Guide › Moving in Japan: the checklist

Moving in Japan: the checklist

The general list plus what comes on top in this country: deadlines, offices and customs.

60 tasks · General checklist

Contracts and authorities

17 weeks before
Check the notice period (解約予告): usually one month, read the contract
One month is customary, sometimes two; the period is stated in the lease (賃貸借契約書).
14 weeks before
Send the written termination notice to the management company (管理会社)
The management company often has a form; state the move-out date and the handover appointment.
13 weeks before
Arrange viewings for the next tenant
11 weeks before
Sign the new lease
10 weeks before
Pay the deposit (敷金), key money (礼金), first month's rent and agency fee
Typical: deposit one to two months (refundable), key money one to two (not refundable), agency fee up to one month; often fire insurance and a guarantor company too.
9 weeks before
Arrange the handover date for the old flat
6 weeks before
Cancel internet and TV contracts
6 weeks before
Book a van for the cellar and small items
4 weeks before
Book time off for moving day
3 weeks before
Draw up the list of address changes
2 weeks before
Take out fire insurance (火災保険) for the new home
Almost always a lease condition; the agency proposes a policy, your own is usually allowed.
7 days before
Cancel the standing order for the old rent

Packing and decluttering

5 weeks before
Get moving boxes
5 weeks before
Get packing material
4 weeks before
Set a decluttering day per room
3 weeks before
Move the cellar and attic ahead of time
2 weeks before
Pack seasonal and rarely used things
10 days before
Pack the workspace
5 days before
Pack the kitchen, defrost the fridge
2 days before
Pack the first-night box
2 days before
Keep the toolbox separate

Old home

9 weeks before
Declutter: sell, give away, dispose
6 weeks before
Clear out the cellar and attic
4 weeks before
Bulky waste (粗大ごみ): book with the municipality, buy the stickers
Often one to two weeks' lead time; pay with disposal stickers (粗大ごみ処理券) from a convenience store.
7 days before
Factory-reset the smart home devices
7 days before
Moving-out notice (転出届) at the old city office
From 14 days before to 14 days after the move; within the same municipality file a 転居届 after moving instead. Possible online via マイナポータル.
1 day before
Read and photograph the meters
7 days after
Clean the old place for the handover
10 days after
Sign the handover protocol, count the keys
4 weeks after
Check the deposit refund: restoration deductions per the MLIT guidelines
Normal wear and tear may not be deducted (MLIT guideline, Civil Code art. 621).

New home

9 weeks before
Move-in check (入居時チェック): record the condition with photos and report it
Report damage within the first days, otherwise it counts as yours at move-out.
6 weeks before
Book the electrician and tradespeople
6 weeks before
Check mounting points: shower rail, lamps, curtains
4 weeks before
Order the internet connection
4 weeks before
Decide what to buy new
2 weeks before
Draw a furniture plan per room, take measurements
7 days before
Test the internet connection
7 days before
Electricity, gas and water: report the move-out, register the move-in
Gas needs an opening appointment (開栓) with you present; electricity and water online or by phone.
1 day after
Record and report defects on moving in
3 days after
Label the doorbell and letterbox
7 days after
Set the smart home up again
7 days after
Greet the neighbours (引っ越しの挨拶), ask about the waste rules
Sorting rules and collection days are in the municipal calendar (ごみ収集カレンダー).

Moving day

13 weeks before
Fix the moving date
9 weeks before
Book the moving company
2 weeks before
Reserve parking outside both buildings
2 weeks before
Reserve the lift at both addresses
10 days before
Arrange care for children and pets
3 days before
Move the plants separately
3 days before
Plan bikes and bulky items separately
On moving day
Food and drink for the helpers
On moving day
Final walk-through of the old flat

After the move

3 days after
Moving-in notice (転入届) at the new city office
Within 14 days of moving in (Basic Resident Registration Act, art. 22); bring the moving-out certificate or online pre-filing, ID and My Number card.
3 days after
Have the address on your My Number card updated
At the city office together with the 転入届, within 90 days, otherwise the card becomes invalid.
3 days after
Re-register National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) and pension (国民年金)
At the city office with the 転入届, if you are not insured through an employer.
7 days after
Mail forwarding (転居届) with Japan Post: free for one year
Online (e転居) or at the counter.
7 days after
NHK contract: change the address
nhk-cs.jp; cancel if you no longer have a receiver.
10 days after
School transfer (転校) through the board of education with the 転入届
For elementary and junior high the municipality assigns the school; bring the enrolment and textbook certificates from the old school.
2 weeks after
Tell the bank, employer and insurers
2 weeks after
Update subscriptions and delivery services
2 weeks after
Driving licence: change the address with the police (運転免許証の住所変更)
At a police station or the driver's licence centre with the new residence certificate (住民票) or a bill.

In the app: when setting up the move or under Tasks → Template. Everything can be deselected; a template is a suggestion.

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The checklists in this guide are compiled with care, but without guarantee of completeness or currency. Deadlines and responsibilities change. The information of the respective authority or contracting party is authoritative.