The following facilities can be used in your accommodation search.

• Waseda University Property Management Corp. Student Housing Center (*Japanese only)
  1st Floor, STEP21 Building, 1-103 Totsukamachi, Shinjuku-ku,
  Tel: 03-5285-3016
• Campus "Uni-Life Wasedadaigakumae office" (*Japanese only)
  1st Floor, Classia Waseda Building, 519 Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku
  Tel: 0800-100-3123
• Waseda University Coop (*Japanese only)
  1-6-1 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku (2nd floor, Building 17)Travel Services Center
  Tel: 0210-023-921

Also, information on apartments can be found on the bulletin board outside the office of the Center for International Education (CIE), located on level 4, Building 22.

Real Estate Agents and Lease Information Magazines

There are private real estate agents around Waseda University, who can offer you a variety of accommodation options. You can also find lease information magazines in bookstores. Please note that when you use real estate agents and sign a lodging contract, you will need to pay key money "reikin" (non-returnable) and deposit money (bond), which is a unique custom in Japan. Therefore, please talk to your guarantor or people who are familiar with this custom in advance before you make your decision.

* The unique customary practices of Japanese lodging contracts

"Reikin" (Key Money):
The person renting a house or room in Japan generally pays a certain amount of money to the owner as a gratuity when a leasing contract is signed. The key money is not returnable at the end of the contract. The amount of money differs according to the region, however the estimated market price in the Kanto area is equivalent to about 2 months' rent.

"Shikikin" (Deposit Money)
The deposit is paid to the landlord as security for any failure to pay the rent. This is refunded when a tenant leaves the house, unless there is any previous neglect in paying the rent or damage to the room. In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the amount of money is equivalent to about 2 to 3 months' rent. In some circumstances a cleaning fee for the room will be deducted from the deposit money.The policy for the restoration of the deposit might be different depending on the landlord, and it might become the origin of trouble, therefore it is recommended to confirm it well at the time of leasing.

* If you are interested in learning more about life in Japan, including information on leasing accommodation, please visit the website of "Multilingual Living Guide in Japan " hosted by the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) . It is a very useful site as it provides detailed explanation in 13 languages on issues related to living in Japan.