Transparency
How the rental risk score works
The score is a transparent preparation-risk heuristic. It estimates how much friction an applicant may face before applying. It is not an approval probability, and it does not reproduce the private rules of any owner, agency, property manager, or guarantor company.
What affects the score
The calculation starts with a small baseline risk and adds points for practical blockers. Rent burden has the largest weight because an unsustainable monthly payment structure is difficult to solve with paperwork alone.
| Signal | Current rule | Risk contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Rent is equal to or above income | Rent / monthly after-tax income ≥ 100% | +90 |
| Critical rent burden | 80%–99% | +82 |
| Extremely high rent burden | 50%–79% | +58 to +70 |
| Very high rent burden | 40%–49% | +42 |
| High or upper-range rent burden | 28%–39% | +14 to +28 |
| Short remaining residence period | Less than 12 months when provided | +18 |
| Overseas application | Applicant is not yet in Japan | +12 |
| Income needs explanation | Freelancer, part-time/dispatch, or student | +10 |
| No current job or income source | Unemployed selection | +22 |
| Setup and communication gaps | No emergency contact, phone, bank, or limited Japanese | +4 to +8 each |
| Pet or previous rejection | Reduced supply or unresolved prior blocker | +8 to +12 |
Final bands: lower risk is below 42, medium risk is 42–69, and higher risk is 70–100. The score is capped at 100. Nationality is collected only for aggregate demand research and is not assigned score points.
How to interpret the result
- Lower risk: affordability looks more workable; documents and contract terms still need checking.
- Medium risk: one or more blockers should be prepared before applying.
- Higher risk: adjust the budget or housing route before spending time on strict listings.
The route-fit section is separate from the score. It recommends ordinary listings, foreigner-friendly agencies, UR-style options, monthly apartments, share houses, or student housing based on the applicant's current setup.
Limits of this tool
- It cannot see credit history, guarantor-company databases, property-specific rules, or owner preferences.
- It does not guarantee approval or rejection.
- It does not replace advice from a licensed real estate professional, lawyer, or financial adviser.
- The weights will be revised when enough anonymized outcome data is collected.
Public sources and reference points
- UR rental application requirements — a public example showing that documented continuing income and rent-to-income thresholds matter.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government: smooth access to private rental housing for foreign residents — multilingual application, contract, and housing-search references.
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism room-search guidebook — explanations of guarantors, deposits, key money, and rental procedures.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government tenant-landlord dispute guidelines — multilingual contract and move-out guidance.