Rent Increases in Japan: What Your Landlord Can and Can't Do

Last reviewed 2 Nov 2026 · 27 min read

A rent increase in Japan usually arrives as a single page: a new amount, a date, and a form to sign. It rarely mentions that you have options.

This guide is for people who rent a home in Japan today and have just received that page, or expect to. It's also for owners who want to ask for more rent without starting a fight. We wrote it for people who live in the home, not for people comparing listings.

The short version is that a landlord can ask for a rent increase, but under an ordinary lease can't impose one alone. What happens next depends on your lease type, your paperwork and how far your current rent sits from the market.

Rent increases in Japan at a glance

Applies to	Tenants and owners of residential rentals in Japan
Main law	Act on Land and Building Leases (借地借家法), Article 32
Ordinary lease (普通借家)	An increase needs your agreement, or a final court ruling
Fixed-term lease (定期借家)	Weaker position if the lease has a rent-revision clause
While you disagree	You may keep paying the amount you consider reasonable
Main risk of refusing	Back pay of any shortfall plus 10% a year interest
First call in Tokyo	Rent-increase hotline, 03-5320-4958
Refusing works poorly if	Your lease ends on a fixed date with no renewal

Can My Landlord Raise the Rent in Japan?

Yes, a landlord can ask. No, under an ordinary lease a landlord can't simply decide.

The Act on Land and Building Leases (借地借家法, Shakuchi Shakuya Hō) lets either side ask to change the rent in the future when it has become unreasonable. The grounds are changes in taxes or other burdens, changes in land or building prices or economic conditions, or a mismatch with similar nearby buildings. Most of the official pages we cite here are published in Japanese; where we paraphrase them, the translation is ours.

Tokyo's housing department puts the practical result plainly: an increase needs agreement from both sides, and a tenant who doesn't accept can keep paying the old rent and keep living in the home. The same page warns that once you agree, in a change agreement or a renewal contract with the higher rent, it becomes hard to take that agreement back.

That last point is the one to remember. The moment you sign is the moment most of your bargaining position disappears.

Asking is free for the landlord, and agreeing is expensive for you.

First, Check Which Type of Lease You Have

Everything in this guide depends on one question: is your lease ordinary or fixed-term?

An ordinary lease (普通借家, futsū shakuya) renews automatically in most cases, and the landlord needs a justified reason to end it. A fixed-term lease (定期借家, teiki shakuya) ends on a set date unless both sides sign a new contract. You can usually tell from the contract title and from a clause stating that the lease will not be renewed.

Fixed-term leases suit owners who want the home back on a known date, and you may see them in furnished and short-stay rentals. If you can't tell which you have, check the first page of your contract and any separate explanation sheet you were given before signing.

Here is why it matters. Under an ordinary lease, refusing an increase leaves you in a decent position. Under a fixed-term lease, refusing may simply mean the lease ends when the term does.

If you want the full comparison of the two contract types, our guide to fixed-term versus standard rental agreements in Japan covers how each works and how to spot yours.

Know your lease type before you answer any notice.

What the Law Actually Says About Rent Changes

Article 32 is short, and it's worth reading in plain English.

Paragraph 1 says that when rent has become unreasonable for one of the three reasons above, either party can ask for an increase or decrease going forward, "regardless of the contract terms". There is one exception: if the lease has a clause saying rent won't be raised for a set period, that clause is respected.

Paragraph 2 covers what happens when talks about an increase fail. The person who received the request needs to pay only the amount they consider reasonable until a court ruling that backs the increase becomes final. If the court does back the increase, any shortfall must be paid with interest at 10% a year.

Paragraph 3 is the mirror image for decreases, which tenants can request on the same grounds.

Two details deserve attention. First, the text sets no cap and no percentage. Second, the request is not self-executing: the landlord asking does not change your rent. Agreement or a final judgment does.

What the law doesn't give you is a right to ignore the landlord forever. A court can approve an increase when the old rent has drifted well below the market, and then you owe the difference.

What Counts as an Unreasonable Rent

The word "unreasonable" carries the whole article, so it helps to see what a landlord has to point to.

