Move-out restoration cost calculator (Japan)
When you move out of a rental in Japan, the landlord may charge you for repairs (genjo kaifuku). The national guideline from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) says your share should shrink as the wallpaper, flooring or fixture gets older. Enter the items on your bill to see the tenant share the guideline method gives. Everything is calculated on your device; nothing is sent or stored.
Your details
Result
How to use it
- Enter the move-in and move-out months. Months are counted from the difference between them (April 2021 to December 2025 is 56 months). The official worked example also treats 4 years 8 months as 56 months (Reference material p.17).
- Add one row per item on the bill. Choosing an item fills in the useful life from the guideline. The cost is the amount charged for that item.
- Say what condition it was in at move-in. New or replaced just before you moved in; already some years old (enter the age); or a value you and the landlord agreed (for example 80%).
- Choose the building structure if you have a whole-floor replacement or a unit bath. Enter the building's age at move-in.
- Check, print or copy the result. You see the value left for each row, the estimated tenant share and the total. Add your deposit to see the balance.
Only enter damage that is your responsibility. Normal wear and ageing, such as sun-faded wallpaper or dents from furniture, is paid for through the rent and is the landlord's cost (Guideline p.8, Guideline p.25). See How it works for examples.
The formula
Even when the tenant must pay for damage, the guideline takes the age of the item into account so that the tenant's share gets smaller over time. Following the 2007 tax reform, the value falls in a straight line to 1 yen at the end of the useful life; for carpet that is 6 years (Guideline p.12).
Tenant share = cost × (value at move-in − months lived ÷ (useful life × 12))
If the result reaches 0 or less, the share is 1 yen
- Wallpaper that was new at move-in: after 3 years the share is 50%; after 4 years 8 months it is 1 − 56/72, about 22% (Reference material p.17).
- If the wallpaper was already 3 years old at move-in, those 3 years are added to your stay (Reference material p.17).
- If both sides agreed the value at move-in was 80%, the line starts 20% lower (Reference material p.17, Guideline p.13).
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest yen. The official worked examples (for example 24,000 yen of wallpaper after 4 years gives 8,000 yen, Reference material p.18) are reproduced in the site's tests.
Useful life by item
From Table 2 of the guideline (Guideline p.22 to 24). The calculator uses the same table.
| Item | Useful life | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper on walls or ceiling | 6 years | Guideline p.23 |
| Cushion vinyl flooring (CF) | 6 years | Guideline p.22 |
| Carpet | 6 years | Guideline p.22 |
| Tatami base (full mat core) | 6 years | Guideline p.22 |
| Tatami surface (re-covering) | Not applied | Guideline p.14, p.22 |
| Fusuma or shoji paper | Not applied | Guideline p.14, p.23 |
| Fusuma or shoji frames, pillars | Not applied | Guideline p.23 |
| Wood flooring (partial repair) | Not applied | Guideline p.14, p.22 |
| Wood flooring (whole floor replaced) | Building's useful life | Guideline p.14, p.22 |
| Kitchen sink unit | 5 years | Guideline p.24 |
| Air conditioner, heater | 6 years | Guideline p.24 |
| Refrigerator, gas range | 6 years | Guideline p.24 |
| Intercom | 6 years | Guideline p.24 |
| Mainly non-metal furniture (shelves, chests, cupboards) | 8 years | Guideline p.24 |
| Toilet, washbasin and other plumbing fixtures | 15 years | Guideline p.24 |
| Mainly metal fixtures and fittings | 15 years | Guideline p.24 |
| Unit bath, bathtub, shoe cabinet fixed to the building | Building's useful life | Guideline p.24 |
| Lost key (cylinder replacement) | Not applied | Guideline p.24 |
| Cleaning (only if normal cleaning was not done) | Not applied | Guideline p.24 |
Whole-floor replacement and fixtures fixed to the building use the building's useful life (Guideline p.168, Reference material p.4):
| Structure | Useful life |
|---|---|
| Wood or synthetic resin (residential) | 22 years |
| Wood frame with mortar (residential) | 20 years |
| Reinforced concrete or SRC (residential) | 47 years |
| Brick, stone or concrete block (residential) | 38 years |
| Steel frame, members over 4 mm thick | 34 years |
| Steel frame, members over 3 mm up to 4 mm | 27 years |
| Steel frame, members 3 mm or less | 19 years |
What can change the result
- Normal wear is not included. It is covered by the rent (Guideline p.8).
- Your contract may have special clauses. MLIT says that for existing contracts the contract is in principle followed, and the guideline is a reference when the wording is unclear (MLIT guideline page). Clauses that make the tenant pay for normal wear must meet strict conditions (Guideline p.6 to 7).
- The repair scope matters. For wallpaper, the tenant may be charged up to the whole wall containing the damage, but not the whole room just to match colours (Guideline p.15).
- Past the useful life is not always free. For example, the cost of removing graffiti you put on the wallpaper can still be charged (Guideline p.12).
- This is an estimate, not legal advice. The final amount is settled by agreement with the landlord, or through mediation or court (Guideline p.33 to 34).
Questions
Is the result the amount I have to pay?
No. It applies the elapsed-years method of the MLIT guideline. The guideline is a general standard for private rentals at market rent; for existing contracts, the contract is followed in principle. Special clauses, the cause of the damage and the repair scope can change the real amount.
If the item is past its useful life, do I pay nothing?
The value floor is 1 yen, so the calculation gives 1 yen. However, the guideline notes that costs such as removing graffiti you put on the wallpaper can still be charged (guideline p.12).
The wallpaper was not new when I moved in. What do I enter?
If you know its age, choose "Already in use for some time" and enter the age; it is added to your stay (reference material p.17). If you agreed a value with the landlord at move-in, choose "Value agreed at move-in" and enter the percentage (guideline p.13).
Why are tatami surfaces, fusuma paper and partial floor repairs 100%?
The guideline treats tatami surfaces and fusuma or shoji paper as consumables, and a partial floor repair does not raise the value of the whole floor, so elapsed years are not applied (guideline p.14). This only applies to damage you are responsible for.
Does the calculator send my data anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is stored. Closing the page clears it.
Is there an official English explanation?
Yes. MLIT publishes a leaflet on restoration to original condition in English and other languages. The link is in the sources below.
Sources for this page
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), "原状回復をめぐるトラブルとガイドライン" (revised edition, August 2011), full PDF in Japanese: mlit.go.jp/common/001016469.pdf (checked 31 October 2026)
- MLIT Housing Bureau, reference material on the guideline (March 2023), Japanese: mlit.go.jp/…/001611293.pdf (checked 31 October 2026)
- MLIT leaflet in English, "Points for restoring rental housing to its original condition when you move out": mlit.go.jp/…/001595135.pdf (checked 31 October 2026); other languages: MLIT multilingual page