- A serviced apartment is a furnished apartment run like a hotel: housekeeping, a front desk and utilities are usually bundled into one price.
- In Tokyo it typically costs well above a regular monthly furnished apartment, because you pay for the services as well as the room.
- If you do not need weekly cleaning, a furnished apartment on a monthly contract usually costs less for stays of one month or more.
- XROSS HOUSE furnished apartments follow that model: private, fully furnished, from one month, with no housekeeping service.
What Is a Serviced Apartment in Japan?
A serviced apartment in Japan is a furnished apartment that is managed like a hotel. You get a private room with a kitchenette or kitchen, and the operator adds services such as cleaning, linen changes and a reception desk. Contracts typically run from about one month upward, and the rent normally bundles utilities.
What Is Usually Included
- Furniture: bed, desk, sofa or chairs, storage
- Appliances: refrigerator, microwave, washing machine, air conditioner, TV
- Kitchen basics: cookware, dishes, utensils
- Linens and towels, often replaced on a schedule
- Housekeeping: weekly or on request, depending on the operator
- Utilities and internet in one monthly price, at many properties
- A front desk or concierge, in larger buildings
Details differ by operator and by building, so ask for the exact list before you book. Some properties charge extra for cleaning, extra guests or long-stay discounts.
Serviced Apartment, Aparthotel and Monthly Furnished Apartment
The labels overlap, which is why searches for serviced apartments in Japan turn up very different products. An aparthotel is closer to a hotel: you book by the night and usually get frequent cleaning. A monthly furnished apartment is closer to a normal home: you rent by the month, look after the room yourself and handle utilities in a simpler way. A serviced apartment sits between the two.
Serviced Apartment vs Aparthotel vs Monthly Furnished Apartment vs Hotel vs Airbnb
This table shows typical patterns in Tokyo. Cost figures are rough indications and individual properties vary, so treat the table as a starting point for your own comparison. For XROSS HOUSE, all fees are listed in a written estimate before you apply.
| Option | Typical stay | What is included | Housekeeping | Contract | Cost level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serviced apartment | 1 month to 1 year | Furniture, linens, utilities, often internet | Weekly or on request | Monthly or fixed term | Roughly ¥200,000–¥350,000/month |
| Aparthotel | A few nights to a few weeks | Furniture, linens, utilities, front desk | Frequent | Nightly booking | Roughly ¥10,000–¥25,000/night, so a high total for 30 nights |
| Monthly furnished apartment | 1 month or more | Furniture and appliances; utilities vary | None, you clean it | Monthly | Roughly ¥120,000–¥220,000/month |
| Hotel | 1 to 7 nights | Room, daily cleaning, breakfast at some | Daily | Nightly booking | Roughly ¥10,000–¥30,000/night, the highest total for a full month |
| Airbnb-style rental | A few days to 4 weeks | Varies by host | Varies; cleaning fee common | Platform booking | Varies widely; cleaning fees are often added |
Rules on short-term home rentals in Japan are strict, so long-stay availability on Airbnb-style platforms is limited in many areas. For stays of a month or more, the real choice is usually between a serviced apartment and a monthly furnished apartment.
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Are Utilities Included in a Serviced Apartment?
At most serviced apartments, yes: electricity, gas, water and often internet are built into the monthly price, and you receive one invoice. This is a large part of what you pay extra for. At some long-stay properties, however, usage above a set allowance is billed separately, or internet is an add-on.
How Billing Usually Works for a Long Stay
- All-in price: one fixed amount each month, with no meter readings and no accounts in your name.
- Allowance plus excess: a base amount covers normal use, and heavy air-conditioner use in summer or winter is charged on top.
- Separate bills: you pay the utility companies directly, as in a regular Japanese apartment.
Before you sign, ask three things: which utilities are covered, whether there is a usage cap, and whether internet is part of the price.
How Utilities Work at XROSS HOUSE Furnished Apartments
At XROSS HOUSE furnished apartments, you choose one of two options before you move in. Either the electricity, gas and water contracts are in your name and a partner company sets them up for you at no charge, with support in several languages. Or you take the flat-rate utility plan, where XROSS HOUSE holds the contracts and you pay one fixed monthly amount. The rent covers the room only, so you choose your own internet instead of paying for a bundled plan: set up a home line, or use our mobile Wi-Fi rental for residents.
Do Serviced Apartments Offer Regular Housekeeping?
Many do, but the schedule is the first thing to check. Typical patterns are cleaning once a week, cleaning on request for a fee, or a deep clean only at check-out. Daily service is the exception outside hotels and aparthotels.
If you are comfortable cleaning your own room, you can skip this service and save its cost. XROSS HOUSE furnished apartments have no housekeeping service. The room is yours, you keep it clean, and a fixed move-out fee applies when you leave, shown in your estimate before you sign.
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How Much Does a Serviced Apartment Cost in Tokyo?
Prices depend on the area, room size, building grade and season, so use these as rough orientation only. A compact serviced studio in Tokyo typically costs roughly ¥200,000 to ¥350,000 a month, and central or larger units can go higher. A monthly furnished apartment of a similar size typically falls in a lower band, often roughly ¥120,000 to ¥220,000 a month, depending on whether utilities are bundled.
The gap comes from services: housekeeping, a staffed front desk, bundled utilities and hotel-style linens. If you use those, the premium can be fair. If you do not, you are paying for something you will not use.
