[note Q&A Box] Summary of Q&A regarding Contracts and Reliability | LLC-HOUSE (Latest as of July 28, 2026)
Thank you for visiting our summary of Q&A regarding share houses!
LLC-HOUSE shares information on our note page about the mechanisms that allow us to maintain rent in the 30,000 yen range per month in Tokyo, as well as our unique cost-cutting efforts. Among the questions sent by readers to our note Q&A box, we have compiled the answers to “Concerns regarding the reliability of contracts and operations” related to tips on choosing a share house and our company's unique know-how here.
We will continue to update this summary article as new questions and answers are added.
《Q&A Box Magazine》
《Other Q&A Summaries》
Summary of answers to questions about costs and cost-performance
Summary of answers to questions about property quality and facilities
Summary of answers to questions about trouble and move-out procedures
Summary of answers to questions about location and living environment
Summary of answers to questions about tenant attributes and compatibility
■ List of questions and answers received (in order of new questions/answers)
▶ Q | I heard that a “one-month notice” for move-out is standard, but if the move-out date is decided at the last minute due to a sudden job transfer, is it unavoidable to pay double rent?
A | With a sudden move-out, you may incur double rent until the contract end date. If the move-out date is decided at the last minute due to a sudden job transfer, rent will be charged until the contract end date, not the day you actually leave the room.
Therefore, if the start date of your new home's contract and the end date of your LLC-HOUSE contract overlap, you may incur double rent for a certain period.
■ LLC-HOUSE contracts end on the “last day of the month following the notice date”
At LLC-HOUSE, you must notify us of your move-out via the dedicated tenant LINE, and the contract will end on the last day of the month following the month in which you notified us.
For example, if you notify us of your move-out in July, whether the notice date is July 1st or July 31st, the contract end date is August 31st.
On the other hand, if the notice is given on August 1st, the contract end date will be September 30th.
Therefore, if you realize there is a possibility of moving out near the end of the month, it is important to notify us early before the month changes.
■ Note that it is not always “one month in advance”
In rental housing, it is sometimes explained that “cancellation notice is one month in advance,” but the actual cancellation conditions vary depending on the contract. In the case of LLC-HOUSE, the contract does not end exactly one month after the notice date, but on the last day of the month following the notice month.
Therefore, the actual notice period changes depending on the notice date.
・If notified near the end of the month: Approximately 1 month
・If notified near the beginning of the month: Approximately 2 months
Please check when you should notify us to have the contract end at the end of which month, rather than one month before the day you want to move out.
■ Move-out notice is made via the dedicated tenant LINE
At LLC-HOUSE, you can notify us of your move-out via the dedicated tenant LINE. The basic flow is as follows:
1. Communicate your intention to move out via the dedicated tenant LINE
2. Send necessary information such as your name, property name, and room number
3. Receive guidance on the contract end date and move-out procedures from the management staff
4. Remove your personal belongings using the specified method
5. Send photos of the room after removal to LINE
The date and time of transmission and the history of the exchange remain on LINE. However, since questions or consultations may not count as a formal move-out notice, please be sure to confirm that your move-out notice has been accepted.
■ What you can do to reduce double rent
To minimize double rent, it is important to notify us of your cancellation as early as possible once you know the possibility of a transfer or move. In addition, you can also consider the following methods.
・Adjust the start date of your new home contract
・Use a rent-free period for your new home
・Check for transfer subsidies or double rent subsidies from your employer
・Notify LLC-HOUSE of your cancellation before the month changes
■ Summary
At LLC-HOUSE, contracts end at the end of the month following the month in which you notify us of cancellation.
If your notification is delayed due to a sudden transfer, etc., rent may still be incurred until the contract end date even after you have actually moved out, making it impossible to avoid double rent with your new home.
Once you know the possibility of moving out, please notify us as soon as possible via the resident-only LINE before the month changes.
▶ Q | If I move out of a share house after a few months, how much is the typical penalty fee? Please tell me the market rate for the minimum contract period.
A | In conclusion, the market rate for the minimum contract period in the share house industry is "3 to 6 months." A penalty fee of "1 to 2 months' rent" is common, but you should be careful as some operators set exorbitant penalties.
At LLC-HOUSE, which has been operating share houses in Tokyo for over 10 years, we conduct appropriate contracts based on past rental court precedents (legal grounds).
While we understand the need to "rent cheaply for a short period," ultra-short-term use hides the underside of the fee structure and significant risks to the safety of the living environment.
