For a stay of one week to a few months in Tokyo, a furnished apartment booked online is usually the simplest option: no lease, no guarantor, utilities and Wi-Fi included, and a lower nightly rate the longer you stay. All four of our Tokyo listings take 10% off from 7 nights and 20% off from 28 nights. This guide compares the options, explains what to check before you commit to a month, and says plainly which of our apartments fits which kind of long stay and which does not.
What are the options for a long stay in Tokyo?
There are four realistic options, and the right one depends mostly on length: a hotel up to about a week, a furnished apartment or a weekly/monthly apartment from one week to a few months, and a regular lease only when you are moving to Japan. A weekly/monthly apartment (in Japanese, a マンスリーマンション) is a furnished flat rented on a short contract; terms vary by operator, so read theirs.
| Hotel | Weekly/monthly apartment | Furnished apartment booked online | Regular lease | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shortest stay | 1 night | Usually 1 week or 1 month | 1 night, cheaper from 7 | Usually a 2-year contract |
| Paperwork | None | A rental-style contract | None: book like a hotel | Guarantor, deposit, key money |
| Kitchen | Rarely | Usually a small one | Kitchenette or full kitchen | Unfurnished |
| Laundry | Paid laundry room | Usually in the unit | In the unit | Your own machine |
| Utilities and Wi-Fi | Included | Included or a flat fee | Included | Separate contracts |
How much cheaper is a long stay per night?
At our Tokyo apartments a stay of 7 nights or more costs 10% less per night, and 28 nights or more costs 20% less; the booking calendar applies the discount automatically. That is the listings' own rule, and it is the only discount we promise.
For a month or longer, send a long-stay enquiry before booking. For longer stays we can sometimes agree conditions a calendar cannot show.
Which part of Tokyo works for a long stay?
For a long stay, a residential neighbourhood 15 to 25 minutes from the centre beats a central hotel district: the supermarket sells at local prices, the nights are quiet, and the train still gets you in. The two areas we know from running rooms there:
- Heiwajima, Ota ward, south: Keikyu Line, 6 minutes to Shinagawa, 19 to Tokyo Station, 23 to Shibuya, 10 to Haneda Airport by train. Suits frequent flyers and anyone working in the south or Yokohama (14 minutes).
- Kameari, Katsushika ward, north-east: JR Joban Line, 15 minutes to Ueno, about 20 to Asakusa and Akihabara, 25 to Tokyo Station, and a direct bus to Haneda. A lived-in shitamachi district; see our Kameari neighbourhood guide.
Which of our apartments fits which long stay?
Pick by kitchen and workspace before size: for a month those two decide your days more than the number of beds.
| Apartment | Guests | Kitchen | Laundry | Workspace | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEIWAJIMA studio | 1 to 2 | Microwave, fridge, kettle; no stove | Washer | Fast Wi-Fi, no desk | A solo or couple base that eats out, near Haneda |
| KAMEARI ground floor | Up to 4 | Kitchenette | Washer and dryer | Laptop-friendly workspace | A couple or small family, step-free |
| KAMEARI upper floor | Up to 10 | Full kitchen, dishwasher | Washer and dryer | Two workspaces | Cooking every day, remote work, families |
| KAMEARI whole house | Up to 14 | Full kitchen plus kitchenette | Two sets | Two workspaces | A team or two families, one booking |
What should you check before booking a month?
- Kitchen or kitchenette: a microwave-only kitchen is fine for a week of eating out and tiring by week three. If you plan to cook, look for a stove, or book our Kameari upper floor.
- Washer and dryer: both appear as separate amenities in Japan, and the dryer is the rarer one.
- A desk, not just Wi-Fi: working from a bed gets old fast. Check that the listing names a workspace.
- Parcels: for online orders during a long stay, a parcel box or a host who accepts deliveries saves missed-delivery slips. Our HEIWAJIMA studio has a parcel drop box.
- Stairs and noise: ask which floor, whether there is a lift, and what is downstairs.
- The licence number: a legitimate short-stay apartment prints it on the listing. Every stay on our site does.
What we would tell you not to like
- HEIWAJIMA has no stove and no desk, the building has no lift, and the TV streams Netflix, YouTube and Prime but has no Japanese channels. There is an izakaya on the building's ground floor, open until midnight.
- KAMEARI's upper floor has one bathroom for up to 10 guests; for a big group, book the whole house so the ground-floor bathroom counts too.
- Neither is central. If your month is all Shibuya and Shinjuku evenings, a central weekly apartment will save you commuting time.
Practical notes for a Tokyo long stay
- Many passports allow short visits without a visa for up to 90 days, but it depends on yours: check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan before you book a long stay.
- Guest registration is the law in licensed lodging: every guest's name, plus a passport copy for non-Japanese guests. Our apartments are licensed under the Hotel Business Law.
- Get an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) on day one; it covers trains, buses, konbini and vending machines.
- Supermarkets discount fresh food in the evening, and depachika food halls do the same after 19:00.
- Book early: our Tokyo rooms often fill well in advance, especially for longer dates, so the sooner you look, the more choice you have.
