national guidelines, normal wear and ageing, such as sun-faded wallpaper, are generally the landlord's responsibility, while damage beyond normal use is the tenant's. Contracts may add special clauses, such as a fixed cleaning fee, so read yours.

How do I throw away furniture when moving out in Japan?

Large items are sodai gomi (粗大ごみ), bulky garbage. In most cities you book a collection with the city by phone or online, buy a disposal ticket at a convenience store or other shop, stick it on the item and put it out on the given day. Rules and fees differ by city, so book early.

What is a tenshutsu todoke?

A tenshutsu todoke (転出届) is the moving-out notification you file at your city or ward office when you move to another municipality or leave Japan. You then register at your new city with a tenyū todoke. Moving within the same city uses a tenkyo todoke instead. Ask at the counter which one applies to you.

Make flashcards for the moving-out words

Mocchi, Unihongo's study assistant, can turn kaiyaku, tachiai, shikikin, genjō kaifuku and the other moving-out words into flashcards and review them with you before your move.

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