Serviced Apartments

Serviced apartments in Japan are furnished, self contained apartments that are usually rented for short periods of time, from several days or weeks up to a few months. The number of people allowed in the apartment is usually determined by the rent.

Most serviced apartments are located in city areas in convenient locations and provide you with a more ‘homely’ stay than a normal hotel. In most cases, what separates a serviced apartment from a normal hotel are:
1. A separate work space
2. A kitchen area
3. Lounge area
4. Customer service is superior (usually a bilingual concierge)
5. Housekeeping (at the more expensive ones)
6. Furnishing which create a ‘homely’ atmosphere

Serviced apartments are becoming more popular among business people because of the added privacy they provide. Some of the more upscale serviced apartments also offer small offices to cater for business executives. They are a also a good alternative for families who don’t want to be separated from their children and being able to cook together in a kitchen is a big advantage over sterile hotel rooms.

The only real disadvantage to a serviced apartment is the drawn out procedures for applying and the paperwork involved. If you are applying as a corporate, at most places you have to supply the following documentation.

Corporate registration
1. Copies of the corporate registration
2. Corporate seal registration certificate
3. Corporate summary
4. Corporate annual report or tax return application
5. Identification certificate of the resident(s)

If you are an individual you need to supply the following

Individual registration
1. Employment certificate
2. Identification certificate
3. Seal registration certificate
4. Income tax return from previous year

The lease agreements usually needs to be signed and submitted at least one day before moving in. You also have to transfer the rent amount for the period you are staying to the designated bank account or pay by credit card.

Making reservations
To make a reservation at a serviced apartment usually takes about one week. The steps involved are as follows:
1. Make an appointment to inspect the apartment or fill in the online inquiry form
2. You will be notified of the room availability, often by the next day
3. Make a decision on whether or not to rent it
4. Check leasing terms and fill in the reservation form. Depending on the apartment, some allow you to stay for months while others will only allow you to stay for one week. The leasing terms also differ depending on whether or not it is a corporate or individual rental.
5. Make payment either by credit card or bank transfer.
6. Provide your flight details (usually one week in advance)

Pricing
Serviced apartments are on average 15-30% cheaper than hotel accommodation of equivalent quality. Most have daily, weekly and monthly rates. Typical prices for central Tokyo are around 18,000-20,000/day for a studio room up to about 28,000/day for a 2-bedroom place. Monthly rates also vary greatly, from around 200,000 yen to over 3 million yen. Generally the longer you stay the more economical the prices get.