RIKEN International House Manual for Long-term Residents:
Rules and Guidelines

Revised 2019

UPON ARRIVAL
Please check the conditions of your unit using the Condition of Rental Property Checklist andreview it with the I-House Staff within 3 days of your arrival. Please be sure to read theinstructions for the use of appliances before using them.

RULES FOR USE OF ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
1. Shoes are not allowed to be worn inside the unit; remove shoes and store at theentrance.
2. Residents are requested to keep their unit clean and tidy and have certainresponsibilities to maintain the unit in its original state (see the section: “Responsibilityfor maintaining the I-House (long-term) unit in its original state”).
3. Residents are to refrain from making excess noise or disturbing other residents.
4. Residents are not allowed to rearrange or modify any furniture or other furnishings
without permission from I-House Office.
5. Any damage to or loss of furniture or other furnishings and appliances should bereported to I-House Office immediately. The resident must pay for the cost ofreplacement or repair for any damages caused by their negligence as determined by theI-House Staff.
6. Residents are not permitted to lodge friends, acquaintances, or anyone else in theirapartments without permission from I-House Staff.
7. I-House apartments are not to be used for any purpose other than accommodation.
8. A request to change apartments will be considered only when there is a change in thenumber of dependents accompanying the resident. However, it is usually difficult to findvacant apartments, especially single units.
9. When changing an apartment, an extra charge of ¥5,000 and the daily residence fee forboth the previous and new apartments on the moving day will be charged to theresident.
10. In principle the period of residence is from one month to one year.
11. Bimonthly checks of units are carried out to maintain and check for problems. If special
cleaning work is found to be necessary due to above normally expected conditions, theresident must pay the cost as determined by I-House Staff.
12. Pets are prohibited.
13. No smoking in all units. Smoking is prohibited in all buildings at RIKEN. Smoking is only
allowed in designated areas.
14. The period between 10 PM and 7 AM is designated as a quiet period so as not to disturb
other residents.

15. RIKEN will not accept any responsibility for injuries incurred within I-House property.
16. Residents may not file complaints or request any compensation for matters that are
beyond the control of RIKEN such as loud noises caused by motorcycles and othervehicles around the I-House area.
17. Residents must understand that the I-House is not a private hotel or a guesthouseprovided with full services. It is a complex of apartments built by RIKEN for the purposeof accommodating scientists from abroad.
18. I-House Staff, RIKEN qualified personnel, or their agents may enter any apartment fornecessary inspections for safety or repairs with prior consent of the residents or theirfamilies. In case of emergency such as a fire or for other legitimate reasons such as thebimonthly inspection of the apartment (the date of the inspection is given in advancebut no prior consent is required). Entering the apartment without prior resident
approval in such cases is permitted.

SAFETY AND EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Duplicating and/or lending apartment keys to others are strictly prohibited. I-House
Office must be notified immediately of any loss of or damage to the keys. The resident
will be charged for key replacement and new lock installation.
2. Some apartment keys are specially made, and duplicating may take some time.
3. Lock all doors and windows at night and during your absence from the apartment.
4. Notify I-House Office/Housing Desk in the event of a burglary.
5. Before going to bed, make sure all appliances and gas are turned off.
6. The use of unprotected/open flame heaters and/or stoves, such as kerosene heaters inI-House apartments is prohibited.
7. Check the location of the fire extinguisher and familiarize yourself with its use. In theevent of a fire, evacuate the building, and notify I-House Office. Buildings A, C, E & G
please call ext. 8102, 8103 (9am to 4pm, business days only), Buildings F & H please callext. 8300 (9am to 4pm, business days only), and at night and holidays call the Housing
Desk at the West Gate Guard Station (ext.2005, 24hours/365days).
8. Emergency telephone numbers in Japan: POLICE 110 (0-110 from RIKEN telephones),
FIRE and AMBULANCE 119 (0-119 from RIKEN telephones).
9. Emergency translation services by telephone: International SOS Japan 03-3560-7183 (003-3560-7183 from RIKEN telephones) with password(10AYCA086837)
Please refer to the Medical Manual.
10. Emergency telephone numbers on campus: Occupational health center 112 (businesshours only), Guard station 111 (24hours/365days)

