The pre-move-in inspection of a rental apartment in Japan looks like a minor administrative task, but it quietly determines both how comfortable your tenancy will be and how smoothly — or contentiously — it ends when you move out. This is a distinctively Japanese practice: while many English-speaking markets treat a move-in inspection as a formality attached to the security deposit, Japan built an entire regulatory framework — the genjō-kaifuku guideline (原状回復ガイドライン, MLIT's restoration-cost-allocation guideline, discussed below) — around this exact moment. Once furniture is inside the room, the empty, untouched apartment — the only state in which scratches and equipment faults can be documented objectively — is gone for good.
At INA&Associates, our experience managing our own portfolio of rental properties has shown us how much a careful move-in inspection reduces disputes at move-out. This article lays out, from both the tenant's and the owner/property manager's perspective, the full picture and the practical steps of the pre-move-in check — reframed here for international investors and tenants who may be encountering Japan's rental customs for the first time.
Why the Pre-Move-In Check Matters So Much in Japan
The purpose of the pre-move-in check breaks down into two parts. One is confirming that fixtures and equipment work properly; the other is creating a documented record of the room's initial condition. The two serve different functions, but both feed directly into a tenant's peace of mind after moving in.
- Confirming equipment works: Any fixture that doesn't function from day one disrupts daily life. Catching this in advance means repairs — at the landlord's expense — can be requested smoothly.
- Recording the room's initial condition: Most disputes over restoration costs at move-out come down to a single question — was that scratch there before you moved in? Documenting the move-in condition as evidence protects both sides.
A move-in checksheet, confirmed and signed by both landlord (or property manager) and tenant, is a small extra step that substantially reduces the risk of disputes at move-out. We believe trust is not something patched together after the fact — it is built up starting from the first record.
How This Connects to the Genjō-Kaifuku Restoration Guideline
For cost allocation at move-out, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省, MLIT) publishes the genjō-kaifuku guideline (原状回復をめぐるトラブルとガイドライン, “Guidelines on Disputes and Restoration to Original Condition”) — a document with no direct equivalent in most English-speaking jurisdictions, where move-out deductions are typically governed by simple deposit statutes rather than a dedicated national guideline. The basic principle: wear from ordinary use and the passage of time is the landlord's cost to bear, while damage from a tenant's intentional acts, negligence, or failure to exercise reasonable care falls on the tenant. The pre-move-in check is the starting point for drawing that line on objective fact — without a record, the line dissolves into a he-said-she-said dispute.
The Full Pre-Move-In Timeline
Preparation for moving in doesn't wrap up in a single day when you pick up the keys. Some utility procedures require applications well in advance, so working backward from move-in day is essential. Here is the rough timeline.
| Timing | What to do | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month before move-in | Apply for internet service (if construction/installation is required) | Tenant |
| 2 weeks before move-in | Apply to start electricity service; arrange a moving company | Tenant |
| 1 week before move-in | Notify the water utility of the start date; book the gas turn-on attendance appointment | Tenant |
| Move-in day (before furniture arrives) | Inspect the room and fixtures, take photos, attend the gas turn-on | Tenant and property manager |
| Within 7 days after move-in | Return the checksheet, report any additional faults noticed | Tenant |
What matters most is completing the room inspection before any furniture or belongings are carried in. Once boxes and furniture cover the floors and walls, existing scratches become impossible to verify. Where possible, it's worth reserving 30 minutes to an hour on moving day, before the movers arrive, purely for this inspection.
Pre-Move-In Checklist: The Room Itself
Start with the building's physical condition. Scratches and stains are exactly the kind of thing that turn into a later dispute over whether they were already there — so alongside written notes, always keep photos.
