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A Simple Guide to Greeting Your New Neighbors | Moving Etiquette & What to Do If They’re Not Home
2026.04.09
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A Simple Guide to Greeting Your New Neighbors | Moving Etiquette & What to Do If They’re Not Home
When moving into a new home, greeting your neighbors is the first step toward building good relationships. Although fewer people make these visits nowadays, meeting your neighbors in advance can help prevent potential troubles down the line.
In this article, we clearly explain the basic etiquette for greeting neighbors when moving, as well as how to handle situations when they are not at home.
Basics of Greeting: Timing, Who to Visit, and Choosing a Gift
Let’s start with the basic rules for greeting neighbors when you move.
Proper Timing for Greetings
On moving day, the parked truck and the loading and unloading of belongings may inconvenience your neighbors. Ideally, greetings should be done before the moving work begins.
At your previous residence, it is best to greet neighbors by the day before moving out. If they are not home, try again before the work starts on moving day.
At your new home, it is recommended to greet neighbors on the moving day before搬入 (moving-in) work begins. Avoid early mornings and mealtimes in the evening, and aim to visit between around 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Who You Should Greet
The appropriate range of greetings depends on the type of residence.
For a detached house, it is customary to greet both immediate neighbors, the three houses across the street, and the house directly behind. These are households you are likely to encounter through trash disposal or neighborhood associations.
For apartments or condominiums, greet the units on both sides and those above and below you. If you have small children or pets, mentioning this briefly during the greeting can help prevent noise-related misunderstandings.
In smaller apartment buildings, it may be appropriate to greet all households on the same floor. Also, be sure to greet the building manager or concierge—who support daily life in the building—before your belongings are moved in.
Budget and Choosing a Gift
The general budget for greeting gifts is around ¥1,000 for neighbors, and approximately ¥1,500–¥3,000 for landlords or building managers. Overly expensive gifts may make recipients uncomfortable, so it’s best to avoid them.
Commonly chosen gifts are consumables or daily necessities that won’t burden the recipient. Typical examples include:
• Sweets (such as individually wrapped baked goods)
• Preserved foods or seasonings (canned or bottled items)
• Daily necessities (towels, plastic wrap, dishcloths, dish detergent, etc.)
• Gift cards
If you choose food or sweets, items with a long shelf life and neutral tastes are safest. For daily necessities, simple designs and fragrance-free products are recommended, as preferences can vary.
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When Neighbors Are Not Home: Revisit Guidelines and Notes
If your neighbor is not home, try visiting again two or three times on different days. Visiting at a different time—such as weekday evenings (around 7:00–8:00 p.m.) or during the daytime on weekends—can increase the chance of meeting them.
If you still cannot meet them, do not force repeated visits. Instead, it is acceptable to place the gift in their mailbox with a short note. The note should include your name, room number (or address for a detached house), and a brief message saying that you have recently moved in.
If you hang a gift on the doorknob, be mindful that leaving it there for too long may signal that the home is unoccupied. If it remains untouched for an extended period, it is considerate to retrieve it once.
In Closing
More important than formalities, moving greetings are about showing consideration for others. By choosing the right timing, using polite language, and responding thoughtfully when neighbors are not home, you can build positive relationships in your new community. To start your new life comfortably, be sure to observe these basic manners.
At Land Housing, we support everyone beginning a new life in Tokyo by carefully selecting ideal properties with the help of professionals who know the local areas well. We not only introduce floor plans and storage options, but also provide detailed information on the surrounding environment so you can imagine your life after moving in. If you are looking for a home around the Suginami area, please feel free to leave it to us.
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