What is a share house?

A share house is a shared rental residence that consists of a private room and a common space such as a living room, bathroom, toilet, and kitchen. It is popular because the rent is cheaper than living alone, you can meet share mates, and you can feel reassured by having a roommate.

Legally, it is a boarding house.

Under the Building Standards Act, so-called "share houses" are treated as "boarding houses" and are required to install disaster prevention equipment accordingly. Residents are not responsible for installing disaster prevention equipment, but whether or not these facilities are properly installed is a good indicator of whether or not the house is run by a trustworthy company.

The appeal of share houses

The appeal of a share house is that you can make connections with other people. In the past, many people were attracted to the low cost of living, but nowadays, more and more people are moving in because they want to make connections with other people. As a result, the appearance of share houses is becoming more diverse, with an increase in properties that come with facilities for a more comfortable life, such as lounges, libraries, and fitness rooms.

Differences from social apartments

A "social apartment" is a type of residence that offers even more independence than a share house. Each private room has a bathroom, toilet, and kitchen, and you don't have to go through the living room to get to your room. It's like having a lounge or theater room that any resident can use freely in a regular apartment building. In contrast, share houses are often renovated regular detached houses or apartments for families, so they are often designed to make the common areas, especially the living room, the center of life.

Difference from house sharing

House sharing is a style of living where two single people rent a house together and live together. It is also called room sharing. With house sharing, you decide who you will share with and sign a contract with a real estate agent yourself. In contrast, with a shared house, you each sign a contract with the management company of the shared house.

Differences from home sharing

Home sharing is one of the services offered by Apple Inc. and has nothing to do with housing. A similar term is "intergenerational home sharing," a style in which young people rent rooms in homes where elderly people live alone and live together. Whereas shared houses tend to attract people of a similar age, home sharing is characterized by people living together with a large age gap, such as parents and children or grandparents and grandchildren. Intergenerational home sharing is characterized by the fact that an NPO is involved, and multiple interviews are held before the people actually start living together, and support is provided during the cohabitation period.

Conditions for moving into a share house

It is said that it is easier to pass the screening process when applying for a share house compared to regular apartments and condominiums. However, that does not mean that there is no screening process. Also, because it is a property for communal living, there may be the following conditions:

sex

Some properties are available only for women or men. In the case of dormitory-type or semi-private properties, the rooms are usually separate for women and men. Therefore, even if there is a vacancy, you may not be able to move in if you do not meet the conditions.

age

Some share houses impose age restrictions on tenants. For example, Cross House properties have an age restriction of 18 to 39 years old. Age restrictions for tenants in share houses are often set to prevent problems caused by differences in values ​​between tenants. Also, as people get older, the risk of illness increases, and there are more cases of tenants being unable to pay rent, so some share houses impose age restrictions to avoid these risks.

Tenancy Period

Most places have a minimum tenancy period of one month. Most contracts are for one year, but you can terminate the contract early by notifying us in advance. Also, if both parties agree, the contract can be renewed.

Income (Savings)

Since monthly rent needs to be paid, there will be an examination of the ability to repay. Criteria for judging ability to repay include whether or not you have a permanent job, your occupation, income, amount of savings, etc.

Even if you meet the requirements, you may fail the screening.

In most cases, the criteria for the screening are not disclosed. Even if you meet the conditions for moving in, you may still fail the screening, but you will not be told why. However, there are certain characteristics of people who are likely to fail the screening. These are "bad impressions," "lack of cooperation," and "extremely poor communication skills." This is something that is unique to shared houses. If there is a risk of some kind of trouble with other tenants, it is not surprising that they would pass on moving in.

Who is suitable for a share house?

What kind of person is suitable for living in a share house? Let's take a look at some of the conditions below.

Someone who likes interacting with people

First of all, you need to be someone who enjoys interacting with people. When living in a shared house, you share the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and other spaces essential to daily life with your roommates. Living in the same space means you will have the opportunity to watch TV and play games together. People who can enjoy these things without finding it bothersome are suited to living in a shared house.

A tolerant and non-sensitive person

Next, be tolerant and not overly sensitive. When living together in a shared house, unexpected happenings are inevitable, such as food stored in the shared refrigerator being used by mistake or a loud noise being heard at night. People who can tolerate such happenings will be able to live in a shared house for a long time.

Independent people

People who can do the bare minimum of daily living properly, such as removing hair after a bath and washing and putting cooking utensils back after using the kitchen, are suited to living in a shared house because they are independent and considerate of their roommates. Also, since you will be living together with others, it is important to be mentally independent and not mind if people say things that you don't like.

People who like events

Share houses have events that are only possible in a communal living environment, such as takoyaki parties and game tournaments. People who enjoy such things are suited to living in a share house.

People who have little luggage and can pack it compactly

In a share house, the amount of space you have is limited. People who can pack their belongings as compactly as possible are best suited to a share house.

Find a share house with the right conditions for you

So far we have looked at the types of share houses and the conditions for occupancy. You may think that occupancy conditions are troublesome, but they are set because they are necessary. You can avoid trouble by finding a share house with occupancy conditions that suit you and undergoing a occupancy screening. "Cross House" operates many share houses, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area. If you are interested in a share house, please feel free to contact us.