GARBAGE AND WASTE
Garbage and waste should be sorted into the following categories:(1) BURNABLES: waste food, paper, wood, shopping bags, etc.
(2) PLASTIC: Lunch boxes and other plastic trays, vinyl bags, egg boxes, detergent bottles,
yogurt cartons, PET bottle caps.
(3) PET bottles: Only bottles with the “PET” recycling mark.
(4) Glass bottles and Cans: All glass bottles and cans.
(5) Paper and Cloth: Newspaper, cardboard boxes, books & magazines, milk cartons.
(6) Other unburnable garbage: Pots, pans, crockery, light bulbs, broken glass, etc.
Waste and garbage of each category must be put in appropriate bags and placed in thespecified areas. Plastic garbage bags (gomi-bukuro in Japanese) are available at supermarkets
and drugstores.
For details, please use the garbage sorting and collection day instructions posted on the unit’srefrigerator.
Special handling is needed for the following items:(1) SPRAY CANS: must be completely empty/ used up and punctured to let out any
remaining gas.
(2) DANGEROUS WASTE (knives, needles, broken glass, etc.): must be wrapped in paper or
put in boxes, and clearly labeled “dangerous.”(3) USED BATTERIES AND FLUORESCENT LAMP TUBES: should be separated from otherwaste.
Important notes for the drains:➢ Drains, especially those in the kitchen sinks, are not designed to process garbage and/or oiland fat. Food scraps should be drained of water, e.g. using kitchen garbage strainer, and bedisposed of as burnable waste in garbage bags.
➢ DO NOT and under any circumstances pour cooking oil, fat, or similar liquids, down thedrain. Used oil should be placed in an oil pot provided under the kitchen sink for furtheruse, or be absorbed or contained and properly disposed of as burnable waste.

HEALTH AND SANITATION
1. A bath towel and a hand towel (one set) are provided for each unit (two sets per family);soap and toilet paper are provided at the time. Residents are responsible for replacingthem.
2. Do not flush sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, or anything other than toilet paper inthe toilet bowl. If the toilet is clogged by prohibited items, residents must pay for theplumbing cost and cleaning.
3. To minimize problems caused by high humidity during the rainy season and summer,
residents are requested to open windows from time to time to ventilate theirapartments. In particular, leaving the bathroom open will help prevent the growth ofmold.
4. It is recommended to expose bedding (Japanese “futons,” etc.) to sunlight and dry. Thisextends their life and makes them fluffier.
5. The laundry room on the first floor of E- and H-Buildings is only for the use of residents
living in apartments for single use in E-, G-, and H- Buildings only.
6. Please always keep the kitchen area clean. Especially when cooking with oil or fat, besure to clean up splattered oil stains immediately. If it is not cleaned up right away, it
will be very difficult to remove later.
7. Use the ventilation fan at all times when cooking to vent out steam, oily vapor, cookingodors (spices, etc.).

RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING THE I-HOUSE (LONG-TERM) UNIT IN ITS ORIGINAL STATEThe resident is responsible for repair expenses for intentional damage caused by the resident,and for all damage resulting from the resident’s negligence or lack of due diligence and propercare.
RIKEN is responsible for the repair expenses for deterioration, wear and tear due to normal useof the housing unit and its equipment.
1.

Resident’s responsibility: Examples of Damage

Floor (mats/flooring/carpet)◆◆◆

Stain and mold on tatami mat or carpet caused by spilled food and drinks (due to resident’s negligenceand lack of proper cleaning)
Scratches caused by moving furniture or other items.
Discoloration of the floor caused by rain from an open window or door (due to resident’s negligence)

