Japan Property Due Diligence: Title, Fees, Repairs, Tenancy

This article is part of the Zagdim wiki series on buying property in Japan, in the “transaction process” group. It answers one question: what should a buyer check on their own before signing a purchase contract in Japan? Anyone planning to buy property in Japan can use it as a pre-signing checklist. The whole buying process is covered in the main article, “How Does Buying Property in Japan Work? From Viewing and Offer to the Explanation of Important Matters and Registration”.

Before signing, there are six kinds of information a buyer can, and should, obtain: the title registration; a condominium’s management fees and repair reserve fund; building condition and disaster risk; any existing tenancy; for a detached house or land, road access and boundaries; and the warranty on a newly built home. Anyone can apply for the registry records themselves. The rest comes from the explanation of important matters, or from the agent asking the seller or the management company.

Due diligence means checking these items one by one before any money is paid.

Doesn’t the Explanation of Important Matters Cover Everything?

It covers a lot, but not everything. The explanation of important matters (重要事項説明, jūyō jikō setsumei, in which the agent’s licensed real estate transaction agent hands over a written document and explains it before signing) lists the legal minimum. For some documents the agent only has to say whether they exist, not what they contain. For three items, an agent who has asked the seller or others is treated as having met the duty to investigate: the repair records for the whole condominium building (after asking, it is confirmed that none are kept), whether a building condition inspection has been done, and the state of preservation of building documents (still unclear after asking).

A direct sale between individuals with no agent is not covered by the explanation of important matters at all. The registry also records only registered rights, so unregistered rights such as a lease do not appear in it. The written explanation is therefore only a starting point, and the items below still need to be filled in by you.

Title: How Do You Get the Registry Certificate, and What Should You Read?

Anyone who pays the fee can apply for a certified copy of the register entries (登記事項証明書, tōki jikō shōmei-sho, a document certifying the registered contents). You do not have to be the owner, and nationality does not matter. The Ministry of Justice also advises that before buying you should obtain this certificate in addition to viewing the property, and check the area, the owner, and whether there is any seizure or mortgage.

The certificate has three parts:

• Title section (表題部, hyōdai-bu): Information about the property itself. For land: location, lot number (地番, chiban), land category (地目, chimoku) and area. For a building: location, house number (家屋番号, kaoku bangō), type, structure and floor area. A condominium may also record a site right (敷地権, shikichi-ken, a right connected to the land the building stands on).
• Section Ko (甲区, kō-ku): Ownership. Ownership transfers, provisional registration of ownership, seizure (差押え, sashiosae), provisional disposition and similar entries are recorded here. First confirm that the current owner is the seller you are dealing with.
• Section Otsu (乙区, otsu-ku): Rights other than ownership. Mortgages (抵当権, teitōken), surface rights, easements and similar are recorded here.

There are three ways to apply: at a registry office counter, by mail, or online through the Registry and Deposit Online Application System (登記・供託オンライン申請システム). Except in cases set by Ministry of Justice ordinance, you can also apply to a registry office other than the one covering the property’s location. Online applications are accepted on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The fees below are as checked on September 30, 2026: JPY 600 for a counter application; JPY 520 for an online application with mail delivery; JPY 490 for an online application collected at a counter. Amounts may change, and the Legal Affairs Bureau’s published figures prevail. If you only need to view the registry contents on a computer, you can use the Registry Information Service (登記情報提供サービス), but it does not issue certified copies.

If section Otsu shows the seller’s mortgage, the judicial scrivener checks the documents needed to delete it on closing day, and the balance is paid only after that check. If documents are missing, closing is postponed.

Buying a Condominium: What Should You Check on Management Fees, the Repair Reserve Fund and Arrears?

Start with the written explanation of important matters. For a condominium purchase it must state the management fee for that unit, the rules on the repair reserve fund (修繕積立金, shūzen tsumitate-kin, a long-term repair fund), and the amount accumulated so far. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), if management fees or repair reserve contributions are overdue, the overdue amount must also be disclosed. These numbers change, so use the most recent figures (for example from the last accounting period) and note their date.

