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How does Social Apartment differ from other housing options/share houses?
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We believe that Social Apartment represents a new standard in what life in a shared property can look like. While one of the main concerns that most people have is the lack of privacy in a shared apartment, we meticulously design our properties to have the perfect blend of private space and public interaction.
Starting from the stylish designer lounges, our residents have a variety of amenities provided to bring more fulfilling social interactions to their lives. These include in-house cafes, billiard rooms, fitness studios, business lounges, and rooftop terraces just to name a few. These spaces allow our residents to experience a standard of living that may be hard to achieve when living on their own.
Each of our property has their own unique features. In addition, while many shared apartments leave cleaning of common spaces to be decided by residents themselves, we go the extra mile and send our own cleaning staff multiple times a week to make sure that the public spaces are kept in great shape. This frees up our residents to really focus on the enjoyable parts of a shared lifestyle, instead of getting bogged down in the constant delegation of chores and other such items that might arise in a normal share-house.
Overall, we are committed to providing a shared environment that is also of an exceedingly high quality. It's a bit of a new idea, particularly here in Japan, but we think our company's success is a clear indication as to the level of interest Japanese people actually have in the kind of lifestyle we are providing.
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Where is the head office?
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Our head office is located in Shibuya, Tokyo, at the following address:
GRAPHY SHIBUYA
1-29-3 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0011, Japan
※Please note that we don't accept walk-ins without an appointment.
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What languages can I contact you in?
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We have staff speaking Japanese, English, and some French. We are happy to offer contracts and support materials in Japanese and English.
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What kind of people live in Social Apartment?
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All kinds of people! We have people from all sorts of lifestyles that call Social Apartment home, so it's a great place to meet new people that you may never have encountered otherwise!
For some basic info:
・52% Male 48% Female
・Average length of stay is 2 years
・Average age is late 20 to early 30s, but all ages are welcome
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What is the ratio of Japanese to Foreigners?
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The majority of our residents are Japanese, and about 15% of our residents are from countries outside of Japan. Some properties have more foreigners than others, but in general, Social Apartment is a great place for people from abroad to meet local Japanese friends.
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When can I use the common lounge?
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All of the common areas are available 24 hours everyday! However, we ask everyone to be considerate of other residents and be careful of excess noise, especially in the late evening.
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Can I invite my friends to stay in Social Apartment?
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Yes. Social Apartment encourages all kinds of social networking, and friends of residents are welcome to use the Common Lounge as your guests. They are also welcome to stay the night (for those staying longer than one night, some fees may apply). If you have guest coming over, please feel free to double check with us!
- Does every room come with it's own bathroom?
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This depends on the property, but the majority of Social Apartments have shared shower, bath, and toilet facilities. For properties with shared bathrooms, all of the cleaning of bathroom facilities is taken care of by cleaning staff, so there is a trade-off between convenience and privacy for those looking for their own bathroom. Please be sure to check this point for any properties you are interested in.
- Is every room furnished?
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The majority of rooms in Social Apartment are UNfurnished, so please be sure to check with sales staff about the state of furnishings in your room. In general though, every room comes equipped with an air-conditioner, and some sort of storage option (closet, wardrobe, etc.)
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Will I have internet in my own room?
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Every room comes with its own internet connection that is covered in the management fee. All of the common areas have WiFi, but to prevent issues with connection speed, each individual room comes equipped with it's own wired internet port. You are welcome to bring your own router if you would like to use WiFi in your own room.
*Some properties require individual contracts, so please be sure to check when you move in.
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Are utilities included?
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This depends on your property, so please be sure to confirm this beforehand. As a general rule, properties with shared bathroom have set utilities costs, and properties with private bathroom have their utilities paid based on usage. There are exceptions though, so please be sure to check the standards for your room before applying.
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What is the minimum length of stay?
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The minimum length of stay for the majority of Social Apartments is 6 MONTHS.
We do however have a select number of properties that can accommodate shorter stays of 3 MONTHS or more. We're sorry to say that we can not accept stays of less than 3 months.
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How often is the house cleaned?
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Professional housekeeping service is provided in the common areas of all Social Apartments, 4-6 days a week, depending on the property. Housekeeping service DOES NOT include dish-washing, so please make sure to wash and put away all dishes and utensils.
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Can I smoke in Social Apartment?
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No. Social Apartment is a non-smoking environment outside of designated smoking areas. This includes all private rooms and balconies as well, and this policy is strictly enforced.
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Can I move in with someone else?
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Most of the rooms in Social Apartment are designed with single occupancy in mind, so in general we do not allow sharing of rooms for friends. We do however, make exceptions for romantic couples, who are able to share rooms at an additional costs per month.
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Are pets allowed?
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As much as we love our four-legged friends, to prevent issues with allergies, we're sorry to say that all pets are strictly prohibited at Social Apartment.
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I am still under 20 years old. Can I live in Social Apartment?
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As long as you are of legal age to sign a contract in your home country, there should be no issues with moving into Social Apartment. However, there may be cases when your parents consent needs to be received, so please be sure to bring it up with sales staff during your consultation.
- What is included in monthly costs?
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In general monthly costs is calculated as your rent, management fee, insurance cost, and utilities for one month. Your management fee includes internet and television connections for your room as well as cleaning and maintenance of the property. Utilities costs differ from property to property, so please be sure to confirm this before your contract signing.
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What is included in the initial payment?
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The initial payment includes the initial costs total (deposit, key money, guarantor fee), the first month's prorated costs, and the second month's full costs.