There are three routes. Taxes or other burdens on the land or building may have changed. Land or building prices, or economic conditions, may have moved. Or the rent may be out of line with rents for similar buildings nearby. Tokyo's guidance adds that because an increase is a worse deal for the tenant, a landlord who ends up in court has to meet those grounds strictly.

A landlord who writes "costs are up" without figures has said very little. A landlord who shows a property tax bill, or a handful of comparable units next door at higher rents, has started to build a case.

Your job isn't to prove the landlord wrong. It's to find out what the landlord is relying on.

One more caution. e-Gov marked the Act as currently in force with some amendments still waiting to take effect when we checked on 1 November 2026, so confirm the live text before you rely on any article number.

Do Automatic Increase Clauses Change the Answer?

Some leases contain a clause that raises the rent on a schedule or by a formula. People call it an automatic increase clause (賃料自動増額特約).

Check your contract for one before you assume Article 32 is your only tool. A clause that you signed is part of the deal.

In a 2003 case about a master lease with automatic increases, the Supreme Court held that Article 32(1) still applied, and that a court should weigh the whole picture, including how the rent was set and how it compares with nearby market rents (Supreme Court, 21 October 2003). That was a commercial master-lease dispute about a rent decrease request, so don't read it as a rule for every apartment.

The practical lesson is narrower. A clause in your contract is one input for a court, not the last word, and it doesn't automatically win the argument for the landlord.

If your contract has one, take it to an adviser before you reply.

The statute protects you from a unilateral decision, not from the market.

Why Rent Increase Requests Are Rising in Tokyo

Rent increase notices are no longer rare, and the city government says so with numbers.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Housing Policy Headquarters reported 1,366 consultations about rent increases in fiscal 2024, roughly double the previous fiscal year. Its release did not give the fiscal 2023 figure, so we won't either. A month earlier it had announced a dedicated rent-increase consultation desk that opened on 10 October 2025.

National data points the same way, more gently. The Statistics Bureau's latest release shows private rent in the consumer price index up 0.8% year on year in September 2026, against 2.1% for consumer prices overall. That index averages every rental in the country, including leases that haven't changed in years, so it understates what a newly listed central Tokyo apartment feels like.

Put the two together and the pattern is clear enough. Notices are climbing, while the average existing lease has moved only modestly. A gap between what long-term tenants pay and what a newly listed unit fetches is the usual argument for asking more at renewal, though we haven't found official data that measures that gap.

Not every notice is greedy, and not every notice is fair.

Renewal Time: Refusing the Increase Doesn't End Your Lease

Most rent increase requests arrive near renewal, and that's where the biggest misunderstanding lives.

Under Article 26, if neither side gives notice of non-renewal between one year and six months before the term ends, the lease renews on the same terms as before. The renewed lease then has no fixed term. The same applies if you stay after the term ends and the landlord doesn't promptly object.

A landlord who wants out has to meet Article 28. The notice or termination must rest on a justified reason, weighing both sides' need for the home, the history of the lease, how the building is used, its condition, and any payment offered to help the tenant move out. Tokyo's guidance puts it simply: a landlord can't refuse renewal just because you won't accept a higher rent. Renewal means the same terms as before.

Some notices are written as a choice: accept the new rent or leave. That framing isn't what the statute says. A notice that you'll have to move out unless the terms change is still a notice of non-renewal, and it still needs that justified reason.

Be careful, though, about the opposite mistake. Signing a renewal form that has the new rent printed in it is exactly the kind of agreement Tokyo warns is hard to take back.

If a renewal paper arrives with a higher figure, don't return it until you've decided.

If You Have a Fixed-Term Lease

Fixed-term leases work differently, and the difference mostly favors the landlord.

Under Article 38, a fixed-term lease needs a written contract, and the landlord must give you a separate written explanation in advance that the lease will not renew. If the landlord skipped that explanation, the no-renewal clause is void under the statute. What follows from that for your particular contract is a question for a lawyer or a consultation desk, so ask before you assume.

Where the explanation was properly given, the lease ends on the end date. For terms of a year or more, the landlord has to send an end-of-term notice between one year and six months beforehand to rely on that end date.