Why arrears concern you: the Act on Building Unit Ownership (建物の区分所有等に関する法律) provides that claims against an owner under the bylaws or an owners’ resolution can also be enforced against the person who takes over the unit. Overdue management fees and repair reserve contributions are generally understood to be claims of this kind, and the MLIT standard management bylaws say so too. So if you buy a unit with arrears, the management association (管理組合, kanri kumiai, the body formed by condominium owners) may claim them from you.

The written explanation must also cover several points of the bylaws, which you should check one by one before signing:

• Use restrictions: For example residential use only, a ban on business use, or a ban or limits on installing wood flooring, keeping pets or using a piano.
• Exclusive use rights: Parts such as private gardens and balconies reserved for specific people. For parking, the explanation must say who may use it, whether there is a usage fee, and who receives the fee.
• Fee reductions: Rules that reduce repair costs, management fees and similar charges only for specific people.
• Management company and repair records: The name and address of the company entrusted with management. If repair records for the whole building are kept, their contents must be explained.

When the bylaws are long, the written explanation may record only the main points. You can ask the agent to attach a copy of the bylaws.

You Can Also Ask the Agent to Request Documents From the Management Company

The MLIT standard condominium management entrustment contract (マンション標準管理委託契約書) provides that when an agent commissioned by the seller makes a written request stating the reason, the management company, on behalf of the management association, provides copies of the bylaws, accounting records, the long-term repair plan, design documents and similar, and discloses the following:

• The management fee, repair reserve contribution, one-off repair levy, parking fee and other amounts charged to that unit, with any arrears stated
• The management association’s income and expenditure, the arrears of management fees and repair reserve contributions, and the outstanding loan balance
• Any planned changes to management fees and similar charges

This is a national model form, not a law. What is actually provided, and at what cost, depends on each management company’s contract. The buyer is not among the people who can make the request, so the documents must be obtained through the agent. In the industry this package is called a “report on matters of importance” (重要事項調査報告書), which is not a legal term.

Once you have the documents, also ask which method is used to accumulate the repair reserve fund. MLIT guidance notes that a method that starts low and raises contributions in steps can leave the fund short, because owners may fail to agree on the increases. For stable long-term accumulation, an equal-contribution method (均等積立方式, kintō tsumitate hōshiki, in which the amount is not planned to rise) is considered preferable.

The Condition of the Home: How Do You Check Inspections, Seismic Documents and Disasters?

Has a Building Condition Inspection Been Done?

When you buy a used home, the explanation of important matters must say whether a building condition inspection (建物状況調査, tatemono jōkyō chōsa) has been done and, if so, summarize the result. Only results from within 1 year of the inspection are counted; for reinforced concrete and similar apartment buildings, this became 2 years from April 1, 2024.

The inspection is a visual, measured and non-destructive check carried out by an architect who has completed a course given by a nationally registered body. It covers the parts that are structurally essential and the parts that prevent rainwater from getting in. According to the MLIT manual it takes about 1 to 3 hours, and the cost depends on the property’s size and the inspector, with a guide figure of about JPY 60,000 and up.

The law currently does not require an individual seller to carry out this inspection, nor to take out defect insurance. Either the seller or the buyer can commission it, and if you do, you need the seller’s consent first. An inspection result does not mean the home has no defects.

If the written explanation says “not carried out,” you can discuss with the seller and the agent whether you can arrange an inspection, or ask about two things:

• Existing home sales defect insurance (既存住宅売買瑕疵保険, kizon jūtaku baibai kashi hoken): Insurance available for used homes sold between individuals, taken out by the agent, covering the repair of defects in the structurally essential parts and the waterproofing. The insurance period and amount depend on the product of each insurance corporation.
• Anshin R Housing (安心R住宅, anshin R jūtaku): A labeling system set up by MLIT. A used home that is earthquake-resistant, has had a building condition inspection or similar, and comes with repair and other information receives the mark from a nationally registered industry body. A mark that does not show the registered body’s name alongside it does not mean Anshin R Housing.

What Should You Check on Earthquake Resistance and Building Documents?

The new seismic standard has applied since June 1, 1981, and the test is the date of the building confirmation (建築確認, kenchiku kakunin, the procedure that confirms before construction that the plan complies with the Building Standards Act).

