DAY 21

Finding a room — The five things to ask at a Niseko real-estate office

Why this matters

If you only hunt for staff housing in English, half of Kutchan's inventory never reaches you. Two patterns — '〜はありますか' and '家賃はいくらですか' — unlock what the local agent can actually show you.

Today's goals

✓『〜はありますか』で在庫を確認できる
✓家賃・敷金・光熱費を数字で聞き取れる
✓部屋の広さと設備（風呂・キッチン・Wi-Fi）を日本語で聞ける
✓入居日と退去日を伝えられる

How it works

Two patterns for a real-estate office

〜はありますか — the shortest way to check if something is in stock.

·1Kのへやはありますか。 — Do you have any 1K rooms?
·ペットOKのアパートはありますか。 — Any pet-friendly apartments?
·12月から3月までのたんき契約はありますか。 — Any short-term contracts from Dec to Mar?

家賃はいくらですか — how much is the rent. In Japan, rent is almost never the only cost — ask for every line item.

Five numbers you MUST ask for

·家賃 (やちん) — rent
·敷金 (しききん) / 礼金 (れいきん) — deposit / 'key money' (non-refundable gift to the landlord, old-fashioned but still common)
·管理費 (かんりひ) — building management fee
·光熱費 (こうねつひ) — utilities (electricity, gas, water)
·入居日 (にゅうきょび) — move-in date

Size and features

·1K, 1DK, 2DK — number of rooms plus the layout code
·バス・トイレ別 — bath and toilet in separate rooms (vs. combined unit bath)
·オートロック, Wi-Fi, エアコン

Season warning: Niseko winter rents can be 3–4× summer rates. Always ask 『シーズン料金ですか、通常料金ですか』 — 'Is this the seasonal rate or the normal rate?'

Words & patterns

vocab部屋へやheya

room

vocab家賃やちんyachin

rent

vocab敷金しききんshikikin

deposit (returnable)

vocab管理費かんりひkanrihi

management fee

vocab光熱費こうねつひkōnetsuhi

utilities (electric, gas, water)

vocab入居日にゅうきょびnyūkyobi

move-in date

vocab短期契約たんきけいやくtankikēyaku

short-term contract

grammar〜はありますか~hārimasuka

Do you have 〜? (asking about stock/availability)

1Kの部屋はありますか。
ichikeenoheyahārimasuka.
— Do you have any 1K rooms?
12月から3月までの短期契約はありますか。
jūnigatsukarasangatsumadenotankikēyakuhārimasuka.
— Any short-term contracts from December to March?

grammar家賃はいくらですか

How much is the rent? Follow up with the four other costs.

家賃はいくらですか。
yachinhaikuradesuka.
— How much is the rent?
敷金と管理費も教えてください。
shikikintokanrihimooshietekudasai.
— Please also tell me the deposit and management fee.

dialogue倶知安町の不動産屋で、冬のスタッフ住居を探す

At a Kutchan real-estate office, looking for winter staff housing

Aすみません、12月から3月までの短期契約はありますか。

sumimasen,jūnigatsukarasangatsumadenotankikēyakuhārimasuka.

— Excuse me, do you have short-term contracts from December to March?

Bはい、ございます。1Kと1DKがあります。

hai,gozaimasu.ichikeetoichideīkeegārimasu.

— Yes, we do. We have 1K and 1DK options.

A1Kの家賃はいくらですか。

ichikeenoyachinhaikuradesuka.

— How much is the 1K rent?

Bシーズン料金で8万5千円です。管理費と光熱費は、べつに1万円です。

shīzunryōkindehachimangosen'endesu.kanrihitokōnetsuhiwa,betsunīchiman'endesu.

— At seasonal rate, 85,000 yen. Management fee and utilities are a separate 10,000.

A入居日はいつから大丈夫ですか。

nyūkyobihaitsukaradaijōbudesuka.

— When can I move in?

B12月1日からです。鍵のお渡しは、当日の午後2時以降になります。

jūnigatsutsuitachikaradesu.kaginoowatashiwa,tōjitsunogogonijīkōninarimasu.

— From December 1st. Key handover is after 2 p.m. that day.

Drills

Q01translate_x2ja

Ask: 'Do you have 1K rooms?'

Q02translate_x2ja

Ask: 'How much is the rent?'

Q03pick

You hear '85,000 yen'. What else should you ask about?

Q04reorder

Order: は / 契約 / 短期 / ありますか

Q05output_free

You walk into a Kutchan real-estate office looking for winter housing. Write out 4 questions you will ask, in order.

Common pitfalls

Only asking the rent, not the extras

CAUSE In many countries 'rent' is the total monthly cost

FIX In Japan, rent (家賃) rarely includes 管理費 or 光熱費. Always follow up with 『敷金・管理費・光熱費も教えてください』.

Not asking if the price is seasonal

CAUSE Signs often show one number without a label

FIX Niseko winter rents can be 3–4× summer. Ask 『シーズン料金ですか、通常料金ですか』 before you sign anything.

Assuming 敷金 will come back in full

CAUSE English 'deposit' implies full refund

FIX Agents often deduct cleaning (ハウスクリーニング代) from 敷金. Ask 『退去のとき、いくら戻ってきますか』 before move-in.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow: banks and accounts. The 'furikomi' plumbing that gets your paycheck into your hands.