Room sharing is one option when you start living alone.
Room sharing is a lifestyle that has become increasingly popular among young people in recent years.
Sharing a home with multiple people can help you save on living expenses and have a more sociable life.
In this article, we will introduce the advantages and disadvantages of room sharing, as well as the important points to keep in mind for a comfortable communal life.
By understanding the advantages and disadvantages of room sharing, you will be able to make a choice that suits your lifestyle.
We will introduce various case studies and tips for success, so please use them as a reference.
What is the definition of room sharing?
Room sharing means living together with multiple people (non-family members, friends, etc.) by renting a property and sharing some or all of the room.
How many people you share with and what you share will vary, but in most cases you will share the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and toilet.
Basically, room sharing is when you each have your own room and live together with other people.
Also, people who live together are called "roommates" or "sharemates."
Benefits of room sharing
First, let me introduce the benefits of room sharing.
We'll explain in detail the benefits of room sharing, from sharing living expenses to a sociable environment.
The main benefits of room sharing are six:
- Reduces financial burden
- I'm not lonely
- Able to share household chores
- We can help each other when something happens
- A sense of security in daily life
- If we get along, every day is fun
I will explain each one in order.
1. Reduces financial burden
The biggest advantage of room sharing is that it reduces the financial burden.
Not only can you save on rent, but by sharing monthly utility bills and food costs, you can also keep them low, and the initial costs of moving will also be less of a burden.
You can divide rent and utility bills by the number of people living with you, so you can save more than if you lived alone.
What's particularly attractive is that you can live in a spacious room while saving money.
For example, if you live alone in Tokyo, the rent for a one-room apartment is usually around 70,000 to 80,000 yen, while a larger 1LDK or larger room will cost around 100,000 to 120,000 yen.
If you split the rent for a 1LDK or larger apartment, the burden per person will be around 50,000 to 60,000 yen.
In this way, by splitting the rent, you can live in a larger room for less money than if you lived alone.
When the room is larger, the facilities such as the kitchen, toilet, and bathroom will often be more complete, and you will be able to live in a more comfortable environment than in a one-room apartment.
2. I don't feel lonely
Many people who live alone feel lonely at times.
Even if you are such a person, you won't feel lonely if you share a room.
Greetings such as "Have a nice day" or "Welcome back" and, if the other person has left first, the room will be bright and the air conditioner will be on, which will help ease the mental stress.
Sometimes we talk to each other about what happened that day, which helps us feel less homesick.
3. Housework can be shared
When sharing a room, it is common to share household chores.
When you live alone, you have to do a lot of household chores every day, such as cleaning, laundry, cooking, and washing dishes.
However, if you share a room, you can reduce the burden of housework by working together with your roommates to share the responsibilities.
For example, it would be a good idea to set flexible rules, such as rotating days of the week or assigning people to do household chores that they are good at.
As a result, you will spend less time on housework and more time on your hobbies and interests.
Another big attraction is that if you live alone, it helps you avoid wasting food that tends to get left over.
4. We can help each other when something happens
When you share a room, you can support each other in various situations, such as when illness or trouble occurs.
You can receive help that you wouldn't be able to get if you lived alone, such as having someone look after you when you're sick or receiving packages for you.
It can be especially worrying when you're feeling unwell.
At times like these, you will realize the benefits of room sharing.
5. It creates a sense of security in daily life
Room sharing involves two or more people living together, which reduces the time you are away from home and mitigates the risk of crime.
It also reduces the chances of you becoming involved in crimes such as burglary, so you can rest assured about security.
There may be times when your roommate returns home before you, which gives you a sense of security.
You can travel with peace of mind even when you are away from home for an extended period of time, such as when traveling or returning to your parents' home.
6. If you get along well, every day is fun
If your roommate is a close friend or someone you get along with, your days will be a lot of fun.
When you share a room, you'll often be together at breakfast and dinner time on weekdays, and on weekends too.
This makes it easier to make plans and gives you more time to go shopping, go to the movies, and do other things together on the weekends.
Spending more time together will strengthen your relationship even more than if you lived apart.
Also, having roommates allows you to share various deals and information.
For example, by exchanging a lot of information, such as sales and event information, you can create wonderful memories together.
Disadvantages of room sharing
Room sharing has not only its advantages, but also some disadvantages that you should be aware of.
Next, we will introduce the disadvantages of room sharing.
Understand both the good and bad sides and gain the knowledge you need to live together smoothly.