For judging whether a building received its building confirmation on or before May 31, 1981, the explanation of important matters uses the date on the confirmation certificate (確認済証, kakunin-zumi-shō) or the completion inspection certificate (検査済証, kensa-zumi-shō). If neither exists, it uses the registration date in the title section: May 31, 1983 or earlier for a condominium, and December 31, 1981 or earlier for a residential building other than a condominium.

For used homes, the explanation of important matters must say whether these documents are kept:

• The building confirmation application and the confirmation and completion inspection certificates
• The building condition inspection report, and the construction housing performance evaluation report for an existing home
• For a home whose construction began on or before May 31, 1981, a document confirming that it meets the seismic rules, such as an architect’s seismic diagnosis report

In principle only the existence of the documents is explained, not their contents. Having no completion inspection certificate is not the same as an illegal building, but it should not be treated as harmless either, so ask why.

If a building whose construction began before June 1, 1981 has had a seismic diagnosis, its contents must be explained, and so must the contents of any asbestos survey record. According to MLIT, neither requires the agent to carry out a diagnosis or survey, so where no record exists you need to ask separately. A building from before 1981 cannot be assumed to be non-earthquake-resistant, and a later building cannot be assumed to be safe.

How Do You Read Flood and Landslide Risk?

The explanation of important matters must say whether the property lies within a designated residential land disaster prevention zone, a sediment disaster warning zone or a tsunami disaster warning zone, and where it sits on the flood hazard map (ハザードマップ, hazādo mappu). Flood maps must be shown separately for river flooding, inland flooding (内水, naisui, flooding caused by rainwater that cannot drain away) and storm surge, using the latest version published by the municipality.

The agent only needs to point out the approximate location and does not have to explain what the map means. Not being inside an expected inundation area does not mean there is no flood risk. If the municipality has not produced or published a map, the agent is treated as having done their part by explaining that there is no map to show.

A Property With Tenants: What Happens to the Lease After You Buy?

The lease passes with the property. If you buy a home that has already been delivered to a tenant, the landlord’s position transfers to you, along with the duty to return the security deposit (敷金, shikikin). In other words, when the tenant later moves out, you return the deposit that the previous owner collected. You must complete the ownership transfer registration before you can assert against the tenant that you are the landlord. The exception is an arrangement in which you and the seller agree that the seller keeps the landlord’s position and that you lease the property to the seller.

Whether you can take the home back to live in yourself depends on the type of lease:

• Ordinary lease: The tenant cannot be required to leave simply because the owner changes. For an ordinary fixed-term lease, if no notice of non-renewal is given between 1 year and 6 months before the term ends, the lease is deemed renewed on the same terms and becomes one of indefinite term. A landlord who wants to refuse renewal or terminate needs a justifiable reason (正当の事由, seitō no jiyū). It is judged by weighing the parties’ need to use the property, the history of the tenancy, the building’s condition, and any relocation payment (立退料, tachinoki-ryō) the landlord offers. Offering a relocation payment is only one factor.
• Fixed-term lease (定期借家, teiki shakuya, a lease that by agreement ends at the end of its term without renewal): It must be concluded in writing, such as a notarized deed, and the contract can also be made as an electromagnetic record (a record in electronic form). Before signing, the landlord must also deliver a separate written explanation that the lease will not be renewed and ends at expiry. With the tenant’s consent, this explanation can be provided electronically. If this explanation was not delivered, the no-renewal agreement is invalid. For a term of 1 year or more, the landlord must give notice of termination between 1 year and 6 months before the term ends.
• Early termination by the tenant: For a residential fixed-term lease of under 200 square meters of floor area, the tenant can terminate early for unavoidable reasons such as a job transfer, medical treatment or caring for a relative. The lease ends 1 month after the termination request.

The lease terms must be obtained separately by asking the seller or the agent for the lease agreement. Check four things: whether it is an ordinary lease or a fixed-term lease, the remaining term, the amount of the deposit, and, for a fixed-term lease, whether the advance explanation was delivered (in writing, or electronically with the tenant’s consent). The deposit amount and how it is handled at closing should be settled before signing.

**Example: buying an apartment with a tenant, planning to live there later**

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Mr. Zhou, who lives in Singapore, likes a used apartment in Tokyo that has a tenant, and plans to move in himself later. The agent says the lease is a fixed-term lease.