1. Why is the rent for "short-term use" higher?
If you want to use it casually for a short period, it is easy to understand if you imagine a "monthly apartment (monthly rental)," which is more expensive than a general rental.
The reason monthly rental fees are high is that every time a tenant changes in a short period, significant costs are incurred, such as "re-cleaning the room," "recruiting and screening the next tenant," and "contract procedures."
Since share houses are also designed as a "rental business" premised on medium- to long-term residence, just like rental properties,if you move out in an ultra-short term of 1 to 3 months, we cannot maintain low-cost housing.
The minimum contract period is a "mechanism to maintain low rent and return it to long-term tenants."
2. "Public safety and trouble risks" lurking in share houses that cycle in the ultra-short term
Conversely, you should be careful with share houses that boast "no minimum contract period" and "zero penalty fees" and cycle tenants in ultra-short terms of 1 month.
Such properties have an increased risk of the following.
▶ Tenant screening becomes extremely lax: Because they have to keep filling vacancies in a short period, they do not perform any real screening as long as you can pay a few tens of thousands of yen. In other words, there is a tendency for people with issues to move in.
▶ Easy to become a hotbed for trouble: Because people with uncertain identities or people who have no intention of following the rules of communal living frequently come and go, resident-to-resident troubles such as theft, noise, and defacement of common areas tend to occur frequently. Such operators likely have no intention of managing based on stable operation.
■ For a safe living environment
LLC-HOUSE, as a "social infrastructure that expands housing options," emphasizes not only low rent but also "safety that allows you to continue living with peace of mind." The reason LLC-HOUSE sets appropriate penalty fees based on precedents is to ensure careful operation in accordance with compliance and to allow better tenants to live with peace of mind for a long time.
▶ Q | When moving out of a share house, does the deposit (security deposit) paid at the time of move-in really come back? I am worried because I heard that there are troubles where the full amount does not come back, like "as a cleaning fee."
A | In conclusion, it is clearly an excessive charge due to the structure of a share house for a 1-month rent deposit to be fully amortized as a "cleaning fee" upon moving out.
At LLC-HOUSE, we have not accepted any deposits since our founding, and there have been zero cases of charging high cleaning fees for normal move-outs.
I will disclose the actual market rate for specific cleaning costs based on the differences in "square footage" and "facilities" compared to general rentals, explaining why "full amortization" is strange.
1. "Appropriate market rate" for share house private room cleaning costs
A share house private room (approx. 9㎡) is less than half the size of a general one-room apartment (approx. 20㎡), and there are no water areas such as a kitchen, bath, or toilet inside the room.
Therefore, even if you request a professional contractor, the original cleaning cost will be significantly cheaper as follows.
・General one-room approx. 20㎡ (with water area) approx. 40,000 yen to 56,500 yen (including air conditioner cleaning)
・Share house private room approx. 9㎡ (no water area) approx. 20,000 yen to 36,500 yen (including air conditioner cleaning, upper limit)
2. Behind the scenes of the industry: The reality of cleaning costs
Currently, many share house operators do not use major professional contractors for room cleaning upon move-out, but rather internalize it by utilizing local gig work or spot work (cleaning agency apps, etc.).
In this case, the actual cost of private room cleaning for the operator is "less than 5,000 yen + air conditioner cleaning fee 16,500 yen = approx. 21,500 yen." This is the reality.
In contrast, fully amortizing a deposit of 50,000 to 80,000 yen significantly deviates from the actual cost.
■ "3 Major Checks Before Signing" to Prevent Malicious Deposit Amortization Troubles
Do not choose based solely on the appearance of low rent, and be sure to check the following three points with the operator before signing the contract.
① Is the specific amount or percentage of "amortization (non-refundable amount)" clearly stated in the contract?
② Is there a fixed-rate provision for "cleaning fees" upon move-out, and is it commensurate with the actual cost?
③ If a high amortization is presented, request disclosure of the "detailed breakdown and rational basis" for the room cleaning costs.
—Conclusion—
It is better not to choose a share house that tries to amortize the full 1-month deposit as a room cleaning fee in the first place.
▶ Q | I often hear about trouble where air conditioners or plumbing break down, but the management company is slow to respond or ignores the issue. Are there any tips for identifying a bad management company before moving in?
A | There is no surefire way to determine the quality of a management company's response based solely on the size of the company or the appearance of their website.
In fact, I have heard stories about slow responses to air conditioner and plumbing failures from both large-scale management companies and small-scale operators alike.
