Rules for living in an apartment

Check your lease contract carefully

To reside in an apartment, there are rules governing how to use the rooms.
Read your lease contract carefully, and pay particular attention to restrictions.

Generally, the following are prohibited in an apartment:

• Having a pet.
• Pounding nails into the walls, and painting the walls.
• Renting your room to somebody else.
• Sharing your apartment with any person unnamed on your lease contract.
• Using your room as an office or shop, when the lease contract specifies your apartment has been rented for residential (not commercial) use.

Block association (Chonaikai) and resident's association (Jichikai)

In Japan, each town area has a local inhabitant organization, like a block association or a resident's association.
They circulate information from the city hall and the public health division.
Also, they hold some events in their local community, including crime prevention patrols and emergency drills.
Residents usually pay some fee for the upkeep of this organization. Foreigners can also join this organization. Please ask about the details when the association members come to your home.

Rules for everyday living

It is important to obey the rules to have a comfortable and enjoyable life if you live in an apartment.

About garbage disposal

The dates, places, times and methods to separate garbage are all different, depending on where you live.
Please ask your real estate agent or neighbors about the details.

Things to know about the garbage disposal system

1. Is it necessary to separate burnable garbage and unburnable garbage?
2. How to handle the recyclable garbage.
3. Which day is the garbage pick-up day? When is garbage picked up?
4. Where is the garbage station?
5. How can I put out large pieces of garbage?
6. Are there any special bags for the garbage?

Examples of how to separate garbage　(depending on the place you live)
Burnable garbage, unburnable garbage, Garbage for recycling, and large pieces of garbage.

• Bottles, cans, newspapers, magazines, fabrics, clothes, PET bottles, etc. are handled under special procedures depending on the local area where you live.
  Please check with your nearest public office, such as your local city hall.
• Kashiwa City Official Web Site. About garbage disposal system for your household (residential)　JapaneseEnglish(PDF)
• agareyama City home page About garbage disposal system for your household (residential)　　JapaneseEnglish
• Air conditioners, TV sets, refrigerators and washing machines are not collectable as large pieces of garbage.
  When you want to get rid of these large items, please contact the shop where you bought them, or contact any major appliance store to arrange to have them collected. You will need to pay a recycling fee and a pick-up fee to have them taken away.
  In case these shops cannot collect these large items, please contact the local city hall.

How to use the kitchen.

Keep your kitchen clean.
Never dump any garbage or oil into your sink or drain pipes.
It will cause problems when the drain pipe is plugged.
Oil from the kitchen dumped into the drain pipe has detrimental effects for the local river and ocean environment.
When you want to dispose of your used cooking oil, absorb it into paper, such as newspaper, and put it out, bagged, as burnable garbage.

Odors

Always use your kitchen exhaust fan when you cook, to carry away odors from your room.

Sound and noise.

If you live in an apartment, your neighbor might be able to hear sounds from your room.
Try not to make noise.
Especially late at night and in the early morning hours.

These sounds may be interpreted as noise by your neighbors:

• Sound from your TV set, radio and CD player.
• Musical instrument
• Loud conversation
• Sound from your vacuum cleaner and washing machine
• Shower and bath
• Opening and closing the doors

How to use the bathroom and toilet.

The typical humid Japanese climate allows mold to grow quickly. Give full ventilation. Overflow from a clogged drainpipe can cause a lot of trouble for your neighbors. If the water overflows into a neighbor's room below your apartment, you will have to pay for the expense of cleaning. It is strictly prohibited to put toilet paper, facial tissue, sanitary napkins and hair into the drainpipe of your bathroom. Only flush toilet paper in the toilet.

How to use your balcony.

If you wish to put your comforter (futon) in the sun on your balcony, or if you have some gardening items, such as flowerpots, on your balcony, make sure they cannot fall off.
If there are any emergency escape devices on the balcony, make sure you have always clear access. If there is a divider between your balcony and your neighbor's balcony, make sure that the divider is unblocked, since this space may be used as an emergency exit.

Rules for the public area in your apartment building

Steps and hallways are considered part of the public area. These areas will be used as an escape path in case of emergency. Do not put any of your personal belongings in the public area.

Parking area for your car and bicycle.

Park your bicycle in a designated bicycle parking space, so that your bicycle will not disturb pedestrians. If you have a car, you will normally have to rent your parking space.
It is prohibited to park your car on the street.

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