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• After handover: The landlord’s position and the duty to return the deposit pass to him. Only after the ownership transfer registration is complete can he assert to the tenant that he is the landlord. – Reading the lease: Confirm that the contract is a fixed-term lease concluded in writing or as an electromagnetic record, and that the previous owner delivered the separate explanation “no renewal, ends at expiry” before signing (in writing, or electronically with the tenant’s consent). If it was not delivered, the no-renewal agreement is invalid. – Checking the term: For a term of 1 year or more, he must give the tenant notice of termination between 1 year and 6 months before the term ends. If he misses that window, the lease can end only 6 months after the date of notice.

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What he needs to do: Before signing, ask the seller for the lease agreement and the written advance explanation, and confirm the remaining term and the deposit amount.

Whether you can take the home back, and when, depends on the type of lease, the remaining term, and whether the fixed-term lease procedures were completed properly.

Buying a Detached House or Land: What Should You Check on Road Access and Boundaries?

Road access: In principle, a building’s site must touch a road for at least 2 meters, and roads used only by cars and the like do not count. Land that does not meet this may not get building confirmation when the building is rebuilt, which the industry calls “unrebuildable” (再建築不可, saikenchiku fuka). The Building Standards Act has exceptions where a designated administrative body recognizes or permits them, so insufficient access has to be checked case by case.

What to confirm is whether the road in front is a road under the Building Standards Act and whether the frontage reaches 2 meters. Restrictions under the Building Standards Act fall within the explanation of important matters, so you can ask about them directly at the explanation.

Boundaries: The registry office keeps maps (地図, chizu) showing the division of each lot and its lot number. Where no map exists yet, a “drawing equivalent to a map” (地図に準ずる図面) is used instead. The lot boundary (筆界, hikkai) fixed at registration cannot be changed by agreement between neighbors. What people ordinarily call the “boundary” (境界) can sometimes mean the extent of ownership, which is a different concept from the lot boundary, and the two may not match.

If you have doubts about the lot boundary, the registered owner and others can apply for lot boundary determination (筆界特定制度, hikkai tokutei seido), in which a lot boundary determination registrar, drawing on the opinion of outside experts, identifies where the original lot boundary lies. The system does not redraw boundaries and does not decide the extent of ownership. Whether the seller will confirm boundaries or commission a survey depends on the contract, and this should be settled before signing.

Buying a Newly Built Home: What Does the 10-Year Warranty Cover?

A newly built home here means one completed less than 1 year ago that no one has lived in. A home completed more than 1 year ago is not a newly built home in this sense, even if no one has lived in it. For sales of such homes, regardless of whether the seller is a business, the seller in principle bears warranty liability for 10 years from handover for defects in the structurally essential parts and the parts that prevent rainwater from getting in. Where the contractor first delivered the home to the seller, the period runs from that delivery.

A contrary agreement that is unfavorable to the buyer is invalid, and the contract can extend the period to up to 20 years from handover. The 10-year warranty covers only those two parts and is not a whole-home warranty.

For a newly built home where a business is itself the seller, the business must either take out defect insurance for this liability or make a statutory deposit. If insurance is chosen, the insured amount must be at least JPY 20 million and valid for at least 10 years from handover. The explanation of important matters must say which measure was taken.

What Documents Should You Have Before Signing? A Checklist

Statements That Should Make You Stop and Ask

• “Section Otsu is empty, so the home has no encumbrance.” An unregistered lease does not appear in the register.
• “The previous owner’s unpaid management fees are not your problem.” The management association may claim them from you, so confirm the amount and how the contract handles it first.
• “The explanation of important matters covers everything.” It lists the minimum items, and for some documents only their existence is explained. For repair records, the building condition inspection and building documents, an agent who has asked is treated as having met the duty to investigate.
• “A building condition inspection was done, so there are no defects.” An inspection result does not mean there are no defects at all.
• “It isn’t in a flood zone, so it won’t flood.” Not being in an expected inundation area does not mean there is no flood risk.
• “The owner changed, so the tenant has to leave.” “Paying a relocation fee lets you take it back.” An ordinary lease requires a justifiable reason, and a relocation payment is only one factor.
• “It’s a fixed-term lease, so they leave at the end of the term.” First confirm that the advance explanation was delivered and whether notice was given between 1 year and 6 months before expiry.
• “No completion inspection certificate is fine.” It is not necessarily illegal, but ask why.
• “A new home has a 10-year whole-home warranty.” The statutory 10 years covers only the structure and waterproofing. The duty to take out insurance or make a deposit applies only when a business is itself the seller.

