Rents and maintenance fees in Greater Tokyo reach record highs says SUUMO
- Adam German
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
The SUUMO Research Center, a housing research division of Recruit, announced on October 10th the results of its FY2024 Renter Preference Survey for the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA).
The GTA consists of the prefectures of Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba.
The study targeted individuals who moved into rental properties between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, having been personally involved in choosing their homes and still residing there.
A total of 1,264 valid responses were collected.
Rents Hit Record Highs
According to the survey, the average monthly rent reached ¥96,082, up more than ¥3,500 from the previous year and marking the highest level since FY2005.
Average management and common service fees also rose to ¥6,177, nearly ¥600 higher than last year - likewise the highest since FY2005.
Online Viewings at Record Levels
The adoption of digital tools continued to grow. A total of 37.4% of renters conducted online property viewings - 28.3% exclusively online and 9.1% combining online and in-person tours—the highest share since FY2020.
Meanwhile, 42.4% said they understood online lease terms, and 15.9% had signed digitial contracts, both record highs since FY2018.
Location Remains the Decisive Factor
When asked what most influenced their rental decision, “train line, station, or area” ranked first at 54.7%, followed by “distance from the nearest station” (38.9%), “commuting or school travel time” (30.4%), and “initial move-in costs” (30.3%).
The emphasis on location has increased for two consecutive years, while the focus on “layout” (28.0%) and “fixtures and specifications” (8.2%) has declined since FY2021.
Hazard Map Awareness Rising
Nearly half of renters (48.3%) said they checked hazard maps themselves when searching for housing, up roughly five points from the previous year.
The rate was especially high among students living alone, family households, women in their 30s and 40s, and households earning ¥6 million or more annually.
Growing Interest in Disaster-Resilient Rentals
When asked about appealing “concept” rental types, “disaster-prevention housing” (31.5%) topped the list, followed by “designer rentals” (23.2%) and “ZEH (net-zero energy) rentals” (21.1%).
A newly introduced category, “for cooking enthusiasts,” drew interest from 13.1% of respondents.
Further Reading:
SUUMO FY2024 Renter Preference Survey (Japanese only; provides more granular data than that provided above)
Source:
R.E. Port News (Japanese only)
