#Japan #Tokyo #At Home #Smart Application #USEN TRUST

At Home Strengthens Its Smart Application System

In May 2025, At Home Inc., a leading real estate information service provider based in Ota City, Tokyo, announced a new partnership with USEN TRUST, a rental guarantee company under the USEN & U-NEXT GROUP. With this partnership, the Smart Application system now collaborates with a total of 57 rental guarantee firms. This initiative aims to provide a smoother environment for consumers searching for rental properties while enhancing operational efficiency in the real estate sector.

New Partnership Overview

The integration with USEN TRUST enhances the Smart Application service by allowing applicants to easily submit their personal information—such as their name, address, employer, and emergency contact details—directly to the rental guarantee company. This simplifies and accelerates the process of requesting a rental guarantee review.

Traditionally, applying for a rental guarantee involved exchanging handwritten application documents via fax or postal services, which often led to issues with missing information. The Smart Application leverages digital communication to significantly reduce administrative burdens and costs while also shortening the lead time from application submission to the start of the review process.

Driving the Change: Background

The expansion of the Smart Application service comes in response to significant legal changes in Japan, notably the revision of the Civil Code in April 2020, which mandates the explicit disclosure of maximum amounts for joint guarantors. This change has encouraged an increase in the use of rental guarantee companies as an effective measure to mitigate rental payment defaults. In a survey conducted by At Home in April 2024 among its affiliated property management firms, nearly 70% reported that they utilize rental guarantee services for over 80% of all rental transactions.

Despite the increasing reliance on rental guarantee services, many real estate agencies still process applications using traditional methods such as fax and postal mail. The burden of administrative work and costs has become more pronounced, especially following the rise in postal fees announced in October 2024. In light of these challenges, At Home has committed to enhancing the Smart Application system since its launch, facilitating partnerships with rental guarantee companies to alleviate the work burden of real estate firms and expedite the rental review process.

About the Smart Application Service

The Smart Application service by At Home allows prospective tenants to submit rental applications online simply by filling out a relevant form. This service extends its collaboration to various partners involved in home searches and relocations, including rental guarantee companies, short-term insurance providers, and utility service facilitators. The system promotes a paperless application process and streamlines the verification procedures for rental applications.

Feedback from affiliated firms highlights improvements in operational efficiency and data management resulting from this digitized approach.

For more information about the Smart Application service, visit At Home's official website.

Introduction of Smart Solutions by At Home

At Home is driving real estate business efficiency and smooth operations with its Smart Solutions, leveraging advanced technology to allow real estate firms to focus on core customer-related tasks. From property inquiries and viewings to applications, disclosures, and contracts, the entire process is comprehensively supported to enhance daily operations.

As At Home looks towards the future, it remains dedicated to developing and offering various products and services that support over 61,000 affiliated stores, driving effectiveness, productivity, and digital transformation within the real estate industry.