If You Find a Problem, How Do You Decide What to Do Next?

• The registered owner is not the seller, or section Ko shows a seizure: Hold off on payment and ask the agent and judicial scrivener to explain why.
• Section Otsu shows the seller’s mortgage: On closing day the judicial scrivener checks the documents needed to delete it, and the balance is paid only after that. Before signing, ask who is arranging this step.
• The condominium has arrears, or management fees are scheduled to change: Confirm the amount and timing, settle how the contract will handle it, and then decide whether to sign.
• No building condition inspection was done: Discuss with the seller and agent whether you can arrange one, or ask about defect insurance and the Anshin R Housing mark.
• You worry about problems found only after handover: Under the Civil Code, when the property does not conform to the contract, the buyer can demand repair, a price reduction or damages, or cancel the contract. For a mismatch in type or quality, the seller must be notified within 1 year of the buyer learning of it. The contract can shorten this period or exclude liability, but a seller who knew of a problem and did not disclose it cannot be exempt. Where a business is itself the seller, the notice period can be set no shorter than 2 years from handover. Before signing, check how this clause is written in the contract.

For details of the explanation of important matters and the contract terms, see the related article “Buying Property in Japan: Application, Explanation of Important Matters, Sales Contract and Deposit”. For the whole process, return to the main article.

FAQ: Checks Before Buying Property in Japan

Can I check a Japanese property’s registry myself if I live overseas?

Yes. The law provides that anyone who pays the fee can apply for a certified copy of the register entries, regardless of ownership or nationality, at a counter, by mail or online. How someone living overseas would register an account and pay is not covered here. You can also ask the agent or a judicial scrivener to obtain one for you.

If I buy a used condominium in Japan, do I have to pay the previous owner’s unpaid management fees?

The management association may claim them from you. The Act on Building Unit Ownership provides that claims of this kind arising under the bylaws can also be enforced against the person who takes over the unit. According to MLIT, the explanation of important matters must disclose the overdue amount. Confirm the amount before signing and settle how the contract handles it.

Does a newly built condominium in Japan come with a warranty?

The structurally essential parts and the waterproofing parts have a statutory 10-year warranty counted from handover (from the contractor’s delivery to the seller, if the contractor delivered first), and the contract can extend it to up to 20 years. It is not a whole-home warranty. For newly built homes that a business sells itself, defect insurance or a statutory deposit is also required.

Glossary

• Certified copy of register entries (登記事項証明書, tōki jikō shōmei-sho): A document certifying the registered contents, which anyone can apply for.
• Title section (表題部) / Section Ko (甲区) / Section Otsu (乙区): The three parts of the register, recording the property itself, ownership, and other rights such as mortgages.
• Explanation of important matters (重要事項説明, jūyō jikō setsumei): The statutory procedure in which a licensed real estate transaction agent delivers a written document and explains it before signing.
• Management association (管理組合, kanri kumiai): The body formed by condominium owners to manage the building.
• Repair reserve fund (修繕積立金, shūzen tsumitate-kin): A long-term fund accumulated for future repairs.
• Building condition inspection (建物状況調査, tatemono jōkyō chōsa): An inspection by a trained architect of a used home’s structure, waterproofing and similar parts, whose result does not mean the home is free of defects.
• Building confirmation (建築確認, kenchiku kakunin): The procedure confirming before construction that the plan complies with the Building Standards Act; its date decides whether the old or new seismic standard applies.
• Confirmation certificate (確認済証, kakunin-zumi-shō) / completion inspection certificate (検査済証, kensa-zumi-shō): Certificates of the building confirmation and of the completion inspection.
• Flood hazard map (ハザードマップ, hazādo mappu): A map published by the municipality showing the expected extent of flooding and other disasters.
• Security deposit (敷金, shikikin): Money a tenant gives the landlord as security, which the new owner is responsible for returning after a change of owner.
• Justifiable reason (正当の事由, seitō no jiyū): The reason a landlord needs in order to refuse renewal of, or terminate, an ordinary lease.
• Fixed-term lease (定期借家, teiki shakuya): A lease that by agreement ends at the end of its term without renewal.
• Lot boundary (筆界, hikkai): The line fixed when land is registered that separates one lot from another, which neighbors cannot change by agreement.
• Anshin R Housing (安心R住宅, anshin R jūtaku): A mark given by nationally registered industry bodies to used homes that meet the conditions.

