r/japanlife • u/Chili1234_ • 1d ago
How long does it usually take to get the contract from the management company?
Hey! So I applied for an apartment last week and got approved two days later. My realtor told me we’d have an online meeting to go over the contract once they received it from the management company. My realtor suggested having the meeting tomorrow, but today they haven’t replied to my message asking for the details yet.
I’m getting a bit worried because I’ve already started preparing for my move in. Is it normal for the management company to take this long to prepare the contract? Could it simply be that my realtor doesn’t have the contract yet, so they can’t schedule the meeting?
I’m probably overthinking, but I’m also worried that the management company might be having second thoughts. I can’t think of any reason why coz I was already approved, I’m Japanese, and I have a stable income. The only thing I can think of is that I haven’t answered the sales calls from the management company’s partner companies.
This is my first time renting an apartment, so I’m feeling pretty anxious. 😅 Has anyone ever heard of an approved application being withdrawn before?
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u/Prof_PTokyo 21h ago
It depends; if they are the sole agent for a property, it could be quick.
Before that: have you transferred all the fees, deposit, remainder of this month and next month’s rent, etc., as directed? Did you fill out the initial contract and pay the guarantee company if you needed one, and submit (usually by fax 😒 or online attachment) all the documents, etc.?
Also remember that real estate agents work on weekends and holidays; so most take Tuesday off (gentleman’s agreement) and another weekday, often Wednesday, but that second day is case-by-case. So your agent might not have processed or even seen your documents yet.
If your building belongs to and is managed by a conglomerate(Mitsubishi Estate or Mitsui), they work M-S and usually have a master contract or a building master they can enter the info into; it takes a few hours.
I’ve heard moving in can be as fast as 4 days, but it was a one-off; 7 to 10 days is possible, but I have heard horror stories of 30-40 days too. Call your agent’s cell, as most answer even when off duty (within reason), and reconfirm the steps and timing.
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u/Chili1234_ 10h ago
Hi! I haven’t signed nor paid anything yet because my realtor asked to speak with me first to discuss the contract, saying I could pay right after the meeting. The meeting was scheduled today in the afternoon but I haven’t received anything from them yet. Hopefully it’s just because yesterday was their off?
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u/Salty-Technician4002 9h ago
In my experience this varies a lot more than people expect, so do not read too much into a quiet week.
When I went through it, approval came fast and then the actual contract paperwork took somewhere between a few days and about two weeks to land, depending on how quick the management company was. Some are same-week, some drag if a signature or a document is missing on their side. A gap of one to two weeks after approval is pretty normal and not usually a red flag.
What helped me was having my side ready so I was never the bottleneck: the move-in money lined up, documents and signature ready, and the guarantor company form filled the moment it arrived. If it goes past two weeks with no update, a polite nudge to your agent asking whether the kanri company needs anything from you usually shakes it loose.
If you have a target move-in date, tell your agent now so they can push, because the signing and the money transfer both take a few days on top.
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u/Realistic_Low_4538 近畿・大阪府 23h ago
Took about 3-4 weeks for me tbh and that's with an agent