Real Estate Agents & Landlords Troubled By Fleeing Foreign Tenants

A few days ago, ATV news had a feature report about troubling issues for real estate agents and landlords. At one point, they mentioned the flight of foreigners who think that Japan is now “dangerous” after the March 11th earthquake and Fukushima nuclear accident:

Employees of a real estate agent visit an apartment building to check on some of their foreign tenants. They have apparently not been able to contact some tenants via telephone, and are visiting to see if ringing doorbells, knocking on doors, or shouting into mail slots will work. They try two apartments, but get no responses. It would seem that the tenants are not there.

They believe that these tenants are examples of how many foreigners have been fleeing the country because the Kanto area is now “dangerous” because of the earthquake and nuclear accident. It seems that quite a few foreign tenants have abruptly announced cancellations of rental agreements and returned to their countries of origin.

Presumably, some of the foreign tenants have followed proper procedure when cancelling contracts, but the report implies that some may have not (hence the need to actually visit apartments and check if anyone is actually there).

Note: The video clip shown in this post was only a small portion of the news report. The bulk of the coverage was dedicated to troubles caused by Japanese tenants, such as people who suddenly “disappear” without paying rent or people who fill their apartments with ungodly amounts of garbage.

—

Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

morphine

How ironic, Japanese landlords don’t allow foreign tenants because they are ‘dangerous’, and foreign tenants don’t live in Japan because it’s ‘dangerous’.

http://www.japanprobe.com James

Actually, most of the excuses I’ve heard about turning down foreign tenants haven’t had to do with the “dangerous” nature of foreigners. It has more to do with their fears that foreigners could easily leave the country without announcing their departure, paying rent, or cleaning up apartments.

Sadly, this “flyjin” situation has provided them a new batch of horror stories to mention when they discriminate against foreign customers in the future.

http://whatjapanthinks.com Ken Y-N

Hmm, very good point! I might steal that thought and make it into a Tepido.org post.

joshki

I’m sure they were payed up for March, so the main thing is money money money, they can’t collect April’s because they have fled which I would have done too if I lived there during this disaster. I would care about contracts just getting to safety. Well even if they did cancel it, I’m sure they could not rent it out anyway. A lot Japanese would also run to their home country in a event of disaster.

Simon

Can someone translate this into English for me please?

Craig

Screw them and their 2 months reikin
fish taco

Maybe they weren’t home because it was the middle of the day. Wouldn’t it make more sense to see if they were home in the early evening. Just sayin.
DanaERKSN

The landlord should write down the current reading of the electric meter… come back in a day or two… if the meter has gone up, then it’s pretty obvious that someone is still living inside the apartment.

Another solution is to just call the power company(TEPCO! ) and tell them to cut the power because the tenant has left the country. If the landlord genuinely believes that the tenant has escaped Japan, then no harm done. However, if the tenant is actually avoiding the landlord to avoid paying rent, then the tenant can always call TEPCO to have the power turned back on. (in which case, the landlord will have solid proof that someone is still living inside)

fish taco

Ah I missed the part about them not paying their rent. I thought they were simply checking to see if they had fled the country. In that case they should probably just get started with whatever legal proceedings need to happen so they can rent out that apartment to someone else.
I know if someone knocked on my door in the middle of the day or called my home phone in the middle of the day they might easily assume I had fled the country as well. I just thought it was odd that this was the method they chose to check up on these people.

L

All landlords should have photocopy of Alien Immigration of foreign tenant, as part of rental agreement. The landlords should report this to police & immigration authorities, if they fail to pay. When the foreigners try to re-enter Japan, they will be arrested or barred re-entry to Japan.

Greeeeen

No way. Foreigners should not be held to different tenant laws than Japanese. A Japanese person cannot be arrested for failing to pay their rent; they can only be evicted and sued. Landlords already have enough power to abuse us; we don’t need to forfeit the protection of the law as well.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JEEOCCWZ6SMONV6S47EIMYYLM4 Majoritain Veller

In real estate absolute acreage training, I’ve been asked abounding times by agents, “How do I get abbreviate auction listings?” Well,there’s added than one way to get them.

Property Management
Anonymous

A aggregation searching to body a ample branch or set up an authoritative appointment is apparently not traveling to accept a abandoned area, even admitting the real estate may be added affordable.

Charlotte Property Management

Real Estate Agents & Landlords Troubled By Fleeing Foreign Tenants

Recent Comments

Further Reading

Bikini Atoll: Lessons For Fukushima?

Complaints From Loony Parents Cancel Event: Okinawan Children Not Allowed to Play With “Radioactive” Aomori Snow

Remembering the International Media’s Post-Fukushima Hysteria: Radiation Scare Stories Ignored Real Victims of 3/11

A Look Inside Osaka Prison

Dead Shark Found in Yoyogi Park

Japanese Fart Battle Scroll

Dinosaurs Wear Traditional Japanese Clothing

Canada Rejects Refugee Application From Japanese Who Feared Radiation

Ishinomaki: Then & Now

Radioactive Seafood? Miyagi Fishing Industry Works to Prove Safety of Their Fish

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Japan Blogs

Korea Blogs

Linkroll

Other Asia Blogs