- It's hard to find private time
- Arguments due to differences in values
- Financial troubles occur frequently
- I have to be careful because our lifestyles don't match
- Room sharing may be terminated due to the other party's circumstances.
I will explain each one in order.
1. It's hard to find private time
While sharing a room can help you avoid the loneliness of living alone, it can also be stressful if you want to be alone.
Even though each person has their own room, there are no solid walls between them and their neighbors.
Noises and everyday sounds can be distracting and unsettling.
Also, when you share a living room, kitchen, or bathroom, you always feel the presence of others.
Even if you are in your own room, if shared areas such as the living room are noisy, you may not be able to concentrate on your work or tasks, and they may not get done.
As a result, many people who have experienced this feel that even though they are able to secure their own room, they are unable to have any private time because they are living with others.
2. Conflicts occur when values are too different
One of the disadvantages is that differences in values with your roommate could cause problems.
When sharing a room, it is common for arguments to break out over things that wouldn't bother you when you're alone, such as how often cleaning is done, how to use the bathroom, and so on.
No one was born and raised in the same environment as you.
There may be times when what you think is common sense doesn't work.
In such cases, the key to living smoothly together is to understand each other's cultures and the common sense that each person has acquired, and to live without imposing your own values on others.
No matter how close you are to your friends, you are still strangers.
Before you start sharing a room, it is important to decide on the rules of living together, such as the division of household chores, payments, and how to use the shared spaces.
3. Financial troubles are frequent
When sharing a room, disputes over money, such as rent and living expenses, are likely to arise.
For example, if your roommate
- Not financially independent
- I have a terrible spending habit
- Suddenly I lost my job
In cases like these, no matter what rules you set, the deadline may still be slipped.
Or, you may have to pay on their behalf.
When sharing a room, you need to be prepared for these kinds of risks.
4. Being conscious of our different lifestyles
Your daily routines and habits, including bedtimes and wake-up times, may not match, so you need to be considerate of your partner.
When you live alone, you can use the bath or toilet whenever you want, but when you share a room, there are many cases where you cannot use them when you want to.
For example, if you both prefer to take a bath in the morning, you'll need to be careful not to overlap in your bath times.
The same applies if you have to take a shower in the middle of the night due to work commitments.
There are also many other potential problems that can arise, such as different ways of using the bath or sink, or how to collect trash.
Since we live together, we can't live completely separate lives.
Therefore, it is important to respect each other.
5. The other party may terminate the room share arrangement for their own reasons.
Room sharing can suddenly end if your roommate gets married, gets transferred, or their relationship deteriorates.
Additionally, many people choose to share a room as a temporary solution.
For this reason, it is not uncommon for the relationship to be quickly dissolved if the roommate suddenly finds a romantic partner.
If your roommate moves out, you will either have to move out or have to pay the rent that you had split in order to continue living there, which can be a significant burden.
In order to amicably end a sudden room-sharing arrangement, it's a good idea to decide on rules in advance regarding moving-out fees, rent, and living expenses.
It is also a good idea to decide from the start who owns the furniture and appliances in shared spaces.
There are few properties where you can share a room
Generally, there are few rental properties that allow room sharing.
So when you are thinking about moving, be sure to ask the real estate agent whether it is okay to share a room.
There are two main reasons why there are so few rental properties that allow room sharing.
- Many tenants move out and rental income disappears
- To avoid complaints from neighbors about noise, etc.
We will explain each one in detail.
Many tenants move out and rental income disappears
One of the reasons why there are so few rental properties that allow room sharing is that there are many cases of roommates moving out due to disputes between roommates, which results in no rental income.
No matter how close you are, fights and troubles are inevitable for various reasons, such as financial issues or differences in values.
The upshot of this is that room sharing ends and many people move out.
For landlords, vacant properties mean no rental income.
Many landlords would rather fill vacant rooms with single people or families who will pay rent regularly, rather than taking on the risk of room sharing.
For this reason, there are many rental properties that do not allow room sharing.
In some cases, you may be asked to pay a higher than normal security deposit and key money as a precautionary measure.
To avoid complaints from neighbors about noise, etc.
Especially if you share a room with friends, there is a possibility that they will be noisy all night, and you are more likely to have trouble with neighbors than if you lived alone.
If there is trouble with neighbors, there is a possibility that the surrounding residents will move out, which poses a high risk for the landlord.
In order to prevent these kinds of complaints and problems, there are few rental properties that allow for room sharing.
Tips for a comfortable room share
So far, we have introduced the advantages and disadvantages of room sharing.
