[Leedsdad]

My son, a 3rd year student at SOAS, has just arrived in Tokyo for his year of study at Waseda Uni. He organised his own accommodation thru a private letting agency, based on price, location and online pictures of apartments. Although he asked the agency for the actual address of his selected apartment, he was only told this when he went to collect the key. Imagine, his disappointment (i.e. horror) at finding the apartment to be situated adjacent to two busy rail lines, one of which runs one metre from his apartment wall. The trains run for 20 hours a day, approx every 2 mins, and the whole apartment shakes when they pass.(Think: "My Beautiful Launderette") Is there anything my son can do under Japanese law to get out of the tenancy without penalty, given that the landlord has obviously withheld vital information, even when asked for it? I should say that, apparently, the apartment itself is very nice; it's only the location that is the (big) problem. Ironically, one of the conditions my son must comply with is to keep the noise down after 10pm. Sounds to me he could play Thee Michelle Gun Elephant @ full blast and no one would notice!
I look forward to reading other people's experiences.