Pet-Friendly Apartments in Japan: How to Find One, What It Costs, and Why So Few Allow Pets (2026)
Nationwide, about one rental listing in five allows pets (LIFULL HOME’S, March 2025); in Tokyo’s 23 wards it’s closer to 10–15%, and most of those mean “one small dog or cat, under 10 kg”. Expect an extra half to one month’s deposit on top of the usual move-in costs, and a longer search than a pet-free tenant would have. It’s doable, but it goes faster when you know what landlords are looking for.
This guide covers why so few apartments allow pets, what the listing terms actually mean, what it costs, where the options are, and what to prepare so your application gets approved.
Why So Few Apartments in Japan Allow Pets
Three things drive it. Japanese apartments are small and close together, so barking and smell travel; the tenant pays for restoring the room at move-out, and pet damage—scratched flooring, chewed doors, odour in wallpaper—is expensive and contested; and most landlords are individuals with one or two buildings who would rather refuse than manage a dispute. Older wooden apartments (アパート) are almost always no-pets.
It is changing. Newer reinforced-concrete buildings (マンション) in central wards now allow pets at roughly 20%, and some are built as “pet co-living” (ペット共生) with wash stations and pet doors. A survey of Tokyo pet owners found around one in four keeps a pet in a building that doesn’t officially allow it—which is exactly the situation to avoid, because it’s grounds for eviction and a large restoration bill.
What “Pet-Friendly” Means on a Japanese Listing
The word on the listing matters:
| Listing says | What it means |
|---|---|
| ペット可 (pet OK) | Pets allowed under the building’s rules—usually still limited to one small dog or cat |
| ペット相談 (pet negotiable) | Not automatic. The landlord decides case by case; a good application matters here |
| 小型犬可・猫不可 | Small dogs yes, cats no. Common, because landlords worry more about scratching and odour from cats |
| 猫可 | Cats allowed—rarer than dog-OK listings |
| ペット不可 | No pets. Don’t try to negotiate; move on |
Typical limits: one animal, under about 10 kg, adult size. Two pets, a medium or large dog, or any breed on a building’s restricted list will cut your options sharply, but not to zero—larger dogs are more often accepted in detached houses (一戸建て) and in the suburbs. Small caged animals and fish are usually tolerated even in “no pets” buildings, but ask before you sign.
What It Costs
| Item | Typical range in Tokyo |
|---|---|
| Rent premium for a pet-OK unit | ¥5,000–15,000 a month more than a comparable pet-free unit (the nationwide gap is bigger, because pet-OK buildings skew newer) |
| Extra deposit (敷金) | +0.5 to 1 month’s rent, often non-refundable (償却) |
| Pet rent | Some buildings add ¥2,000–5,000 a month per animal |
| Move-out restoration | Typically ¥7,000–17,000 for a dog, ¥10,000–23,000 for a cat, more if there’s real damage |
So on a ¥120,000 apartment, plan for roughly one extra month’s rent up front and a few thousand yen a month on top. For how pet deposits sit on top of the standard shikikin and reikin, see The Truth About Tokyo Rent.
Where the Pet-Friendly Apartments Are
In Tokyo, the largest pools of pet-OK listings are in the residential western wards—Setagaya, Meguro, Suginami and Nerima—where buildings are newer or lower-rise and parks are close. Setagaya has the most pet co-living buildings; Meguro’s Nakameguro and Jiyugaoka are known for dog-friendly streets. In central Minato (Azabu, Roppongi), pet-friendly units exist mainly in higher-end towers aimed at expats, with rents to match.
Outside the 23 wards, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba commuter towns have a higher share of pet-OK listings and more houses with small gardens—worth considering if a 30–40 minute train ride is acceptable.
How to Search
On the portals. SUUMO, HOME’S and AtHome all have a ペット相談可 filter. Use it as a starting list, not the answer: “negotiable” listings need an agent to call the landlord, and the filter doesn’t distinguish dog-OK from cat-OK.