Wall, ceiling (wallpaper)◆Cooking, grease, and oil stains in the kitchen (due to the resident’s negligence and lack of propercleaning)◆ Mold and stains caused by condensation formed on the wall (due to the resident’s negligence and lack ofproper cleaning)◆ Wall corrosion caused by water leaking from the air conditioner (due to the resident’s negligence)◆ Tobacco stains, odor and discoloration of wallpaper due to smoking (*No smoking)◆ Holes on the wall made by residents using nails and screws by to attach hooks or other items (whenreplacement/repair of the substrate panel/ wall is necessary.)◆ Marks or damages caused by lighting fixtures attached to the ceiling/walls by the resident.
◆ Graffiti
Fittings, sliding doors, pillars, etc.
◆ Scratches on pillars and walls and pet odor (*No pets!)◆ Graffiti
Equipment, other items◆◆◆◆

Cooking, grease, and oil stains in the gas stove area and ventilation fan (due to the resident’s negligenceof cleaning)
Water scaling and mold in the bathroom, toilet, and washroom (due to the resident’s negligence and lackof proper cleaning))
Damage to the equipment (due to the resident’s negligence and lack of proper care and cleaning or
misuse of the equipment)
Lock replacement due to damage or loss of the key for the housing unit

Note: Residents are responsible for expenses to repair any damage or stains other than items listed above
whether intentional, or due to negligence or lack of due diligence and proper care on the part of the resident.

2.

Resident Responsible Items
Category

Units of repair payable by the resident
In principle, mats will be replaced as one-piece units.

Floor

Repair ofdamage

Mat

When damage extends to more than one piece, all damaged
pieces are subject to repair. (Resurfacing or replacement will
depend on the degree of damage.)

Carpet, cushioned vinyl
flooring

If damage extends to multiple locations in one room, thecarpet or vinyl flooring for the entire room is subject torepair at resident’s expense.
In principle, the repair fee is charged in square-meter (m2)units.

Flooring

Wall/Ceiling(wallpaper)

Repair ofdamage

When damage extends to multiple locations in room,flooring for the entire room is subject to repair at resident’sexpense.

Wall (wallpaper)

In principle, a square-meter (m2) in unit (Wallpaper will bereplaced for the area including the damaged spot.)

Tobacco stain and odor

If there are tobacco stains, odor and discoloration of
wallpaper due to smoking, expenses for cleaning andrepapering the wall must be paid by resident.

Move-out Time
1. Notify the I-House Office at least 10 days ahead of your move-out date and arrange for amove-out inspection.
2. Close your bank account(s) in principle (leave enough money to settle remaining
payments), cancel your credit card(s) or change the bank from which your charges will
be withdrawn, cancel your mobile telephone contract, notify Wako City Hall of yourdeparture from Japan and take care of other items concerning your departure fromJapan. (For more details, please contact WiSS: wiss@riken.jp)
3. Mail delivered to the I-House Office will be forwarded to your Laboratory for one year
after your departure (except for mail that cannot be forwarded, e.g. Registered mail).
After the forwarding period it will be returned to the sender.
4. Before moving out, dispose of any garbage and waste. The apartment should be clean
and the furniture, etc. properly arranged.

5. Do not leave personal belongings in your apartment. I-House is not responsible for any
personal items left upon moving out. Please make sure that all garbage is properly
sorted and placed in the proper sheds before moving out.
6. An appointment will be arranged to complete the pre-move out inspection prior to yourmove-out date. As per the “I-House (long-term) Condition of Rental Property Checklist”,
the resident and I-House Staff use the move-in checklist during the pre-move out
inspection and again to determine if the resident needs to pay any fees for repairs,cleaning, and damage after move-out. If there is any damage to the facilities or fixtures(including the walls, floors, furniture, etc.) caused by your negligence you may be asked
to pay for the damage. And if we have to undertake special cleaning, above and beyond
the normal cleaning that would be expected, you may also be asked to pay to cover thecosts.
7. Return keys to the Housing Desk at the West Gate Guard Station, or key drop boxes (E &H buildings and Nishina Lodge, mail box areas).

CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any question about living in I-House, please contact one of the offices below.
1) I-House Office in E-building(ext. 8102, 8103, or 048-462-4721, 9am to 4pm, business days only)2) I-House Office in H-building(ext. 8300, or 048-462-4771, 9am to 4pm, business days only)3) Housing Desk at the West Gate Guard Station(ext. 2005, or 048-462-1338, 24hours/365days)
4) Wako International Support Services: WiSS (wiss@riken.jp)