By the HalfKey team
NHK fees in a furnished Tokyo apartment: who handles them?
A television supplied with the furniture doesn't tell you how NHK is handled. Ask about the existing contract, confirm the arrangement with NHK where necessary, and keep any payment or cancellation record with your other apartment documents.
On this page
Ask the company you're renting from whether the room already has an NHK reception contract (the agreement covering NHK's broadcast service) and whether the fee is included in your payments. Don't infer the answer from “furnished”, the presence of a television or the fact that you don't normally watch it.
If you receive a letter, keep it and send the rental company a copy with your unit reference. Ask it to clarify the existing arrangement. If that doesn't resolve the question, contact NHK through its official website with the address and your circumstances.
The equipment and service matter
NHK’s new-contract guidance distinguishes a contract for ground-based broadcasts from one that also covers satellite broadcasts. Check which broadcasts the apartment’s equipment can receive before choosing a contract type.
A screen used only as a monitor is different from a TV that receives broadcasts, so find out what equipment and connections the apartment has. Internet viewing needs a separate look: NHK's guidance says that merely owning a smartphone or computer doesn't trigger the internet-service contract requirement. Before you start using NHK ONE, you'll see a notice explaining the contract requirement and a button to begin. Read the notice before proceeding.
If your household already has the required TV reception contract, using NHK ONE does not by itself require another household contract.
Find out whose contract already exists
For hotels and similar businesses, NHK looks at where TVs or other equipment that can receive broadcasts are installed, including individual guest rooms, when deciding which contracts are needed. Its business guidance explains this separately from household contracts. That doesn't mean you can determine a particular furnished apartment's arrangement from a booking-site category.
Send a specific question:
Is there an NHK reception contract covering this room? Who holds it, is the fee included in my rent or other charges, and what should I do if NHK contacts me during the stay?
If there is a current contract, ask the company to deal with a letter addressed to it or supply the information NHK needs to identify the arrangement. Keep the reply before submitting any new contract paperwork.
If there is no contract, or the company cannot confirm the arrangement, tell NHK what equipment is in the room, which NHK services you use and how you are staying there. NHK can then advise what you need to do.
Confirm the bill for your dates
NHK’s reception rules, Article 5, normally charge from the month after the contract becomes required through the month before cancellation. They include a special rule for a contract cancelled in its starting month or the following month: a month’s charge is still payable.
Suppose your Tokyo household needs a new contract for ground-based broadcasts from 10 June 2026. NHK confirms cancellation for 20 June. You still pay for one month; the fee is not calculated by the day. At the rules’ ¥1,100 monthly amount, the example total is ¥1,100. This example assumes no exemption from the fee, no change of contract type and no special arrangement. Ask NHK to confirm which rules apply to you and the date your cancellation takes effect.
If a bill appears to cover time before you arrived, ask which contract and period it relates to before paying it. Keep the reply and payment receipt. For repeated payments in your own name, the direct-debit guide explains how to avoid paying both a slip and an automatic debit for the same period.
Check any unexpected request through an official channel before sharing financial details. NHK's website carries warnings about impersonation; you can contact it yourself rather than supplying information during an unverified call or visit.
Arrange the change when you leave
If you hold the contract, contact NHK about your departure. Its cancellation page lists moving abroad as one reason for cancellation. NHK checks your circumstances and requires a cancellation notice in the form it specifies. Leaving the apartment doesn't automatically complete that process.
If you are moving to another address in Japan, ask whether an address change or another procedure applies. If the rental company holds the contract, confirm what it needs from you rather than cancelling a contract in someone else's name.
Record the date the change takes effect, the final amount and any refund arrangement before closing the payment account or phone number NHK uses to contact you.