Article 38 also contains the paragraph that matters for rent. Article 32 doesn't apply to a fixed-term lease where the contract contains a special clause on rent revision. In the current text that is paragraph 9; older commentary may call it paragraph 7. If your lease spells out how rent changes, that clause governs.

So your bargaining position in a fixed-term lease sits mostly at the moment the term ends. The landlord can offer a new contract at a higher rent, and you can accept or move on. MLIT publishes a standard fixed-term rental housing contract whose March 2018 edition shows how these leases are normally laid out.

If you're on a fixed-term lease and want to change your position, our guide on how to convert a fixed-term lease explains what conversion involves.

Your rights shrink to a negotiation when the end date is the end date.

What a Rent Increase Costs Over a Year

Numbers make this less abstract, so here is one worked example with round figures.

Say you pay ¥100,000 a month and your landlord asks for ¥115,000. Over twelve months, the outcomes look like this.

Outcome	What you pay each month	Total after 12 months
Landlord drops the request	¥100,000	¥1,200,000
You settle at ¥105,000	¥105,000	¥1,260,000
You refuse, and a court later sets ¥110,000	¥100,000 now, ¥10,000 owed later	About ¥1,325,500
You accept ¥115,000	¥115,000	¥1,380,000
You refuse, and a court later sets the full ¥115,000	¥100,000 now, ¥15,000 owed later	About ¥1,388,250

Illustrative only. Assumes the court-ordered rent applies to all twelve months and that you pay the whole shortfall at the end of the year, with 10% annual interest from each month's due date as Article 32(2) provides. It leaves out renewal fees, legal costs and court fees.

The third row is the one to study. A ¥10,000 monthly gap adds up to ¥120,000 over the year, plus about ¥5,500 in interest, and that interest is the price of waiting.

The last row shows the downside. If the court gives the landlord everything they asked for, refusing costs you about ¥8,250 more than accepting would have, which is the interest alone.

Refusing can save money or cost a little extra, and which one happens depends on how far your rent sits from the market.

A rent change is only one of the recurring costs of a lease. For the rest, see our breakdown of essential fees to budget for when renting an apartment in Japan.

The cost of saying no is interest, not eviction, and it only becomes real if a court sides with the landlord.

What to Do the Day the Notice Arrives

The first 48 hours matter more than the next two months, because the early mistakes are the hard ones to undo.

Start by reading, not signing. Find the new amount, the effective date, whether the paper is a request or a renewal contract, and whether silence is described as agreement. Photograph or scan the whole thing, including the envelope.

Then work through these steps in order:

1. Don't sign, stamp or return any form yet, and don't reply by phone only.
2. Ask the landlord or management company, in writing, for the reason behind the increase and for any supporting figures.
3. Open your contract and find the lease type, the renewal clause, any rent-revision clause and any notice period.
4. Look at nearby rents for similar units. Your own search is enough to start a conversation, even if it isn't proof.
5. Check how you pay. If it's an automatic debit, find out who can change the amount.
6. Call a consultation desk before the deadline on the form, not after.

Tokyo's own advice is close to this list: don't give in to a large one-sided request, ask for the reasons, and get advice on negotiating.

Gathering Comparable Rents

Comparable rents are the evidence both sides end up arguing about, so collect yours early.

Look for units with a similar layout, floor area, building age and walking distance to the station, ideally in your own building or on your street. Screenshot each listing with its date, because listings disappear. Your agent can also pull Japanese rental market data for the area, which is more reliable than a single advertised price.

Be fair with yourself. If the comparables show nearby units asking noticeably more than you pay, that tells you your negotiating room is limited, and that a modest counter-offer may serve you better than a flat refusal.

A short list of dated comparables is worth more than a long argument.

Deadlines on the form are the landlord's, not the law's.

How to Reply in Writing

A short written reply protects you more than a long argument does.

It should do four things. It acknowledges the notice, says you can't agree at this time, asks for the reasons and supporting materials, and states that you will keep paying the current rent while you talk.

Here is an example in English and Japanese. Have a Japanese speaker or your agent check the wording before you send it.

