What is a dormitory-style share house?

A share house consists of shared spaces such as a living room, kitchen, bath, washroom, and toilet, as well as each individual's private room.
The rooms are broadly divided into dormitory type, semi-private type, and private room type.
"Dormitory" means "boarding house" or "student dormitory" in English.
From there, the term has expanded to refer to a room in a shared house where there are multiple bunk beds in one room and several people share it.
Generally, the only space you will have private is the top of your bed, but recently there are many properties that are equipped with private storage space and locked safes, and that consider comfort and privacy.
In addition, the rent is lower because the space is smaller. Semi-private rooms are similar to dormitory rooms in that multiple people share one room, but the layout offers more privacy than dormitories.
As the name suggests, private rooms are rooms where one person uses one room.

Advantages and disadvantages of dormitories

Here, we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of living in a dormitory-style shared house.

Benefits of Dormitory

Some of the benefits of living in a dormitory-style shared house include being able to get along with your roommates, keeping costs down, and having almost everything you need for daily life provided.
Let's take a look at each one in order.

Become friends with your roommate

The first is to become friends with your roommate.
Dormitory-type rooms are shared by multiple people.
Because the distances are so close, there are many opportunities to talk and get to know each other, and there are many chances to become friends.
Making friends with different relationships than those you have with your family, school, workplace, or part-time job will expand your world.
Sometimes you may need to give them advice or they may give you advice.
Some people even seem to keep in regular contact with each other even after they have left the share house.

Cost savings

The second advantage is cost savings.
Dormitory-type accommodations tend to have smaller spaces, so the rent is usually cheaper.
In addition, in a shared house, utility bills, communication fees (Wi-Fi fees), and the cost of consumables such as toilet paper and detergent are included in the common area fee.
This allows you to live at a lower cost than if you were living alone.
Having a fixed housing cost will also make it easier to budget for your living expenses.

Almost everything you need for daily life is available

The third benefit is that almost everything you need for daily life is available.
When you start living alone in an apartment, you will need to purchase household appliances such as a refrigerator, washing machine, and vacuum cleaner.
You will also need furniture, basic tableware, and if you plan to cook your own meals, cooking utensils such as knives, cutting boards, and pots.
Even if you use a recycle shop, you will have to incur some expenses and it will take some effort to arrange things.
In a shared house, not only are all the appliances and daily necessities in the common areas provided, but the furniture in your own space is also provided, making it easy to start living alone.

Disadvantages of dormitory-style accommodation

While there are many benefits, there are also some disadvantages to living in a dormitory-style shared house.
Common concerns include "there is a set time for lights out," "concerns about how valuables will be managed," and "not being able to choose who you share with."
Let's take a look at each one in order.

Lights-out time is set

The first disadvantage is that there is a set time for lights-out.
In dormitory-style rooms, multiple people live together.
There are rules for living together, and even if there are no rules, it is necessary to be considerate.
Lights and noise in rooms at night in particular can easily cause trouble, so some properties have designated lights-out times.
Depending on the time that is set, some people may find it stressful because it does not match their schedule.
In addition to the lights-out time, the smell of room fragrances and the sound of phone calls can also cause problems.
Please be aware that you are living in a community and be careful.

Worried about managing valuables

The next concern is the worry of managing valuables.
In many shared houses these days, each resident is assigned a locked safe to keep their valuables safe, so there shouldn't be any problems if you keep your valuables in there.
However, the weakness of dormitory-style rooms is that the private space above the bed is only separated by a curtain, so you don't get your own space.
For this reason, there seem to be quite a few people who are worried about the safety of their valuables.

You can't choose who you share with

Finally, many people see the inability to choose who they share their room with as a disadvantage.
If you have a lot of preferences for people who only want a certain type of person, we do not recommend the dormitory type.

Who is suitable for a dormitory?

So far, we have looked at the advantages and disadvantages of dormitory-style accommodation.
So, what kind of people are suitable for living in a dormitory-style shared house?

Someone who likes to interact with people

First of all, I am someone who enjoys interacting with people.
In a dormitory-style accommodation, some interaction with your roommate is unavoidable.
For those who can enjoy this, we recommend the dormitory-style accommodation.

Someone who doesn't care about the little things

Next, there are people who don't sweat the small stuff.
Minor problems and accidents are inevitable, such as someone leaving their personal belongings in the shared space of the room or someone coming home after lights-out and making noises.
People who don't mind small details like being able to flush these things will find it easier to live in a dormitory.

People who want to save money

Lastly, people who want to save money.
Dormitory-type accommodation offers overwhelmingly cheaper rent than other shared houses.
Furthermore, you can save on food costs by cooking your own meals in the shared kitchen, and you can also do your laundry and take a bath inside the share house.
Dormitory-style accommodation is recommended for people who want to spend as little money as possible on housing and spend it on other things.

Impressions from people who actually lived there

When we ask people who have actually lived in a dormitory-style share house for their impressions, we get a lot of positive feedback, such as "There's just the right amount of distance between people, and it's comfortable," "It's like we're all working together to create a home that's easy to live in," and "I met people who had a big impact on me."
It seems that in most places, everyone lives with consideration for each other.

Start a new life in a dormitory-style share house

Do you understand what a dormitory-style shared house is, what its advantages and disadvantages are, and what type of people it is suitable for?
When you live alone for the first time, things often don't go as you expect.
One option is to start living alone in a small dormitory-style shared house. Cross House Co., Ltd. operates many shared houses, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
If you are interested in a share house, please feel free to contact us.