Job Discussion Forums

Lover · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 86

[quote="JimDunlop2"]Not to be contrary, but I call baloney on that one. I'm not a single, Japanese businesswoman, but instinct tells me that it CAN'T be any worse than being a foreigner in terms of finding a willing landlord...

Well, I am sure my friend was looking for a lot nicer place than you can even dream of affording. She makes a whole lot more money than any English teacher in Japan.
The nicer places want to rent to salary men. Why? Because most believe women, no matter how successful, are not as stable as men. Woman falls in love with man, they believe she will move in with the man, instead of the man moving in with the woman.
Most landlords of nice places don't like renting out to foreigners, because most believe foreigners are not neat, and will do things like take the trash out on the wrong day and so on.
However, the market has changed so now more than ever before a lot of landlords don't care who they rent to as long as the rent gets paid on time.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

I'm sure she has no idea what some English teachers earn either. Many of us probably here earn more than her friend does and not all of us here are NOVA teachers on 250K a month.

Lover · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 86

[quote="JimDunlop2"]

Lover wrote:

Well, I am sure my friend was looking for a lot nicer place than you can even dream of affording.

Gee, Lover. For someone with such a utopian sig. you sure try hard to pick a fight, don't you?

Okay! JimDunlop2 are right! But everyone has a bad day. I was just trying to get the OP to take everything into consideration before commiting herself to come here.

PaulH! You are right, I don't know how much you make. But let me tell you how much rent my friend used to pay before buying a two story house in Jiyugaoka, which is an expensive part of Tokyo. Her rent no lie was 250,000 yen a month. She owns and runs a very successful software company. But I am sure there are English teachers make as much as she does.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Lover · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 86

PAULH wrote:

Anyway the issue was not ones job or income but the fact that landlords discriminate against non-Japanese, rich or poor. One's occupation has little to do with it.

PaulH that is almost my point that landlords discriminate. However, I wanted the OP to know that Langlords discriminate against Japanese too. And I completely agree many landlords discriminate against non-Japanese.

My friend did not want such an expensive place, but couldn't find anyone who would rent her a nice place. She had told me it was either living in a not so nice area or renting the expensive apartment. She said apartment hunting was so frustrating, because when the possible landlord would find out she was a single businesswoman, his attitude would change.

Anyway the other person posted how easy it was for her to find a place. I was afraid the OP would get the wrong impression. Maybe she did find a place easily, but that doesn't happen all the time. I have heard many horror stories of apartment hunting!