What is reikin? A lot of people ask this question.

Reikin is a Japanese word made up of two kanji.

礼　＝　Rei　＝　Gratitude

金　＝  Kin  (read alone as Okane) =    Money

Reikin is collected by real estate agencies in Japan on behalf of the property owner. It is a non-refundable deposit that is given to the landlord. It is basically a one-time fee you pay to live in the landlord’s property.  

Sometimes confusing, Reikin is also called key money but is not to be confused with exchanging the locks or keys for your apartment when renting in Japan.

We explain Japanese real estate vocabulary like reikin on our channel as well as put funny cultural-educational skits on our channel.
As always, we’d love for you to come say hi to us at our International Real Estate branch in Kusunoki. We help foreigners find apartments in Hiroshima and Okayama. Reach out to our staff who can speak English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Spanish if looking for a place at ryowainternational@ryowahouse.co.jp