| Item | What to check | How to record it |
|---|---|---|
| Walls / ceiling | Scratches, stains, peeling wallpaper, nail holes, mold traces | Photo + checksheet |
| Floor | Scratches, dents, stains, creaking, lifting | Photo + checksheet |
| Windows / sashes | Opening and closing action, locking, torn screens, condensation marks | Function check + photo |
| Doors / fittings | Opening and closing action, scratches, warping, noise at the door stop | Function check + photo |
| Storage / closets | Shelf fixing, door and rail movement, moisture or mold | Function check + photo |
| Veranda / balcony | Cracks in the floor surface, clogged drains, loose handrails | Photo |
Tips for Documenting the Inspection
The basic approach to photos is combining “wide shots” with “close-ups.” First photograph each room from all four directions to capture the overall layout, then take close-up shots of any scratch or stain that concerns you. Keeping your shooting order organized room by room makes it much easier later to identify exactly which position in which room a photo shows. Recording existing scratches openly — rather than hiding them — is, in practice, the thing that ends up protecting you.
Pre-Move-In Checklist: Fixtures and Equipment
Next come the fixtures. For these, appearance alone isn't enough — you need to actually operate them. Anything that requires power or running water should be checked only after utilities are connected.
- Kitchen: faucet leaks, stove ignition and shutoff, range hood operation, moisture or odor under the sink
- Bathroom: shower/faucet water temperature and pressure, drainage, ventilation fan operation, the bathtub's reheating function (oidaki, 追い焚き, a Japan-common feature that reheats standing bathwater rather than draining and refilling it), mold on rubber seals
- Toilet: water flow and shutoff, washlet operation (a heated, water-spray bidet seat standard in most Japanese homes), leaks around the tank and washlet connection
- Washbasin: faucet operation, drainage, condition of the mirror and light, movement of the storage cabinet doors
- Water heater: whether hot water comes out properly, whether any error display appears
- Air conditioner: cooling and heating airflow, unusual noise or smell, remote control batteries and response
- Lighting and switches: confirm every switch lights up, check for flickering
- Electrical outlets: confirm power at every outlet, check for looseness or scorch marks
- Intercom: call, response, and monitor video functions
- Fire/smoke alarm: test-button sound, installation position, and battery condition
If you find a fault, there's no need to panic just because you can't use something right away. Contact the property manager with photos attached, and repairs are normally handled at the landlord's expense. Reporting a fault early is not a complaint — it's the first step toward a good working relationship.
Utility Setup Before Move-In
Electricity, gas, water, and internet each follow a different process and require a different lead time. Gas, in particular, is a Japan-specific point worth flagging for anyone used to self-service utility activation in markets like the US or UK: turning on the gas requires someone to be physically present — the tachiai (立会い, an attendance requirement) — so you cannot simply start using it the moment you arrive. Booking early matters.
| Utility | When to apply | Attendance required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | Apply to start service by 2 weeks before move-in | Generally not required | With a smart meter, this can often be completed entirely online or by phone |
| Gas | Book the turn-on appointment by 1 week before move-in | Required | The provider differs depending on city gas vs. propane; appointment slots fill up quickly during busy seasons |
| Water | Notify the start date by 1 week before move-in | Generally not required | Contact the municipal water bureau or the designated provider |
| Internet | Apply 1 month ahead if construction is required | May be required at the time of construction | Confirm with the property manager in advance which line types the building supports |
The specific providers and procedures vary by region and by the building's own equipment. Before signing up, it's worth asking the property manager which type of gas the building uses and which internet lines are already installed, to avoid double work. Because plans and pricing differ by provider and region, this article does not quote specific figures — check current terms at the time you actually apply.
What Owners and Property Managers Should Prepare Before Move-In
Everything above has largely been from the tenant's perspective, but a good start to a tenancy depends on preparation on the landlord's side as well. Here is what we, in our own self-managed portfolio, always make sure to cover before a new tenant moves in.
- Professional cleaning, plus an on-site check of the finished result
- Confirming fixtures operate correctly (especially the water heater, air conditioner, and faucets — the things that directly affect daily life)
- Rekeying the locks (eliminating the security risk from a spare key held by a previous tenant)
- Preparing the move-in checksheet and welcome/orientation documents
- Cleaning common areas and posting trash-disposal rules
Our Approach to Rekeying
Rekeying the locks is a cornerstone of security. A previous tenant may have had a spare key made, and that possibility can never be fully ruled out, so rekeying at every tenant turnover is the preferable practice — a point where Japanese property management culture tends to be more systematic than what tenants from other markets may be used to, where rekeying between tenants is common but not always treated as a non-negotiable baseline. Who bears the cost, and whether rekeying is required at all, depends on the lease terms, but we hold to a policy of never compromising on anything that directly affects a tenant's safety. The peace of mind of the people involved is what makes a property one that tenants keep choosing over the long term.