I received your notice about a rent revision. I'm unable to agree to it at this time. Please send the reasons and supporting materials. While we discuss this, I will continue to pay the current rent.

賃料改定のご通知を受け取りました。現時点では同意いたしかねます。改定の理由と根拠資料をお送りください。協議の間は、従前の賃料を引き続きお支払いします。

Send it by email and keep a copy. If the landlord's notice came by registered mail, a registered or traceable reply is better, because your reply may matter later.

Two details are easy to miss. If rent leaves your account by automatic debit, ask in writing that the current amount keep being collected; if that isn't possible, pay the current amount by bank transfer and keep the receipts. And don't stop paying altogether. Paying nothing is a different position from paying the old rent, and it's the one that lets a landlord argue that you're in arrears.

A calm, dated, written reply is worth more than a heated phone call.

When the Landlord Refuses Your Old Rent: Deposit It

Sometimes a landlord goes one step further and refuses to accept the old rent.

That's when the deposit system comes in. The Ministry of Justice explains that a tenant who offers the rent on time can deposit it with a state deposit office (供託所, kyōtakusho) when the landlord refuses it, for example because of a rent increase or a demand to move out. The page also covers the case where a dispute is already underway and refusal is clear in advance.

The deposit proves that you paid, which protects you against a claim that you didn't. Tokyo's guidance makes the same point.

Two cautions apply. First, deposit is for refused rent, not for rent the landlord merely argues about. If the landlord is happy to take the old amount while still asking for more, you simply keep paying. Second, the procedure has formal steps, and mistakes can undo the protection. The Tokyo Real Estate Transaction Association's consultation page lists the Tokyo Judicial Scriveners Association (東京司法書士会, 03-3353-2700) among its referral contacts, and a scrivener is a sensible person to ask before you file.

Think of the deposit as insurance for the day a landlord stops taking your money.

The Dispute Process Step by Step

If talks fail, the path is more structured than most people expect, and the first official step isn't a lawsuit.

First comes the request and the talks. The landlord can send a formal request, and you can negotiate. While you do, you pay the amount you consider reasonable.

Next, mediation. The Civil Conciliation Act requires anyone who wants to sue over a rent change under Article 32 to apply for mediation first. If someone sues without doing so, the court must send the case to mediation unless it finds that inappropriate.

The court's own description of civil mediation says it usually involves a judge and two mediators, who hear both sides and propose a solution. An agreement is recorded and has the same effect as a final judgment. The court says it costs less than a lawsuit, usually takes two or three sessions and often settles within about three months. Applications go to the summary court covering the other party's address.

If mediation fails, the landlord may sue. Tokyo's guidance says that if you refuse, the landlord has to file a rent increase suit and win court approval. The suit decides whether the increase is justified under the three grounds in Article 32.

At the end, a final ruling. If it backs the landlord, you pay the shortfall with 10% annual interest. If it doesn't, you've paid the right amount all along.

The law puts mediation in front of the lawsuit for exactly this kind of dispute.

What Japanese Renters Say, and What Expats Say

We read community discussions in both languages while preparing this guide, and the two groups are worried about different things. These threads are a way to see what people fear, not a source for any number in this article.

On Japanese platforms such as Yahoo! Chiebukuro and Togetter, the worries are about the paperwork. One April 2026 post, summarized on Togetter, described a form that offered only two choices, move out or agree, and said that silence would count as agreement. The poster was also asked to leave by the end of the following month, and paid rent by automatic debit that the landlord could change.

The answers that get traction in those threads are practical: reply in writing, keep paying the old amount, ask for reasons. Many posters then talk about the size of the number, not the principle. One asker faced a ¥10,000 increase and settled on ¥8,000 to avoid conflict. Another commenter claimed to have negotiated a 15% request down to about 1%, which we can't verify.

English-language threads, including a 2026 r/Tokyo discussion, lean toward a harder line. A typical post describes a roughly 25% request and the advice that follows is to refuse outright and not to counter-offer. Several commenters say eviction is almost impossible, and some mention statutory renewal (法定更新, hōtei kōshin).

