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| This article is a machine translation of an article written in Japanese. If there are any inconsistencies or errors in the translation, we would appreciate it if you could point them out to us. |
Original article：同性カップルが賃貸物件を借りにくいのはなぜ？LGBTsフレンドリーな不動産会社が理由を解説！
This article is a machine translation of an article written in Japanese. If there are any inconsistencies or errors in the translation, we would appreciate it if you could point them out to us.
Hello! I'm Shouhei from IRIS, an LGBTs friendly real estate agency by LGBTs people.
Have you ever heard that same-sex couples have difficulty in renting apartments? This is not a lie or a rumor, and in fact, there are cases where same-sex couples have a harder time renting apartments than heterosexual couples.
In this article, we will explain why it is more difficult for same-sex couples to rent apartments, based on the actual experience of an LGBTs-friendly real estate agency by an LGBTs person.
Why is it difficult for same-sex couples to rent an apartment?
The following is an explanation of why same-sex couples have difficulty renting apartments.
The first reason why it is difficult for same-sex couples to rent an apartment is the high hurdle of coming out. You don't know if you will be accepted if you tell your partner that you are a same-sex couple until you tell them, and in the worst case scenario, they may reject you. In fact, when the author contacted a local real estate agency to inquire about moving in with his partner, the response stopped after he told them that he and his partner were a same-sex couple.
Although we were not explicitly rejected, this kind of situation makes me afraid to open up our relationship to a complete stranger. On the other hand, if we wanted to rent a house together without being open about our relationship, it would be treated as sharing a room, and there would be fewer apartments available, so it is a difficult situation.
2.Real estate agencies may not understand same-sex couples.
Similar to the coming out story, there are cases where a real estate agency may seem to be accepting, but in fact there may be prejudice or discrimination. I once heard a story about a lesbian couple who were looking for a rental apartment for cohabitation at another company, and they had a bad experience when the person in charge asked them a question that was akin to sexual harassment.
This kind of situation makes it more difficult to find a rental apartment.
3. Even if the real estate company understands same-sex couples, it does not necessarily mean that the property management company or owner of the property understands them.
Even if the real estate company understands same-sex couples and is willing to help you find a room if you are a same-sex couple living together, if the property management company or owner is not understanding, you may be turned down. At our company, IRIS, we were once told by a management company that "gay couples are disgusting.
This is not the only time that we have been rejected because of such a heartless remark. It is very sad, but it is also true that there are people with such a mindset.
4. It says "LGBTs friendly" but it is not LGBTs friendly!
Some rental property portals have an LGBT-friendly section. It is not uncommon to find rental properties and real estate agencies that claim to be LGBTs-friendly, but when you actually inquire about them, you find that they are not LGBTs-friendly at all.
In the "Coming Out Hurdles" section, the author also mentioned that after telling people that we are a same-sex couple, we received no response.
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Here is a story about a person named Tusk who posts on instagram in 2020. (Ref: "No LGBTs allowed to move in" A sentence from the agreement. (What the party who stopped signing the contract for that room told us in the video)
After six months of searching for a property, Mr. Tusk read the contract that had him decide "this is the place" during a viewing. However, the contract for that property said, "In principle, LGBT people are not allowed." He says that the contract stated, "In principle, LGBT people are not allowed. It also said that smokers, people with tattoos, foreigners, and people with mental illnesses were not allowed to move in. The area where Mr. Tusk found this property is home to many foreign residents. It was surprising to hear that "foreigners are not allowed to move in" in such an area.
When we asked the real estate agent why, he replied, "We do it out of consideration for the people who live in this apartment. If men were to walk around the apartment holding hands with each other, it might scare the residents." He responded back. This consent form was posted on instagram and received a lot of feedback.
Some of the comments were from people who had the same experience. Tusk then commented, "I want people to see others as a person, instead of judging them based on their religion, skin color, nationality, gender identity, or sexual orientation. He commented that he would like to eliminate prejudice and discrimination from his generation.
It is not uncommon to have a property rejected because of LGBTs in this manner, and we have had management companies hang up on us after being told that "gay couples are creepy". When a gay couple is informed by the management company that they are a gay couple during a viewing, the viewing is terminated on the spot. The real estate industry is gradually changing, but it is still true that there is discrimination and prejudice.
Finding a rental apartment for a same-sex couple is difficult, and the trick is to make it work.
Now that we've talked about all the things that can make you uneasy, let's talk about how to make your search for a rental property successful from the perspective of IRIS, an LGBTs-friendly real estate agency.
Contact an LGBTs-friendly real estate agency
If you do not tell the real estate agency that you are a same-sex couple, you will be treated as a couple of friends sharing a room, and the number of properties they can show you will be greatly reduced. Since the population of available properties for two people is larger than that of room-sharing properties, it will be much easier to find a property if you are open about your relationship and ask to be introduced to properties that are also available for two people.
However, there are cases in which being open about your relationship itself is a hurdle, so in such cases, it is better to rely on an LGBTs-friendly real estate agency from the beginning to help you find a property without stress. In the case of IRIS, we are an LGBTs-friendly real estate agency run by LGBTs, and our staff consists of LGBTs, so we can help you find a room from the perspective of LGBTs.
Please 'Contact Us' if you need help finding a room for a same-sex couple, a transgender person, etc.
Search by 2K or 2DK, etc.
If you really want to avoid coming out, you can look for a room with two bedrooms such as 2K or 2DK, although it will be a form of room sharing among friends and the rent per person may be higher.
We have heard stories of people who decided to rent a 2K or 2DK room, buy two beds, and pretend that they are sharing a room with a friend.
Recently, when looking for a rental apartment, it is becoming more common to be asked to use the partnership system as proof of the relationship between two people. The partnership system may also allow you to apply to move into apartments such as metropolitan housing.
Although it may be difficult to obtain, if possible, it is more advantageous to use the partnership system when looking for rental housing. On the other hand, if you do not obtain one, you may be turned down on the grounds that you cannot prove your relationship.
You should also be able to prove that you can afford the income.
It is also important to prove that you can afford your income. If you try to rent a room with an income that is just barely enough, you may be rejected by the guarantee company.
It is said that one-third of your income is good for rent, but if you can afford even more than this, your chances of being turned down will decrease. When you go to the real estate agency, you should also bring the following documents to prove your income
Withholding tax
Certificate of salary payment
Tax return (if you are self-employed, etc.)
Not all of these are necessary, but it is a good idea to have many documents that can prove that you can afford the income and that it is stable.
Finally, it is important not to give up. If you have trouble finding a place to rent, you may end up fighting with your partner or losing motivation. When I was looking for a place to live together, I had many arguments with my partner because we couldn't find a place. At the time, there were no LGBTs-friendly real estate agencies, and understanding of LGBTs was not as advanced as it is now, so I was too afraid to be open about it.
But one day, we suddenly found a good room for the two of us to live in together. Finding a room can be a matter of timing and fate, so if you keep looking and don't give up, one day you may suddenly find the perfect place to live. Please try to continue your search for a rental apartment without giving up as much as possible.
Conclusion
Although the number of LGBT-friendly real estate agencies is increasing and the real estate market is gradually changing, it is still difficult for same-sex couples to find a place to rent. Finding a place to rent is a matter of timing, so don't give up and keep looking.
It may be rare that you get your heart broken, but please do not give up and keep looking for a room. Thank you for reading this article to the end.