About the Information

• The information in this article was checked on September 30, 2026, based on current Japanese laws and explanatory documents from MLIT and the Ministry of Justice. The fee for the certified copy is the amount on the check date. How people living overseas use the online application system (account, payment) has not been checked.
• The following conclusions are drawn from official documents but are not stated directly by the authorities: an individual seller has no duty to carry out a building condition inspection or take out defect insurance (checked against Article 35 of the Real Estate Transaction Business Act, its enforcement regulations, the MLIT inspection manual and the defect insurance explanation page); an ordinary lease cannot be terminated merely because the owner changes (a combination of Article 605-2 of the Civil Code and Article 28 of the Act on Land and Building Leases). That overdue management fees and repair reserve contributions are claims under Article 7 of the Act on Building Unit Ownership is the general understanding; the provision does not name these two items, and case law has not been checked.
• The condominium standard management entrustment contract is an MLIT model form (revised December 12, 2025), and individual management companies’ terms, fees and formats may differ. “Report on matters of importance” (重要事項調査報告書) and “unrebuildable” (再建築不可) are industry terms. The time and cost of a building condition inspection are the guide figures stated in the MLIT manual (April 2024).
• For 1981, the enforcement regulations express the test by the construction start date, while MLIT’s interpretation judges by the building confirmation date; this article follows the judging method in that interpretation. The exceptions in the Building Standards Act’s road access rules, and how a contract handles the previous owner’s arrears and the deposit, have not been checked.

Have a question about this guide? Leave a comment below, or ask Zagdim directly.

Sources

• 法務省－不動産登記のＡＢＣ
• e-Gov法令検索－不動産登記法（平成16年法律第123号）
• 法務局－登記事項証明書等の請求にはオンラインでの手続が便利です
• 法務省－筆界特定制度
• e-Gov法令検索－宅地建物取引業法（昭和27年法律第176号）
• e-Gov法令検索－宅地建物取引業法施行規則（昭和32年建設省令第12号）
• 国土交通省－宅地建物取引業法の解釈・運用の考え方（令和8年4月1日施行版）
• 東京都住宅政策本部－不動産取引の手引き９ 残金支払（決済）と引渡し
• e-Gov法令検索－建物の区分所有等に関する法律（昭和37年法律第69号）
• 国土交通省－令和７年改正マンション標準管理規約（単棟型）及び同コメント
• 国土交通省－マンション標準管理委託契約書及び同コメント（令和7年12月12日改正）
• 国土交通省－マンションの修繕積立金に関するガイドライン（令和6年6月改訂）
• 国土交通省－既存住宅流通について（建物状況調査（インスペクション）活用に向けて）
• 国土交通省－建物状況調査（インスペクション）活用の手引き（令和6年4月）
• 国土交通省－既存住宅売買瑕疵保険（個人間売買タイプ、仲介事業者保証型）
• 国土交通省－安心Ｒ住宅
• 国土交通省－マンションの耐震性等についてのＱ＆Ａ
• 国土交通省－報道発表資料：水害ハザードマップにおける対象物件の所在地の説明を義務化
• e-Gov法令検索－民法（明治29年法律第89号）
• e-Gov法令検索－借地借家法（平成3年法律第90号）
• e-Gov法令検索－建築基準法（昭和25年法律第201号）
• e-Gov法令検索－住宅の品質確保の促進等に関する法律（平成11年法律第81号）
• e-Gov法令検索－特定住宅瑕疵担保責任の履行の確保等に関する法律（平成19年法律第66号）

Important Notice

This article is a general information summary and does not constitute individual legal, tax or real estate transaction advice. The information was checked on September 30, 2026. Rules may be updated, so rely on the current notices of the Japanese authorities and the documents for the specific property, and consult a qualified professional where necessary.