Not to really counter anything you're saying here but for my current NYC studio (with a cat) I had to give 3.5x the monthly rent the day I signed the lease. -

Not to really counter anything you're saying here but for my current NYC studio (with a cat) I had to give 3.5x the monthly rent the day I signed the lease. - first month's rent - security deposit worth a month's rent - 15% brokers fee Admittedly, NYC is terrible with its broker stuff but switching over to Tokyo wouldn't have been that dramatic if you were coming from this coast instead.