Each side has a blind spot. The Japanese threads sometimes treat the notice as binding when it isn't. In the threads we read, the English side said little about three things: the 10% interest on a shortfall, the fact that mediation comes before court, and the risk that a court approves an increase when the old rent sits far below nearby rents.

The sensible position sits between them: refuse to be rushed, and keep your eyes open about what a loss would cost.

Rent Increases After a Change of Owner

One pattern gets its own warning from Tokyo: a new owner buys the building and sends everyone a much higher rent.

Tokyo's housing department publishes a page on this exact situation. Its example is a tenant whose new landlord demands more than double the current rent partway through the contract, and its answer is that the tenant has no duty to comply. The landlord would need to sue and win approval, and approval requires strictly meeting the Article 32 grounds.

A case that drew press attention in June 2025 shows what this can look like. Tokyo Weekender reported that a new owner of a seven-story building in Itabashi raised rents from ¥72,500 to ¥190,000. Some residents had already moved out, others objected, and after the backlash the owner said he would not raise the rent. The report also noted that the ward said a required notification for operating private accommodation had not been filed. It's a news report, not a legal ruling, and it doesn't prove anyone's motive.

Tokyo also publishes an English-language guide for foreign owners of rental property that states the same rules from the owner's side: an increase needs agreement and grounds, a tenant can refuse and keep paying, and an owner shouldn't cut electricity or elevator service to force the issue.

If you suspect a sale, ask your management company in writing who your landlord is now and where to pay, and keep paying under the existing arrangement until you get a clear written answer.

A new owner inherits your lease, not a right to rewrite it.

Pros and Cons of Refusing a Rent Increase in Japan

Refusing is legal, but it isn't free, and the honest version has both columns.

On the plus side, your rent doesn't change without your agreement or a final ruling. Under an ordinary lease the landlord can't end your tenancy just because you said no. You keep the home, you keep the old terms, and you keep the option to negotiate from a position of "no" rather than "please".

Mediation is also cheaper than a lawsuit, according to the court itself. And a landlord who has to apply to a court, explain the grounds and wait is facing more effort than a landlord who simply gets a signature.

On the minus side, a loss costs you the shortfall plus 10% a year in interest. A dispute can also sour the relationship with an owner or management company you'll deal with for years, and it takes time and attention that are not free.

If your rent is far below nearby rents, a court is more likely to approve an increase, and then you've spent months to land close to where you would have started. And if you're on a fixed-term lease, refusing may just end the lease.

Weigh the saving against the stress, not only against the money.

Accept, Negotiate, Refuse or Move: How the Options Compare

You have four realistic moves, and each suits a different situation.

Option	What happens	Main risk	Best when
Accept	New rent applies from the agreed date	Hard to undo once you sign	The rise is small and clearly in line with nearby rents
Negotiate	You propose a smaller or phased increase and sign a new agreement	You may end up agreeing to more than a court would order	Your rent is below market and you want to stay on good terms
Refuse and keep paying	Rent stays at the old amount until agreement or a final ruling	Back pay plus 10% annual interest if the landlord wins	The rise is large, unexplained or well above nearby rents, on an ordinary lease
Move out	Lease ends under the notice terms in your contract	Moving costs and a new deposit	You were planning to leave, or the lease is fixed-term

Negotiating and refusing aren't opposites. A written refusal that says "I'm paying the current rent and I'm open to discussing the reasons" keeps both doors open.

If you do decide to leave, our guide to moving in and moving out procedures in Japan walks through the exit side of a lease.

The best option is the one you can sustain for the next six months.

Who Should Push Back on a Rent Increase

Pushing back makes the most sense when you hold an ordinary lease and the request looks weak.

That means a large increase with no explanation, an increase demanded in the middle of a contract, or a jump that arrives right after the building changed hands. It also means you plan to stay for years, so the savings compound. And it helps if you can show that similar nearby units cost about what you pay now.

You'll want your documents in order: the contract, every notice, your payment records, and a short list of comparable rents.

If three of those four apply, you can hold the line.

Who Should Think Twice Before Refusing

Some renters would be better off negotiating, or even accepting, and it's worth saying so.

