Quick Answer: Housing for ALTs and English teachers is decided by the employment contract and the contracting organisation or school, not by stipend figures on blogs. This guide is for JET participants, dispatch ALTs, and eikaiwa teachers. General hunt costs and viewings belong in other articles. University faculty housing is out of scope.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for people joining the JET Programme, ALTs dispatched to schools, and conversation-school teachers. It does not cover university faculty housing. For the general hunt, see
the foreigner's apartment hunting guide
. Search sites sit in
property search sites for foreigners
. Upfront cost line items sit in
rental costs in Japan
.
Furniture placement belongs in
small-space tips
. Tenant-side disaster prep belongs in
the renters’ disaster guide
.
What is authoritative for housing terms?
Monthly housing allowance, whether a school flat exists, rent deducted from pay, and whether furniture is included come from:
- The employment contract or statement of conditions
- For JET, written guidance from the contracting organisation
- Dispatch-company or eikaiwa internal rules after an offer
Do not use blog “typical” yen amounts. Ranges such as 30,000–60,000 yen or 20,000–40,000 yen change by year and employer; this article does not treat them as facts. The JET Programme FAQ states that participants are in principle responsible for their own accommodation, that a contracting organisation may suggest options, and that you should confirm required start-up money with the organisation before arrival.
Who decides JET housing?
As the FAQ says, you are in principle responsible for arranging housing. Whether the contracting organisation introduces a unit or you take a predecessor’s flat varies. Even with an introduction, confirm in writing who pays rent, deposit, key money, payroll deduction, and restoration.
The FAQ warns that start-up costs can equal several months’ rent. This article does not lock a nationwide “four to seven months” figure; amounts vary. Do plan to have cash before the first paycheck, as the FAQ notes. Salary, tax, and residence status belong in the General Information Handbook and the contracting organisation, not here.
Rural placements can differ in bus frequency, whether you need a car, and winter heating. Do not treat “the countryside always provides a school flat” as a rule. Hazards and evacuation belong in the disaster guide.
How do dispatch ALTs and eikaiwa differ?
Dispatch ALTs may move between schools or contracts. Some companies introduce housing; others expect you to search. If you leave an introduced unit for the open market, calculate notice periods and any gap between leases.
Eikaiwa schools in cities may offer company housing or a partner agent near the school. Late shifts can conflict with “live next to the school.” This article does not publish a per-brand allowance table. The written offer is authoritative.
Whether the school provides a guarantor also depends on the contract. Guarantor companies on the open market belong in the costs article and the hub.
Should you take introduced housing or search yourself?
Introduced housing can help if you are new, the area has few listings, or you cannot float a large deposit. It is not mandatory. Compare in writing:
- Rent, payroll deduction, renewal fees, move-out cleaning
- Who owns furniture and appliances, and who pays for damage
- Rules on cohabitants, pets, and subletting
- Whether the housing contract ends with the job, or there is a tail
If you search yourself, follow the hub and the search-sites guide. Living next to the school versus commuting for cheaper rent depends on the placement. Use
the viewing checklist
.
FAQ
Does JET always provide a school flat?
Official guidance is that you arrange housing yourself in principle. Ask the contracting organisation whether they introduce a unit.
What is a typical housing allowance?
This article does not quote a market rate. The contract and organisation or company letters are authoritative.
Can I refuse dispatch-company housing?
Only if the contract and internal rules allow it. Searching yourself then needs deposits and a guarantor on a separate track.
Must I leave eikaiwa housing if the school transfers me?
A store move and the housing contract can be linked. Read the employment end date and the lease (or loan-for-use) end date separately.
Does the school furnish the unit?
Introduced housing can still be empty. Holes for your own furniture follow
the small-space guide
and the lease.
What should you do next?
- Request the employment contract and, for JET, the contracting organisation’s housing note before you fly
- If housing is introduced, confirm payroll deduction, move-out, and who owns the furniture
- If you search yourself, continue with
the hunting hub
and
upfront costs
- Check tenant-scope disaster prep in
the disaster guide
Sources
- JET Programme FAQ (checked 2026-09-08) — In-principle self-arranged housing, confirm with the contracting organisation, start-up cost warning.
- JET Programme — current participants / GIH entry (checked 2026-09-08) — Entry to the current General Information Handbook; housing detail is the GIH plus the contracting organisation.
- MLIT — Smooth rental access for foreign residents (checked 2026-09-08) — National guidance if you search on the open rental market.