Therefore, you cannot simply judge by saying, "It's safe because it's a major company" or "The management must be solid because the website is nice." Before moving in, what you should check is not the size of the company, but the specific response system in place when equipment failures occur.
■ Things to check with the management company before moving in
Asking the following questions will make it easier to judge their management system.
・Where should I contact if the air conditioner or plumbing breaks down?
・Is there a dedicated reception desk for tenant repairs?
・How long does it take to receive an initial response after contacting them?
・Do they handle minor repairs in-house, or do they outsource everything to contractors?
・If repairs take time, how is the progress reported?
・If it cannot be repaired immediately, are there emergency measures or alternative arrangements?
・Can they explain specific examples of how they have handled equipment trouble in the past?
Be careful with management companies that simply answer "We will respond promptly" but cannot specifically explain their contact points or response procedures.
■ LLC-HOUSE handles minor equipment trouble in-house
Since our founding, LLC-HOUSE has handled minor equipment trouble, including plumbing, in-house and has accumulated know-how regarding repairs.
Rather than outsourcing every failure to an external contractor, we determine whether the issue can be handled safely in-house or if it requires a contractor with specialized qualifications or skills.
For minor trouble, it is often faster, more reliable, and cheaper to handle it in-house, as we understand the property and equipment, rather than coordinating a visit from a contractor.
In fact, there have been cases where issues were resolved within a few hours of being contacted by the tenant.
On the other hand, we arrange for specialized contractors for work requiring professional qualifications, large-scale failures, or equipment that requires repair by the manufacturer.
■ Not just the repair completion time, but progress updates are also important
With failures such as air conditioners or water heaters, even if the management company acts immediately, it may not be possible to repair them on the same day due to the availability of replacement parts or the schedule of repair contractors.
Therefore, the important difference is as follows:
・The issue is ignored and nothing happens after the tenant contacts them.
・On-site inspections or contractor arrangements are underway, and that situation is explained to the tenant.
A management company that can fix every failure on the same day is not necessarily a management company with good service. It is important that they do not overlook contacts, judge the urgency of the failure, appropriately distinguish between in-house response and outsourcing to specialized contractors, and explain the progress until resolution.
■ How to report equipment failure to LLC-HOUSE
At LLC-HOUSE, we have a dedicated desk for equipment defects on our tenant-only LINE. By contacting the dedicated desk, it becomes easier for the management side to directly grasp the details of the defect.
As necessary, we check the location, condition of the equipment, photos or videos, and product model numbers, and proceed with in-house handling or the arrangement of a specialized contractor.
Even if repairs take time, we prioritize being in a state where we can explain what measures are currently being taken, where the delay is occurring, and when the next contact is scheduled.
■ Review boards are also helpful
One way to check the reputation of a management company before moving in is to look at the share house-related threads on "Mansion Community."
https://www.e-mansion.co.jp/bbs/thread/327095/
This thread contains information that is difficult to understand from the official website alone, such as equipment failures, management company responses, cleaning, noise, and trouble between tenants. LLC-HOUSE also publishes a note article introducing this bulletin board as reference information for choosing a share house.
However, not all content in anonymous bulletin board posts is fact-checked. There is a possibility that they contain emotional posts, old information, or explanations from the perspective of only one party.
Do not judge based on a single bad review, but check the following points:
・Are the same points being repeated at different times?
・What was the management company's explanation like?
・Does the same problem continue in recent posts?
・Have you checked both positive and negative opinions?
■ Regarding rent when equipment cannot be used
Article 611 of the amended Civil Code, which came into effect in April 2020, stipulates that if a part of a rental property cannot be used due to circumstances not attributable to the tenant, the rent shall be reduced in proportion to the part that cannot be used.
Even in share houses, if the contract falls under a lease agreement and life is hindered by equipment failure not attributable to the tenant, Article 611 of the Civil Code may become an issue.
However, whether or not a reduction is made and the percentage depend on whether it is private or shared equipment, the period it could not be used, and the impact on daily life.
There are also rent reduction guidelines published by the Japan Property Management Association, but these are not legally binding standards applied uniformly, but rather practical guidelines for discussions between the landlord and the tenant.
If equipment failure occurs, it is important to contact the management company promptly and confirm the details of the failure, the period it could not be used, the progress of repairs, alternative measures, and the handling of rent.
A management company with good service, as LLC-HOUSE thinks of it, is not a company that can physically repair every failure on the same day, but a company that does not ignore contacts from tenants, judges the urgency of the failure, actually moves toward a resolution, and can explain that progress.
