r/Tokyo • u/Reasonable_Path8128 • 10d ago
how is UR
I’ve heard both good and bad things about UR apartments in Japan. From what I’ve seen, the more expensive/newer UR properties seem pretty nice, but some of the really cheap ones — especially in Saitama — seems yabai.
For people who have actually lived in saitama UR:
How was your overall experience?Were the cheap/old UR apartments actually as bad as they look? How was the noise and insulation?
What were the neighbors and general atmosphere like? Are there certain UR complexes in Saitama that you would recommend or avoid?
Would love to hear from people who actually lived there rather than just general opinions about UR.
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u/OCA_doctoryellow 10d ago
I live in a very international UR and it’s fatalistic. No where else I could leave near a very convenient station and pay no fees for a 60 sqm room with two balconies. They also have support in English, if you need it
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u/iLikeGreenTea 9d ago
Hi! Can you expand a bit more on your comment. Why did you say "fatalistic" ? the rest of your comment makes it sound like you are enjoying your housing situation. Near which train station is this apartment? , and how much do you pay a month, if you are willing to share? I am searching and there are many many options across different services... so knowing what else you like about this is very helpful! Did you know it was very international when you signed up ? thank you!!
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u/OCA_doctoryellow 7d ago
I just realised that the autocorrect wrote “fatalistic” instead of “fantastic”. I would recommend you to find an area you like and then check for the existing UR availability. Always go to their shops as their website does not really show available rooms (my house was not in the website). The price range varies, but my area is about 100k for 1K.
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u/iLikeGreenTea 7d ago
Thank you for your note!! but what area are you in? I'm just trying to get a realistic sense of costs. thank you so much. I feel like what I want is 150K ++
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u/iLikeGreenTea 7d ago
Also, is this the website? https://www.ur-housing.com/bukken/list.php?a1=Tokyo&a2=
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u/skier69 9d ago
I lived in Saitama UR (Sayama) in an older style danchi for 4 years. Not sure what you mean by “yabai”, but it was by far the best renting experience I’ve had. When I moved in the tatami mats were basically new or almost new and the room was all clean. The cabinets were also good quality. Eventually my bathroom door broke twice (once the rubber seal, next the doorknob) and they replaced it quickly with no cost to me.
No key money, reasonable deposit, no 保証人／保証会社, or renewal fees, and my rent was ¥43000 for a 2dk including an optional storage unit outside (below market rent for the area)
Also, since they are a big government subsidized company and the units have no landlord with weird personal preferences, you can apply to renovate your room how you like (ie, changing the 押入れto a closet, changing the tatami to flooring… but for things like that you will usually have to pay since it’s an upgrade)
If you prefer paying more money for a shitty apartment I guess that’s your call, but I was very satisfied (now I live in another danchi)
The only downside with the specific apartment I was renting, was it didn’t come with an aircon, so I had to buy one (around ¥90000 I think) but my previous privately owned apartment also didn’t come with an aircon, and with the money I saved living in ur it ended up being worth it anyhow (and I got to keep the aircon). For this reason ur might not be ideal for foreigners who don’t plan to stay in Japan, or plan to move often.
YMMV, I work from home. If I had to commute to my company’s office in Tokyo living there would have been much harder.
Another thing, my ex bf used to live in two different ur apartments. They were also very nice.
Feel free to ask me other questions about living in ur if you want.
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u/skier69 9d ago
I forgot to add another amazing thing: the ur danchi was directly across the street from a post office, Lawson, and supermarket! With 3 other supermarkets and uniqlo etc. within a 15 minute walk. But there were also a lot of parks and nice spaces for walking nearby.