Why the Move-In Check Pays Off at Move-Out
The value of the pre-move-in check shows up most clearly at move-out. In the restoration-cost settlement at that point, the landlord and tenant have to agree on who is responsible for a given piece of wear or damage — and the record from move-in is exactly what that decision rests on.
If the move-in record notes, with a photo, “existing scuff mark on the lower right of the wall,” that scratch cannot then be billed to the tenant at move-out. Without a record, whether something is ordinary wear or tenant-caused damage becomes a matter of judgment, and the outcome tends to be an unsatisfying negotiation for both sides. This is a structural difference from markets where a security deposit is simply withheld at the landlord's discretion up to a policy limit — in Japan, the genjō-kaifuku framework puts the documentary burden of proof front and center. For a detailed look at the cost-allocation rules for restoration, see our related article, How to Prevent Restoration Disputes: Explaining the Cost-Allocation Rules and Guidelines at Move-Out.
Keep the checksheet and photos until the post-move-out settlement is fully complete. In practice, we recommend keeping them for some time even after that, since personal claims between private parties are subject to a statute of limitations, and it's worth being able to answer questions that surface later.
The INA&Associates View: The Check Is Not Suspicion — It's the Design of Trust
A pre-move-in check can sound like an exercise in landlord and tenant each guarding against the other. We see it the opposite way. Having both parties share the same set of facts from the start is exactly what prevents mutual suspicion later and builds the foundation for a trusting relationship.
At INA&Associates, we place real value on being honest about drawbacks and inconvenient facts, not just the positives. Recording and sharing existing scratches and equipment wear, without hiding them, is what lets tenants live comfortably for the long term — and, as a result, protects the value of the property itself. Not begrudging a short-term inconvenience is what generates long-term trust, and we see the pre-move-in check as a concrete practice that embodies exactly that idea.
Summary
The pre-move-in check is a critical step that accomplishes two things at once: a comfortable start to your tenancy, and avoiding disputes at move-out. Here are the key points once more.
- Document the room and its fixtures with photos before any furniture is carried in
- Work backward on utility procedures and apply early — don't forget the gas turn-on attendance appointment
- Don't hide faults — report them to the property manager early
- On the landlord's side, make sure cleaning, fixture checks, and rekeying are all done properly
- Keep the checksheet until the move-out settlement is complete
If you're navigating rental property ownership or management in Japan, our full column archive may also be useful. A careful first step before move-in creates a rental relationship that feels good to both landlord and tenant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the property manager or the tenant carry out the pre-move-in check?
Ideally, both the property manager (or owner) and the tenant attend and confirm the inspection together. When scheduling that is difficult, the common approach is to hand the tenant a checksheet and have them report anything of concern within 7 days of moving in. Either way, what matters is keeping a record and sharing it between both parties.
How should pre-move-in photos be taken?
Take a wide shot of each room from all four directions, plus close-ups of fixtures and any scratches or stains. We recommend preserving the photo metadata (EXIF) so the date and time can be verified, or using a shooting mode that stamps the date on the image. Backing the data up — to cloud storage, for instance — is also worth doing for peace of mind.
How long should the checksheet be kept?
Keep it, without fail, until the restoration-cost settlement is complete after the tenant moves out. In practice, we recommend keeping it for some additional time even after settlement, since personal claims between private parties are subject to a statute of limitations, and it's worth being prepared for a later inquiry or confirmation.
Am I responsible for the cost of a fault discovered after moving in?
A fault that existed before move-in, or an equipment failure from ordinary use, is in principle covered at the landlord's expense. That said, the longer a report is delayed, the harder it becomes to distinguish from damage that occurred after move-in. As soon as you notice something, contact the property manager promptly with photos attached.
