"Shiki-Kin" is money that you deposit to the landlord, the owner of the building you would live in (in Japanese, the landlord is "Ooya-San"). In some cases, you may be asked to deposit the money to your real estate agent, but ultimately it is handed over to the "Ooya-San".
If your room is clean and in good condition when your contract is over, this money will be returned to you.
But if you have caused damage to the room in some way that could have been avoided if used carefully, the Ooya-San will use a portion of your deposit for repairs or necessary cleaning.
The following are examples of cases in which you will not receive your entire deposit back.
- The flooring is damaged or marked due to castors from a desk or chair wheels.
- There are cigarette burns on the walls.
- The condensation from the windows has not been wiped properly and mold has formed in the room.
Please keep these examples in mind and take care of your apartment! |