Compare total cost for your whole stay, not the monthly headline. Initial costs for a typical Japanese rental, such as a deposit, key money and an agency fee, often reach several months of rent. Serviced and monthly furnished apartments avoid most of these. For wider context, read our guide to the cost of living in Japan.
Who Should Choose Which Option?
A Serviced Apartment Fits You If
- your company pays and you want one invoice with everything included
- you want cleaning and linen service without arranging it yourself
- you want a front desk for parcels and requests
A Monthly Furnished Apartment Fits You If
- you are staying one month or longer and watching your budget
- you are happy to clean your room and handle your own laundry
- you want your own private space with a kitchen, and a simple contract
A Hotel or Aparthotel Fits You If
You are staying less than a month, or you want frequent service and accept the higher price.
If the budget is tighter still, a share house is a secondary option: a private room with shared facilities, at a lower rent. For stays shorter than a month, see our guide to short-term rentals in Japan.
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How to Choose a Serviced Apartment in Tokyo
- Check the exact inclusions: utilities, internet, cleaning frequency, linens.
- Read the contract terms: minimum stay, notice period, and any cancellation or move-out fee.
- Look at the station, not only the district: a direct train line to your office or school matters more than a famous address.
- Pick the area for your purpose: Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo Station suit business and first visits; Ikebukuro, Ueno and Nakano usually offer lower rent with fast access to the center.
- Compare the total: add every fee for the whole stay, then divide by the number of months.
If you are still deciding on a neighborhood, our guide to apartments for rent in Tokyo for one month covers areas and costs in more detail.
XROSS HOUSE Furnished Apartments: A Lower-Cost Alternative
XROSS HOUSE does not run serviced apartments. Our furnished apartments are private studios and one-room units rented by the month, with the furniture and appliances already in place: bed, refrigerator, washing machine, microwave, air conditioner, desk and storage (equipment varies slightly by property).
- From one month: the minimum stay is one month. To leave, give one month's notice. There is no early termination penalty.
- Any visa status: students, working holiday participants, employees and tourist (short-term stay) visa holders can all apply.
- Online from abroad: you can view rooms and sign the contract online before you arrive, and move in from about 7 days after you apply.
- Help in your language: our team answers in English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and more.
What You Do Not Get
There is no housekeeping, no front desk and no hotel-style linen service. The rent covers the room only, so internet is your choice too: a home line or our mobile Wi-Fi rental, rather than a bundled plan you may not need. In return, you pay for a room and not for services you may not use.
Costs and Guarantors
You do not need a personal guarantor in Japan. For an individual contract, you normally join a rent guarantee company instead, and its initial and monthly guarantee fees are charged separately, on top of the registration fee. If you pay everything from the registration fee to the move-out costs in one lump sum when you move in, joining a guarantee company is not required. The registration fee takes the place of the deposit, key money and agency fee of a standard lease.
- Written by the XROSS HOUSE editorial team at a Tokyo-based property management company that houses residents from many countries.
- XROSS HOUSE has housed over 50,000 residents cumulatively, works with over 650 corporate clients, and operates in 11 prefectures across Japan.
- Information as of October 2026.
FAQ: Serviced Apartments in Tokyo and Japan
Are utilities included in serviced apartment costs?
At most serviced apartments, yes. Electricity, gas and water, and often internet, are bundled into one monthly price. Some properties cap usage and charge for the excess, so ask about any limit. At XROSS HOUSE furnished apartments you choose between opening the contracts in your name with free set-up help, or a flat-rate utility plan. The rent covers the room only, so you choose your own internet.
How does billing for utilities work in a long-term serviced apartment?
There are three common ways: one all-in monthly price, a base allowance with excess usage billed on top, or separate bills paid to each utility company. Check which one applies, whether there is a usage cap and whether internet is included before you sign.
What amenities are included in serviced suites?
Typically furniture, a kitchen or kitchenette, a washing machine, air conditioning, TV, linens and towels. Higher-end buildings add a front desk, a gym or a lounge. The list differs by operator, so request it in writing.
Do serviced apartments offer regular housekeeping?
Many offer weekly cleaning or cleaning on request, and linens are often changed on a schedule. Daily service is mostly found in hotels and aparthotels. XROSS HOUSE furnished apartments have no housekeeping, so you clean the room yourself.
What is the difference between a serviced apartment, an aparthotel and a hotel for a longer stay in Japan?
A hotel is booked by the night with daily cleaning and is the most expensive for a full month. An aparthotel adds a kitchenette but keeps nightly booking and frequent cleaning. A serviced apartment is a monthly rental with hotel-style services bundled in. A monthly furnished apartment drops most of the services and costs less.
Are serviced apartments worth it?
They are worth it if you will use the services: cleaning, a front desk and one all-in invoice, especially when an employer pays. If you can clean your own room, a monthly furnished apartment usually costs less for stays of one month or more.
Do I need a guarantor to rent a furnished apartment in Japan?
Not a personal guarantor. At XROSS HOUSE an individual contract normally uses a rent guarantee company, with initial and monthly guarantee fees charged separately. If you pay all costs from move-in to move-out in one lump sum at the start, you do not need to join a guarantee company.
Summary: Choosing Between Serviced and Furnished Apartments
A serviced apartment in Tokyo gives you hotel-style services and one bundled price, at a higher cost. A monthly furnished apartment gives you a private, ready-to-live-in room at a lower cost, with no housekeeping. For stays of one month or more, decide which services you will actually use, then compare the total cost. For more answers, see our FAQ. If you are weighing the two, XROSS HOUSE can help you compare the options.