If you hold a fixed-term lease, the end date is your real deadline, and refusing may leave you without a home. If your rent has been flat for many years and sits well below similar units nearby, the landlord has a stronger case than the notice makes it sound. And if you plan to move within the year, the energy a dispute takes may not be worth the saving.

There is also the practical side. Mediation runs at a Japanese summary court, and the reply letters and forms are in Japanese. That isn't a reason to give in, but it's a reason to get help early.

Choosing to compromise isn't losing, as long as you choose it with the facts in hand.

For Landlords: What a Reasonable Request Looks Like

E-Housing also places tenants and manages rental property for owners, so here is the other side of the table.

A request that gets a calm answer names the Article 32 ground it relies on and brings evidence: a tax change, a change in building costs, or comparable nearby rents. It gives the tenant time, puts the reasons in writing and treats a smaller, phased increase as a normal outcome.

A request that gets a fight does the opposite. It arrives as a take-it-or-leave-it form, sets a short deadline, treats silence as agreement, or threatens non-renewal that the statute doesn't allow on that ground alone. Tokyo's English guide for owners goes further and warns against cutting power or elevator service to force a tenant out.

Practical sense points the same way as the law. A tenant who pays on time and keeps the home in good shape is worth keeping, and a modest, well-explained increase usually costs less than the months a vacancy would.

If the tenant says no, you can still negotiate, and mediation exists for the cases where talking stalls.

A rent increase that can be explained in two paragraphs is usually one that gets accepted.

Where to Get Help With a Rent Increase in Tokyo

Several free public services exist, and most renters never use them because they don't know the names.

• Tokyo rent-increase special consultation desk: run by the Housing Policy Headquarters, 03-5320-4958, weekdays 9:00 to 17:30. It gives advice on Article 32 disputes and refers callers to a real estate lawyer for a free consultation. The announcement doesn't say whether English is available, so ask when you call.
• Tokyo Real Estate Transaction Special Consultation Room (不動産取引特別相談室): free consultations with a lawyer or judicial scrivener, in person only, by reservation at 03-5320-5015.
• Tokyo Real Estate Transaction Association's consultation office: free general advice at 03-3264-8000, Monday to Friday, plus free lawyer consultations on the first and third Wednesday by reservation. It gives advice only, doesn't arbitrate, and won't take matters already in court or mediation.
• Houterasu, Japan Legal Support Center: a multilingual information service at 0570-078377, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00. It lists English and several other languages, and it provides information about the legal system and relevant organizations rather than legal advice on your case.
• Consumer hotline 188 and the National Consumer Affairs Center: the number connects you to a local consumer center, and NCAC publishes an English-language page about its work.
• MLIT's standard rental housing contract page: lists the ministry's consultation case collection for private rentals, a useful read if you can handle Japanese.

What to Bring to a Consultation

A consultation goes much faster when you arrive with the paperwork already sorted.

Bring the lease contract and any renewal paperwork, every notice you've received, your payment records for the past year, and your list of comparable rents. Add a short timeline in date order: when the notice arrived, what you replied, what the landlord said next.

If your Japanese is limited, bring a friend or a colleague who can interpret, or ask the desk in advance what language support exists. Some services only offer advice by phone for a short window, so having the facts ready is worth the effort.

Organized paperwork makes every service on this list more useful.

Call before you reply, not after, if you can manage it.

Practical Advice From E-Housing

Most of the avoidable mistakes are about timing.

Don't sign the renewal form with the new rent on it. Don't let a deadline printed on a notice set your pace. Don't stop paying, and don't pay a different amount without telling anyone. Do reply in writing, do ask for reasons, and do keep every receipt and every message.

If your rent is below the market, say so to yourself before you say it to the landlord. A counter-offer that moves part of the way is often the best result for both sides, and it avoids the interest risk altogether.

Our team works with tenants and owners across greater Tokyo, in English, Mandarin, Korean and Japanese. If E-Housing placed you in your home, or you want a second pair of eyes on a notice from another agency, contact us before you reply.

Get the facts straight first, then decide how hard to push.

Final Verdict: Should You Accept a Rent Increase in Japan?

Our answer is: not by reflex, and not by default.

