Vacancy rates for apaato-type buildings reach 30% in Tokyo

Vacancy rates in Tokyo and Kanagawa have been steadily climbing due to an oversupply of ‘apaato’-type rental buildings (low-rise blocks of rental flats usually built from wood or light-weight steel) in recent years.

According to TAS Corp, vacancy rates for wood-frame or light-steel-frame apartment buildings are over 30% in the greater Tokyo area, and as high as 37% in Kanagawa Prefecture. In other words, 1 in 3 units in ‘apaato’-type rental buildings are vacant.Read more


Average apartment rent in November 2016

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According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium in greater Tokyo was 2,738 Yen/sqm in November, up 1.5% from the previous month and up 4.3% from last year. This is the fifth consecutive month to see a month-on-month increase in rents. The average apartment size was 59.12 sqm and the average building age was 20.0 years.

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the average monthly rent was 3,312 Yen/sqm, up 1.9% from the previous month and up 1.7% from last year. The average apartment size was 56.78 sqm and the average building age was 18.1 years.Read more


Average apartment rent in October 2016

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According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium in greater Tokyo was 2,697 Yen/sqm in October, up 1.3% from the previous month and up 0.6% from last year. The average apartment size was 59.29 sqm and the average building age was 20.1 years.  In October, apartments in the Tokyo metropolitan area accounted for 66.5% of all listings across greater Tokyo, up from a 60.7% share in September. This contributed to the increase in rent from the previous month as prices in the Tokyo area are higher than surrounding prefectures.

In the Tokyo metropolitan area the average monthly rent was 3,153 Yen/sqm, down 2.4% from the previous month and down 1.0% from last year. The average apartment size was 56.99 sqm and the average building age was 18.4 years.Read more


Average apartment rent in September 2016

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According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium in greater Tokyo was 2,663 Yen/sqm in September, up 0.1% from the previous month and up 0.6% from last year. The average apartment size was 60.05 sqm and the average building age was 20.0 years.

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the average monthly rent was 3,230 Yen/sqm, up 0.2% from the previous month and up 1.5% from last year. The average apartment size was 57.39 sqm and the average building age was 18.0 years.Read more


Average apartment rent in August 2016

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According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium in greater Tokyo was 2,661 Yen/sqm in August, up 0.3% from the previous month and up 2.7% from last year. The average apartment size was 60.26 sqm and the average building age was 19.7 years.

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the average monthly rent was 3,223 Yen/sqm, up 2.5% from the previous month and up 1.4% from last year. In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the average apartment age decreased from 18.3 years to 17.6 years, which contributed to the increase in the average rent from the previous month. The average apartment size was 57.73 sqm.Read more


Average apartment rent in July 2016

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According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium in greater Tokyo was 2,652 Yen/sqm in July, up 1.8% from the previous month and up 2.4% from last year. A larger share of transactions in the Tokyo metropolitan area, where rents are higher than surrounding areas, pulled up the average. The average apartment size was 59.40 sqm and the average building age was 20.0 years.

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the average monthly rent was 3,144 Yen/sqm, up 0.4% from the previous month but showing no change from last year. The average apartment size was 57.22 sqm and the average building age was 18.3 years.Read more


Zipper company’s passive town attracts residents despite high rent

YKK Passive Town 2

YKK Real Estate, a division of the YKK Group (the world’s largest zipper manufacturer), is developing a passive town in Kurobe City, Toyama Prefecture. The concept is to create comfortable housing designed for the environment that will reduce the need for air-conditioning.

The first phase of housing was completed in early 2016. Apartments in the 36-unit housing block do not have air-conditioning units. Instead, the building is cooled using circulating water from Toyama’s underground water system which is sourced from the Kurobe River.Read more