▶ Q | I am currently living in a certain share house. I received an explanation about the fixed-term building lease contract during the contract procedure and moved in, but after moving in, I checked again and the management company told me, "Because it is a fixed-term building lease contract, you cannot cancel midway" and "You will be charged the full rent for the remaining period." I have no plans to cancel immediately, but is this generally normal legally for share house contracts?
A | At LLC-HOUSE, we use a standard residential lease agreement rather than a fixed-term lease agreement. The minimum occupancy period under the contract is 6 months. After 6 months have passed from the start of the lease, you can request to terminate the contract at any time, even without a specific reason for moving out.
The contract termination date is the last day of the month following the month in which the termination request is made.
At LLC-HOUSE, we have clarified the structure of the contract period as follows:
・ Contract type is a standard residential lease agreement
・ Minimum occupancy period is 6 months
・ Termination request possible for any reason after 6 months
・ Contract ends on the last day of the month following the termination request date
・ Requests for termination within the minimum occupancy period are judged on a case-by-case basis in accordance with judicial precedents
When signing a share house contract, it is important to check four points before signing: the minimum occupancy period, the early termination clause, the notice period for termination, and any penalty fees, rather than judging solely based on whether it is a "standard lease" or a "fixed-term lease."
Explanations such as:
"Because it is a fixed-term lease, you cannot terminate early under any circumstances"
or "If you move out, you must pay the full rent for the remaining contract period"do not necessarily apply in every case.
With a fixed-term lease agreement,
1) if there is no special clause in the contract allowing for early termination, and
2) if it does not fall under legal exceptions,
in principle, you may not be able to terminate freely during the contract period.
Therefore, whether the management company's explanation is legal must be determined by checking the actual contract clauses and the reason for moving out, not just the name of the contract (fixed-term lease).
■ What is a fixed-term lease agreement?
A fixed-term lease agreement is a building lease agreement that terminates without renewal when the pre-determined period expires. In a standard lease agreement, the landlord needs a justifiable reason to refuse renewal, but in a fixed-term lease agreement, if the contract is legally established, the contract terminates upon expiration of the period in principle.
In other words, the central purpose of the fixed-term lease system is to "clarify the termination date of the contract for both the landlord and the tenant."
Binding the tenant so they cannot terminate early is not the purpose of the system itself.
■ There are cases where you can terminate a fixed-term lease early
The cases where you may be able to move out during a fixed-term lease are mainly as follows: 1. If there is an early termination clause in the contract
If the contract contains a clause such as the following, you can terminate early in accordance with those conditions.
[The tenant may terminate this contract by giving notice at least one month prior to the desired move-out date.]
When signing a fixed-term lease agreement, be sure to check the following items in addition to the contract period:
・ Can the tenant terminate early?
・ How many months in advance must notice be given?
・ Are there any penalty fees or short-term cancellation fees?
・ Are the reasons for early termination limited?
2. If there are unavoidable legal circumstances
For fixed-term leases for residential use with a floor area of less than 200 square meters, if it becomes difficult to use the residence as the base of daily life due to job transfer, medical treatment, nursing care for a relative, or other unavoidable circumstances(reasons not due to personal convenience), the tenant has the right to request early termination.
In this case, in principle, the contract terminates one month after the termination request is made.
This legal right cannot be restricted to the disadvantage of the tenant by contract.
However, circumstances such as simply "wanting to move to another property" or "finding a property with cheaper rent" do not necessarily qualify as unavoidable legal circumstances.
3. If the landlord and tenant agree
Even if there is no early termination right in the contract, there are cases where the landlord and tenant can discuss and agree to terminate the contract.
■ Will I be charged the full rent for the remaining period?
If there is no early termination clause and the tenant moves out unilaterally without meeting the legal requirements for early termination, there is a possibility that the rent obligation for the contract period will remain.
However,"Because it is a fixed-term lease, we can naturally demand full payment of the rent for the remaining period in a lump sum" cannot be said unconditionally.Even in actual judicial precedents, there are cases where the full amount demanded by the landlord is not recognized for high-cost claims.
You need to check the following points:
・ What payment clauses are in the contract?
・ Is there a special clause allowing early termination?
・ Does it meet the legal requirements for early termination?
・ Is the amount being claimed rent or a penalty fee?
・ Does the penalty fee exceed the average damages incurred by the business operator?
If you receive a high-cost claim, it is important to consult with a consumer affairs center or a lawyer, etc., with your contract, the fixed-term lease pre-explanation document, and the claim statement in hand before responding that you will pay on the spot.
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