A rent increase in Japan is a request. Under an ordinary lease you can decline it, keep paying the current rent and stay, as Tokyo's own guidance says. What you can't do is ignore the consequences. If the landlord's grounds hold up, you'll owe the shortfall and interest, and the market will have moved on without you.

Three questions settle most cases. Is your lease ordinary or fixed-term? How far is your rent from nearby rents? And do you plan to stay? An ordinary lease, a rent near the market and a plan to stay point toward negotiating a small increase. An ordinary lease, a big unexplained jump and a long horizon point toward holding the line.

One more point: the first reply matters most. A short, polite written answer that neither accepts nor attacks keeps every option alive.

If you've just received a notice, you have more time and more choices than the form suggests.

FAQ: Rent Increases in Japan

Can my landlord raise my rent in Japan?

Yes, a landlord can ask, but under an ordinary lease an increase needs your agreement or a final court ruling. Article 32 of the Act on Land and Building Leases allows either side to request a change when rent has become unreasonable.

Can I refuse a rent increase in Japan?

Yes. Tokyo's housing department says tenants who don't accept can keep paying the old rent and keep living in the home. If the landlord later wins in court, you owe the shortfall with interest.

Can my landlord evict me for refusing a rent increase?

No, not for that reason alone under an ordinary lease. Refusing to renew needs a justified reason under Article 28, and Tokyo's guidance says a landlord can't decline renewal just because you won't accept a higher rent. Unpaid rent is a separate matter.

How much can a landlord raise the rent in Japan?

There is no fixed percentage in the statute. The grounds are tax or cost changes, price and economic changes, or a mismatch with similar nearby buildings, and a court decides what's reasonable if the parties disagree.

Is there rent control in Japan?

Not in the sense of a fixed annual cap. Article 32 gives a way to challenge an unreasonable amount, but it doesn't set a number.

Do I have to accept the higher rent when my lease renews?

No. Under Article 26, an ordinary lease renews on the same terms unless proper notice is given, and the new rent is a separate question that needs agreement. Don't sign a renewal form that already contains the higher rent.

What happens if I keep paying the old rent?

Yes, you can, and the law allows it while the dispute is unresolved. If a court later sets a higher rent, you pay the difference with 10% annual interest.

Do I owe interest if I lose?

Yes. Article 32(2) adds interest at 10% a year on the shortfall, counted from each payment's due date. In our worked example, a ¥10,000 monthly gap over a year adds about ¥5,500 in interest.

Can a landlord raise rent in the middle of a contract?

Yes, a landlord can ask at any time, unless the lease has a clause barring increases for a period. You don't have to agree, and the request alone doesn't change the rent.

Can a new owner raise my rent?

Yes, a new owner can ask, but a new owner inherits your lease. Tokyo's guidance says a tenant isn't obliged to accept a one-sided large increase, and that the owner would need court approval if you refuse.

Does a fixed-term lease allow rent increases?

It depends on the contract. If a fixed-term lease has a rent-revision clause, Article 32 doesn't apply and the clause governs. At the end of the term, a landlord can offer a new contract at a different rent, and you can accept or leave.

Can I ask my landlord to lower the rent?

Yes. Article 32 works both ways, so a tenant can request a decrease on the same grounds, including that nearby similar units cost less. Expect to back it with evidence.

Do I need a lawyer to deal with a rent increase?

No, not at the start. Public consultation desks give free advice, and the court says mediation doesn't require special legal knowledge. A lawyer becomes worth considering if the case heads toward a lawsuit.

How long does rent increase mediation take?

Usually a few months. The court says mediation typically takes two or three sessions and often settles within about three months, though your case may differ.

Where can foreigners get help with a rent increase in Japan?

Start with Tokyo's rent-increase desk at 03-5320-4958 and the Houterasu multilingual information line at 0570-078377. Ask each whether your language is available, then bring your contract and the notice.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and procedures change, and your lease may contain terms that change the answer. For your specific situation, speak to a lawyer, a judicial scrivener or one of the public consultation services above.

Sources used in this guide are listed inline. Most official pages are in Japanese. Figures for the worked example are illustrative.