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What is the deposit and do I get it back?
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Your deposit is calculated using your monthly rent as a base, and is held for the duration of your stay to handle any damages that may arise. In general, the deposit is returned at the end of your stay, but a set cleaning cost (varying from 30,000 to 40,000 yen, depending on the property) will be deducted regardless of the state of the room. Please be aware though that there are cases when additional fees are deducted from the deposit in the case of excessive damages that necessitate repairs.
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What is key money and do I get it back?
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Key money is a standard part of many Japanese rental contracts, and can be thought of as a non-refundable deposit for the building. Some Social Apartments charge key money and some do not, so please be sure to confirm this initial cost beforehand with staff. Key money is not returned after moving out.
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What's included in the management fee?
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Your management fee generally includes internet and television for your private room, the provision of cleaning staff for the common areas, maintenance costs for common spaces, as well as incidental items like dish-soap and toilet paper for common areas. In select properties, this fee may also cover some of your utilities cost.
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Is there a penalty fee for moving out early?
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This depends on your contract type, so please be sure to confirm this with your sales representative. That being said, as a general rule, 1 and 2 year plans do come with penalty fees for moving out before the end of your initial contract period. The amount depends heavily on your rent value, so please factor this into which contract type you choose.
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I have my own guarantor. Do I still have to pay the guarantor fee?
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In general yes. In order to standardise procedures for all residents, we require all residents (foreign and Japanese) to make the necessary contract with the designated guarantor company. As a result, we must ask all residents to pay the required guarantor fee.
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How can I pay my rent?
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Rent payments are handled through standard automatic withdrawal from a standard Japanese bank account. If you do not have a Japanese bank account, we will need to ask you to set one up in order to pay your monthly rent. We can provide some alternative billing methods while you set up your account, but we require all residents to make a Japanese bank account for rent withdrawal without exception.
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Can I come by and look at the room?
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Of course! We are available for viewings any day except for Wednesdays or National Holidays.
Viewing slots are available at 11:00, 15:00, and 18:00. We do ask that all viewing appointments be made at least a day in advance, as we need to dispatch our staff and coordinate travel to various properties.
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Can I apply from overseas?
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Yes. We accept inquiries and applications through email or phone, even from abroad. Please contact our staff if you would like to apply. We suggest email correspondence for those interested in applying from abroad. All of our application forms can generally be filled out online.
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How far in advance can I make a reservation?
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Our general policy is that a completely vacant room can be reserved up to 3 weeks ahead of time without payment. For rooms that are currently occupied or in the middle of cleaning, we can usually make reservations further in advance. Please consult with sales staff concerning your move-in date.
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What documents do I need for the application?
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For foreign applicants, the following documents are a base requirement:
・Passport
・Japanese Visa/ Residence Card
・Recent photograph of yourself
If you have not yet received your Japanese visa, please consult with sales staff before applying.
There are cases where additional documentation may be required.
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Can I list someone from my home country as my emergency contact?
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Your emergency contact MUST be someone currently residing in Japan. They do not have to be a Japanese national, but they must speak a moderate level of Japanese. Please note that as part of the application review, the guarantor company will need to get in touch with your emergency contact, so you should let them know to expect a phone call.
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When will I be able to confirm my move-in date?
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We will do our best to confirm your move-in date beforehand, but in cases where you apply for a room that is currently occupied, please be aware that we will need to coordinate cleaning and repairs to prepare it for your tenancy. The amount of time this takes depends heavily on the previous tenant, so there are cases in which cleaning takes longer than expected. We highly suggest in cases where you apply from abroad for a room that has not yet been cleaned, that you factor this possibility into your planning for your arrival.
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Where do I go to sign the contract and pick up my keys?
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You will need to come directly to our office to sign your contract and receive your room keys. We cannot sign your contract at the property itself, so please factor the time to come to our office into your arrival plans. We will announce you the details when you come to our office.
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What times can I come in for my contract signing? How long does it take?
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Our contract team is generally available for contract signing from 11AM to 6PM. It usually takes about 1 hour to coordinate your contract signing, so please be sure to factor that into your contract planning. We are not available for contract signings or key handoffs on Wednesdays.
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My flight arrives in Narita at 5pm, can I still make it that day to sign my contract?
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In general, we don't suggest anyone who arrives at Narita after 3pm try to make it to our office in time for a contract signing that day. There are a lot of procedures that take place at the airport that can slow you down, and if you are unfamiliar with the train system in Tokyo, trying to hurry with a large amount of luggage can make for a stressful, unpleasant start for your life in Japan.
We suggest staying at a hotel for your first night if you will be arriving in the late afternoon. We're very sorry to say that we cannot extend our office hours to accommodate late flights.
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How do I pay my initial move-in costs?
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Initial costs can be handled one of two ways:
・Credit Card Payment
Online payment of initial fees via credit card is available for customers from abroad.
For those looking to pay for everything beforehand and sign their contract on their arrival day, this is our suggested method.
Please note that there is a transaction fee charged for all credit card payments.
・Domestic bank transfer in Japan
For those already in Japan, we can accept the initial fees via domestic bank transfer.
We will provide you with the necessary bank details and you can transfer the money from any Japanese bank.
Some banks provide cash transfer services for non-account holders, so if you have not yet created an account yet, this may be a potential option for you.
This is suggested for those already living in Japan.
We absolutely cannot give you your keys or sign your contract without confirmation of your initial payment.
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