Advantages and Disadvantages of Shared Houses　Key Points of Comfortable Living

Advantage 1　You can keep your initial costs and living expenses low

The biggest advantage of a shared house is that there is no need for a security deposit, key money, and broker's fee as in a regular rental apartment, so the initial cost burden at the time of moving in is small.

Please refer to the article below for a detailed explanation of the initial cost of a shared house.
Comparison of the initial cost of a shared house with that of an ordinary rental apartment

The actual utilities and other costs besides rent are split fifty-fifty, or are fixed in advance as common service fee, making it possible to keep costs down compared to living alone.

In addition, there are shared houses that do not require the renewal fees that are required for ordinary rental properties.
By choosing a shared house that does not require renewal fees, you can reduce the high costs that regularly occur.

Advantage 2　No need to secure lifelines or other procedures

Many of the shared houses do not require you to go through procedures to open the electricity, gas, and water lines when you move in. Those costs are also included in the rent or common service fee.

In addition, many properties are also equipped with Internet access, so there is no need for a new contract.

Since no procedures are required when moving out, living in a shared house is less hassle than living in an ordinary rental property.

Advantage 3　It allows you to live in a city center or designer property at a reasonable price

Shared housing with multiple tenants makes it possible to live inexpensively in central Tokyo and popular areas. Also, for shared houses, designer properties also offer reasonable rents.

In the case of ordinary rental apartments, rents for properties in the city center and designer properties are expensive, but in the case of shared houses, the advantage is that you can live in a stylish space for a low rent.

Advantage 4　Security is well maintained.

Many shared houses are well secured, with regular patrols and security cameras in place.

While rents for ordinary rental apartments are often high when security is a priority, shared housing offers high security at low rents.

Advantage 5　You feel safe knowing someone is always around.

Since there are several tenants living in a shared house, you can feel the presence of people in common areas and other places. So, you feel less lonely and anxious.

If you get sick or have a problem, you can ask one of the residents to help you.

Advantage 6　Cross-cultural exchanges and contacts available

In a shared house, where the lifestyle is different from living alone, you will meet a wide variety of people. There are also opportunities to interact with people from other prefectures as well as from overseas.

Another attraction of living in a shared house is the opportunity to meet people from different occupations. As a working adult, you tend to mainly interact with people from your company or business contacts, but the appeal of a shared house is that you can interact with people from different industries and cultures when you return home.

Advantage 7　Plenty of common areas and facilities

Many shared houses where a large number of people live together have a lot of common areas and facilities. The living/dining room is a comfortable space for relaxing and sometimes becomes a place for tenants to interact with each other. In addition, shared houses offer luxurious kitchen facilities, theater rooms, soundproof rooms, and other amenities that cannot be experienced by living alone.

Disadvantage 1　Living noise may bother you

In a shared house where a variety of people live together, the rhythms and habits of each person are different, so living noises occur at many times of the day. If you have a tenant whose rhythm of life is reversed from yours, you will experience more stress, so you should be especially careful.

Most shared houses have rules in place, but there is a risk of trouble when living with others.

While it is preferable that tenants can resolve issues through discussion, there are cases where they may get on bad terms. To avoid the worst-case scenario, consider consulting with the management company.

Disadvantage 2　Timing and sanitation of use of common areas

If several common facilities are not available, you may not be able to use them at your own convenience.

In many cases, especially in shared houses for a small number of people, common areas such as bathrooms and toilets are not provided for the number of people, so you may feel stressed when using them in the morning or at night when the house is crowded.

Some shared houses have rules regarding bathing hours and restrictions on the time of use, so it is recommended that you check the house rules before moving in.

In addition, consideration should be given when using common areas such as kitchens and restrooms. Shared houses have set rules for the use of common areas and facilities.

Some shared houses have a management company that takes care of garbage disposal and cleaning, which is recommended to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Disadvantage 3　It's difficult to ensure privacy

Since shared houses are basically furnished with private rooms, a certain degree of privacy can be maintained. However, unlike living alone, not all of the rooms in a shared house are completely private.

If you feel communication with other tenants is bothersome, we recommend you live in a shared house with completely private rooms. Before moving in, be sure to check the thickness of the walls of the private rooms and whether or not they have locks.

Key Point 1　Preliminary research and previews are a must!

Preparing a checklist by picking up your own concerns will help you during the preview.

• Whether the actual property is older than it looks in the picture
• Existence and contents of house rules
• Isn't the water system unsanitary?
• Are common areas tidy?
• Number of common areas and facilities (toilets, washrooms, washing machines, etc.)
• Thickness of walls and locks of private rooms
• Attributes of tenants (generation, gender, nationality)

etc.

Preparing a checklist of other things you are concerned about will be helpful during the preview.

In order to ensure a comfortable living environment, it is important to actually visit the shared house and check it out. Furthermore, by viewing and comparing multiple properties, you will be able to find a shared house that is more suited to you.

Key Point 2　Follow house rules

When living in a shared house with others, be sure to follow the house rules established for each property.

House rules were prepared to ensure a comfortable communal living environment. Violation of the rules not only causes inconvenience to other tenants, but also may result in a warning from the management company and even eviction from the property if repeated.

One of the charms of shared houses is that they allow residents to expand communication with each other. Let's have an amicable communal life while following the house rules.