Why people say Leopalace walls are thin
You will often see people say that Leopalace apartments have thin walls. This is not really about one company. How much sound travels between rooms depends on how the building was constructed, and even within the same brand, buildings differ by structure and year built.
This article explains what actually determines how much sound you hear, what you can do in the room you live in now, and what to check before you sign for your next place. It applies to any furnished rental you are considering.
Building structure decides how much sound travels
Rental housing in Japan is mostly built in one of three ways: wood frame, steel frame, or reinforced concrete (RC). As a rule, RC blocks the most sound, steel frame sits in the middle, and wood frame lets the most through. Wall thickness, materials, and whether sound insulation was installed all change what you actually hear.
| Structure | Sound insulation | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Reinforced concrete (RC) | Blocks the most sound | Higher |
| Steel frame | In between; varies with thickness and method | Mid-range |
| Wood frame | Sound travels easily | Easier to keep low |
Lower-rent apartments are often wood frame or light steel frame, and sound travels more in those buildings. Cost and quiet pull in opposite directions, so it comes down to which one matters more to you.
Year built matters too
Sound insulation standards have changed over the years. Two buildings under the same brand can be built very differently depending on when they went up. Rather than judging by brand, check the structure and the year built for the specific property you are looking at.
The kinds of sound you tend to notice
From next door, you mostly hear airborne sound: voices, a TV, a hair dryer. From above or below, you hear impact sound carried through the building itself, like footsteps or something dropped. You can reduce airborne sound with curtains and furniture placement, but impact sound depends much more on the structure.
What you can do in your current room
If moving is not an option right now, the basic approach is to reduce the paths sound takes in and out. Here are the options, starting with the ones that cost nothing.
Move your furniture
Push a bookshelf or wardrobe against the wall you share with your neighbour. Leaving a few centimetres of air between the furniture and the wall works better than pressing it flat. This is the cheapest thing you can try, and you can do it today.
Put a rug or carpet down
Footsteps and chairs scraping travel down to the floor below. A thick rug or an acoustic mat will soften that. Even sticking felt pads on your chair legs makes a noticeable difference.
Seal the gaps around doors and windows
Sound gets in and out through gaps. Draught tape under the door, weather stripping on the window, and heavy curtains all cut down noise from the corridor and the street. Acoustic curtains usually block light as well, which makes them an easy win.
Reduce the sound coming from your own room
Rethink when you run the washing machine or vacuum, use headphones instead of speakers, and take calls away from the shared wall. Noise tends to go both ways, so cutting down your own is often what makes the situation easier to live with.
If none of that is enough
If the noise still affects your daily life, talk to the management company. How they respond depends on whether it is a building issue or a particular resident. Keep a note of when the noise happens, what it sounds like, and how long it lasts. That record makes the conversation much easier.
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What to check before your next place
If you are thinking about moving, there are things you can confirm at the viewing. If quiet is a priority, check these four.
1. Structure and year built
The listing will state the structure (wood, steel frame, or RC) and the year and month it was built. RC is your best bet for quiet, but rent goes up accordingly. Balance it against your budget.
2. Knock on the wall
Tap the wall you would share with a neighbour and listen. A solid wall gives a dull sound; a hollow one rings higher. This is the clearest thing you can check in person during a viewing.
3. Where the room sits in the building
A corner unit only shares one wall, so there is less to hear. A top-floor unit has nobody above. Rooms next to the lift, the stairs, or the rubbish area pick up more traffic from the shared spaces.
4. Visit at a different time of day
If you can, walk the area again on a weekday evening or at the weekend. A street that is quiet at midday can feel different during the hours you would actually be home.
Comparing furnished rentals on noise
Furnished housing in Japan comes in several forms: single-occupancy apartments like Leopalace, monthly apartments, share houses, and furnished apartments. When you are comparing them on noise, these three points tell you the most.
How the private and shared areas are divided
Whether your room is fully self-contained, or whether you share a kitchen and bathroom, changes where everyday sound comes from. In housing with shared areas, ask how far your room is from the shared spaces.
Who else lives there
The closer other residents' daily schedules are to yours, the fewer problems come up. Whether a building is mostly working professionals or mostly students affects how it feels to live there. The operator can usually tell you the general pattern.
Whether you can move if it does not work out
People experience noise very differently, and you cannot really know until you live there. If the operator lets you transfer to another of their properties, a bad match costs you much less. It is worth asking before you sign.
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Furnished housing from XROSS HOUSE
XROSS HOUSE runs share houses and furnished apartments across 11 prefectures, centred on Tokyo. You move into a place that is already furnished, and the cost breakdown is fixed in advance.
What it costs
| Item | Amount (tax incl.) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | 30,000 yen | No deposit, no key money, no agency fee |
| Rent | Varies by property and room type | Private room, dormitory and so on |
| Shared service fee | 15,000 yen/month | Covers utilities and shared supplies |
| Support fee | 1,500 yen/month | Covers help with problems in your home |
You do not need a personal guarantor. If you sign as an individual, you will normally need to join a guarantor company, and an initial guarantee fee and a monthly guarantee fee apply on top of the initial cost. The amount is set by the screening when you apply, and we give it to you in your quote. If you are staying short-term and pay for your whole stay up front, you do not need a guarantor company at all.
You can move between our properties
If your workplace or your circumstances change after you move in, you can transfer between properties we manage. Since noise is something you only really judge once you are living there, this gives you a way out if the fit is wrong. We explain the conditions when you move in.
Room types
If you want your own kitchen and bathroom, we have furnished apartments. If keeping costs down matters more, we have private rooms in our share houses, along with dormitory options. Choose based on your budget and how much quiet you need.
You can see the full cost breakdown on our fees page.
Frequently asked questions
Are Leopalace walls thin?
It depends on the structure and the year the building went up. Wood frame and light steel frame buildings let more sound through than reinforced concrete. Rather than judging by brand, check the structure and build date of the specific property.
What can I do about noise coming through the wall?
Push heavy furniture against the shared wall, put an acoustic mat or thick rug on the floor, seal the gaps around the door and windows with tape, and hang heavy curtains. Work through them in that order, starting with what costs nothing.
Can I check sound insulation during a viewing?
Yes. Tap the wall you would share with a neighbour and listen to how it sounds. A solid wall sounds dull. Also check whether it is a corner unit, whether anyone lives above, and whether it backs onto the lift or stairs.
Which structure should I pick if quiet matters most?
Reinforced concrete blocks the most sound. Rent tends to be higher, so weigh it against your budget.
Can I find a quiet room in furnished housing?
Yes. Check the structure, where the room sits in the building, and who else lives there, and you can prioritise quiet in furnished housing too. Corner units, top floors, and rooms away from shared spaces all help.
What if it turns out to be noisy after I move in?
Try furniture placement and sealing gaps first, and talk to the management company if it still affects your daily life. At XROSS HOUSE you can transfer between the properties we manage.
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Only furnished properties with appliances are listed!
In summary
How much sound travels comes down to structure and build year, not the brand on the building. Wood frame and light steel frame keep rent lower but carry more sound; reinforced concrete is quieter but costs more. You are choosing which one matters more to you.
In the room you have now, the three things that work are moving furniture against the shared wall, putting a rug down, and sealing gaps. If you are moving, knock on the wall at the viewing and look at where the room sits in the building. And when you compare furnished housing, ask whether you can transfer if it does not work out.