Through an agent. This is where most pet owners end up, because the negotiation with the landlord decides the outcome. An agent who regularly places pet owners knows which management companies say yes, will phone before you visit so you don’t waste viewings, and can present your pet in the way the landlord needs to hear it. Tell the agent upfront: species, breed, adult weight, age, number of animals, and whether the pet is neutered and vaccinated.
Timing. January–March is the busiest season, and landlords with a queue of applicants take the pet-free one. April–August and November–December give you more room to negotiate.
Getting the Landlord to Say Yes
For “negotiable” listings, the application is the pitch. Prepare a one-page pet profile (ペットの履歴書): a photo, breed, weight, age, neutered or not, vaccination record, and a sentence on temperament and how long the animal is left alone. Attach a reference from your current landlord if you have one. Offer what landlords worry about before they ask: you’ll use scratch guards or mats, you’ll keep the pet indoors, you’ll pay a pet deposit.
Two things that quietly sink applications: applying for a “negotiable” unit with a dog over the weight limit, and mentioning the pet only after the paperwork has started. Be upfront—an agent can find you another building, but a landlord who feels misled won’t reconsider.
Read how Stephanie found a pet-friendly apartment in Tokyo—including what the agent asked for.
Cats vs Dogs
Small dogs are the easiest case. Cat-OK listings are a smaller subset of pet-OK listings—one 2026 market survey put it at roughly six or seven in ten—because landlords worry about scratched walls and urine odour that can’t be fixed with a surface repair, and nearly all require cats to stay indoors. If you have a cat, filter for 猫可 specifically, budget for a slightly higher restoration charge, and expect the landlord to ask whether the cat is neutered. Declawing isn’t done in Japan, so scratch protection on walls and doors is the usual condition.
After You Move In
- Register your dog at the ward office within 30 days (about ¥3,000, plus a tag for the collar). Cats don’t need registration.
- Rabies vaccination once a year is required by law for dogs; keep the certificate—buildings sometimes ask for it.
- Microchip. Pets sold in Japan since 2022 are chipped; if you brought yours from abroad, register the chip with the national database.
- Neighbours. Say hello with the pet on the day you move in. Noise complaints are the main reason pet tenants are asked to leave, and a neighbour who has met the dog complains less.
- Balconies and common areas. Carry small dogs through lobbies and lifts if the building rules say so, and don’t leave a pet on the balcony—both are standard clauses.
And for the human side of moving in—electricity, gas, internet—see our utility setup guide.
FAQs About Pet-Friendly Apartments in Japan
Can foreigners rent a pet-friendly apartment in Japan?
Yes. Nationality isn’t a factor in pet rules; the same limits (usually one small animal under 10 kg) apply to everyone. The harder part is the negotiation with the landlord, which an agent handles for you.
How do I find pet-friendly apartments in Japan?
Filter for ペット相談可 on SUUMO or HOME’S to see what exists, then work with an agent who regularly places pet owners—most pet-OK units are “negotiable”, and the landlord’s answer depends on how your pet is presented.
Why is Japan not pet-friendly when it comes to housing?
Small apartments, thin walls, and a move-out system where the tenant pays for pet damage make landlords cautious. Newer buildings are much more open: around 20% of new condominiums in central Tokyo allow pets.
How much extra does a pet-friendly apartment cost?
Typically ¥5,000–15,000 a month more in rent, plus an extra half to one month’s deposit, which is often non-refundable.
Can I keep a pet in a no-pets apartment if it’s quiet?
No. It breaches the lease, and if discovered you can be asked to leave and billed for full restoration. Move to a pet-OK unit instead.
My dog is over 10 kg. Is it hopeless?
Not hopeless, but narrower: look at detached houses, ground-floor units in the suburbs, and buildings marked 大型犬可. An agent can search on weight rather than the generic “pet OK” filter.
Finding pet-friendly housing is easier with local support. Aikagi helps English-speaking renters search for apartments across Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba.