Coliving in Osaka
When it comes to finding a place to live, in most communities, renting is the most popular choice. In the rental housing market for Osaka, some renters choose traditional apartment rentals (in Japan, typically a two-year lease). There are also other, less traditional options for renters. In many cities around the world, the idea of coliving has become an increasingly popular alternative housing choice.
As a part of our series on coliving in Japan, we present some options for renters that want coliving in Osaka.
In this post, we will provide a list of companies managing coliving communities and shared houses in Osaka. For introductions to real estate agents and apartment brokers in Osaka, contact us. We are happy to help.
What is Coliving in Osaka?
Coliving is a style of living that has become more common in recent years. Coliving is used to describe living with others, with at least some common areas shared among tenants. Coliving might have the same meaning as “being roommates,” with one or more tenants’ names on the lease, and some arrangement for splitting the monthly bills for utilities and other shared amenities.
Coliving commonly describes larger groups of people (as many as 10 or more), and usually involves some kind of formal structure for the communal living. Coliving spaces can operate as a business, with a for-profit company that provides management of the collective living space. Unlike roommate scenarios, coliving spaces are often furnished, and include utilities like electricity and internet access, as well as household items for shared spaces like kitchens and living rooms.
Another popular option is a share house… a home in which people rent the individual bedrooms, but share the kitchen and other common areas. Kind of like living with roommates except that everyone who lives there has made their arrangements separately with the owner and likely do not know each other. These communal living spaces foster a sense of community and provide an excellent opportunity to make friends and build connections with people from diverse backgrounds.
— Anton Worman (from his book, Free Houses in Japan)
Because coliving and share houses in Osaka are professionally managed, they typically have a process that allows new tenants to come and go more easily than a typical Osaka apartment. Coliving and shared houses are more convenient, and allow their residents to avoid the apartment move-in fees in Japan (like key money), as well as the need for a guarantor (foreigners are often surprised by the need for a guarantor for an apartment lease in Osaka).
Because the terms of a lease to live in a coliving house are more flexible, residents of Osaka coliving houses may come and go more often than traditional roommate situations. The length of the lease for a coliving contract can be as short as a week or two, or as long as a year (or more). When the coliving space is operated by a for-profit manager or company, the residents may have no opportunity to meet, interview, or approve new residents, and may have no notice of the coming and going of housemates. Share houses in Japan that are run as a business are on the rise, following the trend of minpaku.
The three most common reasons for choosing coliving housing in Osaka are: 1.) To intentionally live with others, with a sense of shared community, 2.) To save money versus more private accommodations, and, 3.) Because coliving spaces allow the renter a simple, short-term lease, where apartment rental fees are included in the rent, and the renters can select a shorter term for the lease.
Some share houses have a certain “concept” to appeal to a group of people; examples are share houses that focus on exercise, coliving spaces for entrepreneurs, and female-only share houses in Osaka.
Ultimately, your experience with shared housing in Japan will be personal. The quality of the interactions with the other people in that coliving community, and the ability of the house manager to provide a structure where residents can coexist and enjoy the shared space, will be major factors in your experience.
Osaka Share Houses
Coliving spaces are often called share houses in Osaka, with multiple people living in a house, an apartment unit, or or building with shared facilities.
Share houses in Japan are often foreigner-friendly, and can cater to working holiday visitors, digital nomads, and other long stays in Japan. Some coliving spaces in Japan are marketed to foreigners, and the intentional focus on community can create a situation with several international residents living together.
With coliving housing in Japan, there is typically a shared building where each individual signs a contract with the owner to rent their own “room.” Other features such as a bathroom, kitchen, washing machine, etc., are shared among the residents. This is common in a house-type share house. There are also apartment-type share houses where the units are more private (like typical apartments), but with some communal spaces and appliances shared between residents.
While the typical lease for an apartment in Japan is intended to be ongoing until the resident decides to move out, an Osaka share house lease is typically for a set period of time. The length of stay is specified in the contract. If the resident would like to stay longer, they can check with the manager (in advance) to see if space is available, and a new lease can be signed.
If your stay is between a few months and two years, and if you would prefer the community-style living, an Osaka share house might be for you.
Companies That Run Share Houses in Osaka
There are many choices for coliving housing in Osaka, depending on your area of stay, budget, and consideration of other aspects. Some coliving spaces are run by an individual owner. Other share houses are managed and supervised by a real estate company; sometimes they own those properties, or they are contracted to provide management for the owners.
Below we have a compiled list of companies that run Osaka coliving houses to help you find the right accommodation during your stay.
Osaka Share House Companies
Tesen
– Website: https://www.tesen.jp/
– Phone number: +81-6-6949-8577
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 4
Borderless House
– Website: https://www.borderless-house.jp/jp/
– Phone number: +81-3-5829-9161
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 3
Share House KIKUYA
– Website: https://guesthouse-kikuya.com/
– Phone number: 0120-108-138
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 14
MAGICO
– Website: https://osakasharehouse.jp/
– Phone number: 06-6180-6508
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 3
YES! Share House
– Website: https://yes-sharehouse.com/
– Phone number: in**@************se.com
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 5
C’s (Si:s) Share
– Website: https://sharehouse.jpn.com/en/
– Phone number: in**@************se.com
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 26
J&F Plaza
– Website: https://jafplaza.com/
– Phone number: 06-4256-6704
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 2
Come on Up
– Website: https://www.comeonup-house.com/
– Phone number: 06-6836-9915
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 8
Guest House Osaka
– Website: https://guesthouseosaka.com/en/
– Phone number: +81-6-6627-790
– Number of share houses in Osaka: 5
Alternatives to Coliving in Osaka
While the communal living style has some attractive characteristics, some lifestyles might benefit from other choices for renting short-term apartments in Osaka.
If you would prefer a private, furnished apartment in Osaka, or the lower cost of a traditional Osaka rental apartment, contact us. We’re happy to introduce you to local Osaka apartment rental agents that can help you find what you need.
————————————–
Find Osaka Agents is a product of 三足紋合同会社.
For information about Sapporo or property and housing in the Hokkaido region, see:
— Coliving in Sapporo
— A list of hostels in Sapporo
— Descriptions of short-term housing in Sapporo
— How to buy property in Hokkaido