How to Get Your Security Deposit Back in Japan: 2026 Move-Out & Deduction Guide

A security deposit is money held to secure obligations arising from the tenancy. It is different from key money, which is usually non-refundable unless the contract says otherwise.

After the tenancy ends and the property is returned, unpaid rent, other valid tenant debts and restoration costs that are properly the tenant’s responsibility may be deducted. The remaining balance is refundable.

• Check the original deposit amount in the lease.
• Separate the refundable deposit from key money and other non-refundable fees.
• Keep records of all rent and final utility or management payments that could affect settlement.

MLIT’s restoration guidance makes a critical distinction: restoration does not mean returning the apartment to brand-new condition. Deterioration from age and ordinary use is generally treated as the landlord’s cost.

The tenant can be responsible for damage caused intentionally, negligently, through improper use, or by failing to take reasonable care. Cause and evidence matter more than the fact that a mark exists.

• Typical landlord-side examples include ordinary fading, aging and normal furniture impressions.
• Typical tenant-side examples can include cigarette burns, moving scratches, intentional alterations, impact damage or mold made worse by neglect.
• A building leak or defect is not the same as damage caused by the tenant.

Read the move-out and restoration clauses before fixing your final date. The contract can contain notice-period rules, cleaning clauses, key-replacement terms or other special provisions.

A special clause should not be treated as automatically valid or automatically invalid. Identify exactly what was agreed, the amount or calculation method, and whether the burden was clearly explained.

• Required notice period and submission method.
• Early-termination charges, if any.
• Professional cleaning or air-conditioner cleaning clauses.
• Key replacement charges.
• Any fixed deduction or shikibiki-style clause.
• How and when the deposit will be settled.

The strongest deposit-refund case is built before the keys are returned. Compare the apartment with your move-in condition report and your original photos.

Tokyo’s tenant-landlord dispute guidance specifically emphasizes checking scratches and stains at move-in and keeping photographs so they can be compared at move-out.

• Lease and important-explanation documents.
• Move-in condition sheet and dated move-in photos.
• Repair requests and responses from management.
• Dated move-out photos and video of every room.
• Rent and fee payment records.
• Inspection notes and key-return receipt.

Remove all belongings, dispose of trash correctly and perform normal household cleaning. Leaving heavy dirt, grease, trash or preventable mold can weaken your position.

Do not repaint, patch walls aggressively or replace fixtures without approval just to make the apartment look new. Unapproved repairs can create additional disputes.

• Clean kitchen grease and bathroom residue.
• Remove personal hooks, tape and belongings carefully.
• Empty storage spaces and balcony areas.
• Photograph the cleaned condition before the inspection.

MLIT’s guidance emphasizes transparency at the settlement stage and includes a model itemized restoration-cost statement. If the deduction is a lump sum with no explanation, ask for the breakdown.

For each charge, ask for the location, type of damage, repair scope, unit price, tenant share and the lease or restoration basis. A whole-room replacement is not automatically justified by damage in one small area.

• Room or fixture being repaired.
• Description of the damage.
• Repair area or work unit.
• Total repair cost and tenant share.
• How age or remaining value was considered.
• Contract clause or stated basis for the deduction.

Even when the tenant is responsible for damage, the charge should be assessed in light of the damaged item’s age and the appropriate repair scope. MLIT guidance uses residual-value concepts and minimum repair units for many categories.

This is why replacing an entire old surface at the tenant’s full cost can require closer review when only part of it was damaged.

• Ask how old the wallpaper, flooring or fixture was.
• Ask whether the charge reflects the current value rather than new replacement value.
• Ask why a larger repair area is necessary if the damage is localized.

Cleaning and key-related charges often depend on the lease. MLIT advises tenants to confirm these special clauses before signing and again when moving out.

If you agreed to a fixed cleaning charge, compare the actual deduction with the wording of the contract. If additional restoration charges are also added, ask whether the same work is being charged twice.

• Read the exact clause rather than relying on verbal explanations.
• Check whether the amount or calculation method was stated clearly.
• Check whether the charge is fixed or tied to actual work.
• Ask about apparent duplicate charges.

Start with a written request for clarification. Keep the tone factual and ask for the calculation rather than arguing only that the amount feels excessive.

Compare the explanation with your lease, photos and MLIT’s restoration guidance. If agreement cannot be reached, consider a consumer-affairs consultation or legal advice appropriate to the amount and circumstances.

• Request the itemized statement in writing.
• Identify the specific lines you dispute.
• Attach only relevant evidence.
• Keep copies of emails, letters and estimates.
• Use Consumer Hotline 188 when you need help finding a local consumer-affairs consultation.

Japan’s official resources provide general rules and dispute-prevention guidance, but an individual dispute can turn on the lease wording, facts and evidence.

For a consumer dispute, Consumer Hotline 188 can connect you with the appropriate local consumer-affairs service. For legal questions, use an appropriate legal consultation service. Keep the lease, settlement statement and evidence ready before contacting them.