Job Discussion Forums

[stumptowny]

after a year and receiving nothing for a paying a $20 daito fee each month, my creepy, robbers of an employer are now asking a full months rent to re-contract. I can't stomach the idea of giving more money to these crooks, at any cost. want to break financial ties as much as possible with my employer because they are shady.

what are my options?

can I draw up a contract directly with the owner of my unit? can the city office give me a generic rental agreement to use?

I would like to cut out all middle men (chintai brokered the deal initially) and approach the owner of my unit directly, offering paying 2-3 rents at a time to put the old man at ease... the owner is an old grumpy dood. would be a tough pitch..

my employer's fee (a months rent) may be standard for contract renewal (?) but I am willing to pay more to go elsewhere...

thanks for any advice.

[marley'sghost]

Do you mean the rental contract or your employment contract?
Though in your situation, I guess they are basically the same thing......Bad, bad situation.

So really, if you walk down to the local chintai office, get your own apartment, that would be grounds for dismissal?

Never heard of a "re-contracting fee" for an apartment. Key money when you move in, sure, but once you are in, that's it.

I'm willing to bet approaching the landlord won't get you anywhere, but who knows. He might not be in league with your employers. Ask him about the "re-contracting fee". Your employers might be keeping that secret. There is no honor among thieves.

My Japanese is not great, is "daito fee" like a community fee? I can't find it anywhere.
I think you know your options. Get out, get a new job and your own apartment. Sucks, but that's all there is I can see.

[stumptowny]

marley...

if there is any change, anywhere, anyhow, I must move out and leave the apartment. if I quit, get fired, or just want to end the contract to get my current employer out of my personal life, I must vacate the apartment and start over.

so overall, it's a huge inconvenience as I will likely repeat all the same start up headaches (fees/co-signer) so it may be easier to just stomach the bs fee, as the overall stress to just stay is much lower. and I really like my place.

my friends say there are chintai with no reikee/sheekee kin or co-signers required but that (I imagine) is for japanese speakers and my ability is just not there, to walk into a chintai and put it together. unless I found an owner of a unit who would accept this. highly unlikely.

I thought of just approaching the owner of my unit, saying, "hey I want to cut out my employer but I want to stay at your apartment. can you lie to my company, tell them I moved out, then do your 'final walk through' (not really) and tell them the fees I racked up from damages/wear n tear, but all the while, my stuff, and I, never left. but then I need to contract with the owner again and without the safety of my school. and my owner is majorly dysfunctional... it would be a very tough sale to make it work. was thinking I could offer 2 - 3 moths rent up front each time to shut the owner up...

and after all that, I might as well just pay the one month fee and save myself the stress....

any other ideas to cut out my employer from my housing? they pretty much got me in a bind..

oh, the daito fee.. not sure exactly what it is supposed to be, because they dont help me, but its really a monthly brokerage fee in the end.

[marley'sghost]

Sounds like the have you over a barrel. I doubt you will make any headway with your landlord. He has a nice deal with your school. They provide a steady supply of tenants. He'd have to really, really like you to cut them out of the picture.

Your situation is a fairly common one for new guys. The job comes with an apartment, which is really convenient for a newbie fresh of the plane, but turns into a trap eventually.

You describe your employers as "creepy robbers". Anything else they do besides the apartment situation? Sounds like you don't like working there.
You'll have to make a choice. Keep the job and apartment, or cut loose and get a new job and apartment.

Just a thought. Any vacancies? Maybe you could just move next door? You'd have to do key money and everything again I'm sure. And I doubt your current employer would like knowing that a former employee is living in the same building as their current victim. If your landlord is in tight with your employer, it won't fly of course.

I hear that LeoPalace is pretty gaijin friendly. Maybe a place to start looking. Good luck.