#Japan #Tokyo #apartment trends #Rental Prices #AtHome

Trends in Rental Apartment Prices Across Major Japanese Cities

A recent survey conducted by AtHome, a leading real estate information service in Japan, reveals the latest trends in rental prices for apartments and mansions as of January 2026. The study, executed by AtHome Lab, analyzed data from major metropolitan areas, including the Greater Tokyo area, Sapporo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Kobe, and Fukuoka. Here’s an overview of the findings:

Overall Overview

• - Average Rental Prices: The average rental prices for apartments have increased in all 10 surveyed areas compared to the same month last year. This trend reflects ongoing demand for rental properties across the nation.

• - Family-oriented Apartments: Family-oriented apartments have consistently outperformed their prior year prices for five consecutive months across all 13 surveyed areas. This indicates a steady demand as families continue seeking bigger living spaces.

• - Single-oriented Apartments: In the Tokyo 23 wards, rental prices for single-oriented apartments have been on an upswing for 20 consecutive months, while Osaka has witnessed an increase for 18 months straight. This trend represents the highest rental prices recorded since January 2015.

• - Record Highs in Tokyo: Notably, in the Tokyo 23 wards, rental prices have hit record highs for seven consecutive months across all apartment types, highlighting the ongoing desirability of this urban area.

• - Couple and Family-focused Apartments: Similar growth has been seen in apartments suitable for couples and families, with notable increases in all 13 areas surveyed. In Tokyo’s 23 wards, rental prices for apartments have reached their highest point for four straight months.

Survey Scope

Target Areas

The survey covered the following 13 areas:

• - Greater Tokyo Area (Tokyo 23 wards, Western Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba)
• - Sapporo City, Hokkaido
• - Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
• - Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
• - Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
• - Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
• - Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
• - Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture
• - Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Target Data

The data consisted of rental listings for residential apartments and mansions registered on the AtHome real estate information site, with duplicates removed for a unique count.

Definitions

• - For the purpose of this survey, "rent" is defined as the total monthly payment made by tenants, including rent and management fees.
• - In the comments, apartments of 30㎡ or less are categorized as “single-oriented”, those between 30㎡ and 50㎡ as “couple-oriented”, 50㎡ to 70㎡ as “family-oriented”, and those over 70㎡ as “large family-oriented”.
• - The average rental price index for this study is based on January 2015 being set at 100.
• - The increase rates are rounded to two decimal places, with the top three increase rates based on unrounded numbers.

Average Rental Prices by Area

Further details regarding the average rental prices for apartments based on area size can be accessed by downloading the PDF report from AtHome’s official website.

For an in-depth analysis and to review the complete data, please visit AtHome’s data report.