Next, we will introduce five tips to make your room sharing a success.
There are various points to consider, from smooth communication to setting rules, so please take a look.
- Be clear about how you will pay for the expenses
- Sharing household chores thoroughly
- Make an appointment to invite people
- Decide on the rules for moving out
- Go to the viewing with your roommate
1. Be clear about how you will pay for the expenses
It is important to clearly define how you will pay for expenses such as rent, utilities, and food.
If one partner is loose with money, payments may be delayed, which could put a burden on the more diligent partner.
Keep detailed records of your living expenses and set aside a settling date once a month.
If the settlement date is delayed, there is also a way to collect a "contingency fee" in advance to ensure that neither party is in financial difficulty.
Another tip for successful room sharing is to set up a joint bank account with your roommates.
By having rent and utility bills debited from that account, it will save the representative a lot of trouble and they will never forget to make a payment.
To ensure your room sharing is successful, be sure to decide from the start who will pay rent and utility bills and how you will pay them.
2. Divide up household chores
When sharing a room, dividing up household chores can often be a source of trouble.
Pushing all the housework onto one person can lead to stress and resentment, which can lead to arguments.
Therefore, make sure to divide up household chores properly.
It's important to clearly decide who will do which chores on different days of the week and at different times, and who will clean, do the laundry, cook, wash the dishes, and take out the trash when.
Of course, not everything will go according to plan, but if one person takes over the household chores, be sure to balance it out later.
In case an unexpected situation occurs, it is also a good idea to establish rules in advance for how to respond when the duty system is disrupted.
Also, decide on a penalty in case chores are not performed on the assigned day.
By setting penalties, you will be less likely to forget your responsibilities and will be more forgiving if others don't do their housework.
Just like with rules, it is important that the content of penalties is decided upon by residents through discussion.
3. Make arrangements to invite people over
It's easy to overlook this when living in a shared room, but be sure to make arrangements when inviting guests over.
Since I have roommates, even if I want to invite someone over to my house, I first need to get permission from my housemates.
For the other person, having a stranger come to their home can be a little stressful and worrying.
- Only invite mutual friends
- Decide the day to invite your lover
By creating specific rules like these, you will be able to continue sharing a room without causing trouble for each other.
4. Decide on rules for when you move out
Once you have decided to share a room, you should also decide on rules for when you move out.
There are four main things you need to decide:
- How many months in advance should you give notice to end your room share?
- Ownership of furniture and appliances in shared spaces
- How to divide rent by day or by bill
- Moving and evacuation costs
If either party moves out it will involve money, which can easily lead to major trouble.
I recommend you to set clear and specific rules.
Your roommate may be confused if you are suddenly told that the relationship is ending, so be sure to give them a flexible schedule.
Another option for room sharing is to decide on a period of time, such as 2-3 years, to coincide with the property renewal date.
5. View the property with your roommate
When viewing a share house, be sure to coordinate your roommates' schedules and go together.
If even one person is not satisfied, dissatisfaction may become apparent after the contract is signed, which could lead to trouble.
Also, please refer to the following for items to check when viewing the property.
- Location
- Number of rooms
- Presence or absence of shared spaces such as a living room
- Unit bath or not
- Surrounding Area
- Sunlight
Taking the above into consideration, be sure to sign a contract for a property that all of your housemates are satisfied with.
To do this, we recommend that all your roommates attend the viewing together if possible.
What is the difference between room sharing and a share house?
The difference between room sharing and a share house is the type of housing.
"Share" means to share.
So, room sharing means sharing a room, and a share house means sharing a house.
In other words, room sharing is a living style in which you share one room with multiple people.
For example, this refers to two people living in a one-room apartment.
On the other hand, a shared house is a style of living where you share an entire house with multiple people.
Each unit has its own room, and the residents share the bathroom and kitchen.
Although they are similar words, there is a difference in the definition of room sharing and shared house.
summary
In this article, we will introduce the advantages and disadvantages of room sharing.
Room sharing has economic and social benefits, but it also brings challenges in terms of privacy and interpersonal relationships.
First of all, the benefits of room sharing include saving on living expenses and improving your living environment.
In addition, there will be interaction and cooperation in shared spaces, which will help reduce feelings of loneliness.
On the other hand, room sharing requires privacy restrictions and adherence to rules.
When sharing a room, it's important to value daily communication, follow the rules, and be considerate in your behavior.
If you are thinking about sharing a room, be sure to understand the points and precautions introduced in this article and make sure you do so.
