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I think one of the nice things about Osaka is that you can find nice place for a decent price in the more lively areas. Here's what I learned when apartment hunting in Osaka last year. My experiences might be a little different from others because I'm married and didn't have to hunt alone as just a foreigner.

1: Apartment listings are really easy to find in Osaka. There are a lot of small private companies and also well known chains like homemate and apaman shop.

2: It's pretty easy to walk into a shop and ask them to find an apartment for you, but it does take a lot of time. Just waiting for them to find something can take over 30 minutes. So you're probably much better off if you come in with some sort of game plan: what you're willing to pay, the nearest train station, the size (2LDK, 1K, 2DK), amenities, age of the building.

3: Most 1DK 's start anywhere from 45000yen to 80000yen per month. Anything bigger and you'll probably be paying at least 85000yen plus.

4: I don't recall actually bringing in anything other than my foreigners card, but I did have to give them my companys information and how much I made a year, but I also needed that info back in the states, so I assume that's a given. Though, with Japanese immigration supposedly doing away with the foreigners card, I'm not sure what other info you may need in the next few years.

5: If I could give any advice, it would be not to settle for the first apartment you find. Take your time and don't let them know if you're desperate. Always go for a tour of the offered apartment, and if the company is any good, they will provide a ride to the apartment and back. Don't let them pressure you into a deal either just for being shown an apartment either.

I only had one bad experience where a realtor said to my husband, in Japanese, that foreigners don't know anything about Japanese apartments and therefore he shouldn't listen to my opinion. He obviously didn't realize the final decision was up to me, but that experience left a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth about customer service here. On the positive side, all the other companies were quite courteous

Sorry I don't have info on house hunting in Osaka
Hope this helps a bit

Thanks for your contribution nanairomiso!

Harmonie.