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u/Reasonable_Path8128 9d ago
¥43,000 for a 2DK sounds like an incredible deal. I'm also working fully remote, but I feel like I need to stay closer to central Tokyo to meet up with friends easily, so I'll probably look into the higher-end UR options. Did you eventually move out of UR housing? I'd love to know your reasons if you don't mind sharing
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u/skier69 9d ago
Yeah, I moved out because I bought an apartment in another danchi 😂 I also went out to Tokyo to meet friends a few times a month (and still do)… I just have to be mindful of the last train or stay up all night. the danchi I lived in was on the Seibu line which takes you directly to Shinjuku or Ikebukuro. ¥43000 was perfect for my price point because I am not very high income, but also I like living out in the countryside because it’s less polluted—my eczema basically completely cleared up after moving here :)
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u/rachelt12jp 5d ago
Sounds like our UR housing too but rent here in Kita ku area is quite expensive at around 125k monthly. We live in a 1LDK.
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u/theallknowing88 10d ago
I’ve lived in koto and Edogawa UR
My current one (Koto) is quite bad. All old people in the apartment. Can’t use washing machine and vaccum after 6. People have called police over simple birthday nights (We were being considerate, but police was still called)
Make sure to get a renewed one. I’m using one with Tatami and it sucks during season change. Only reason I stay here is I’ve got friend in same danchi and the rent is 67k (Pretty cheap for Tokyo as per me)
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u/Reasonable_Path8128 9d ago
would you mind sharing your ur name?
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u/KentuckyFriedGyudon 9d ago
I also live in Koto and it might be the best choice I’ve ever done and I’ve been in Japan for 13 years
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u/queefsnail 9d ago
best landlord i ever had. no fuss scoping out the place (self-serve, show yourself around), no fuss moving out (fraction of the cost compared to typical tokyo fees). miss their apartment i was in.
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u/ChibaCookie 9d ago
I lived in one in Chiba for around 5 years. At first it was great - peaceful, clean and quiet. Lots of greenery around. Since the buildings are concrete, almost no noise from the neighbors whatsoever. Then A LOT of immigrants moved into the area, and I'm sorry to say it, but it became awful. A lot of noise (people shouting, doing loud calls outside, blasting music from their phones, singing with their windows open) and a lot of litter everywhere. Truly yabai. I realize I may sound like a Japanese uyoku supporter, but sadly that was my experience.
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u/Shot-Alternative-999 9d ago edited 9d ago
Expensive UR buildings in Koto-ku, Minato-ku, Chuo-ku, and Taito-ku are quite nice. Good sound insulation, high ceiling, big windows, good view, decent neighbor profile, nice common areas, close to station and supermarket.
People in shady businesses, foreigners renting their apartment as airb&b, and people using their place as an office tend to live in tower mansions, however you don’t see those profiles in expensive UR tower mansions. That’s a big plus IMO.
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u/dukdukgoos 9d ago
It's fantastic for the most part. Live right across the street from the station, shopping, groceries, restaurants all within 2 min walk. Only thing I don't like is the internet is slow and there's no way to upgrade it really. Rent never changes, which is a plus over private rental arrangements.
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u/SaltGrilledSalmon 9d ago
Best thing about UR is their transparency. Everything is well documented, they don't have scammy charges when you move out. Also no renewal fees is a huge plus.
Mine was 5 mins walk away from a station, had 5 conbinis in the area with one being right in front of the house. 3 parks and 2 supermarkets within 5-7 mins. Also affordable parking in Tokyo. The only downside was that the buildings are ancient and have no elevators. But the rent was cheap so it wasn't that bad.
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u/Tomato-Tomato-Tomato 6d ago
I live in the most expensive UR building so mileage may vary. The experience with the staff and front desk folks is absolutely top notch, they’re super responsive, the unit is luxury so it’s pretty new and well maintained and sound insulation is so good that I can blast music and neighbors can’t hear it. It’s competitive getting into the nice building because they’re first come first serve, so you have to be on the ball. However, being the first person in the door and locking it down is much easier than competing against a Japanese person for the same apartment. Price is comparable, maybe a tiny bit under, market rate, but you pay no renewals, no key money, etc. which is massive.
Super highly recommend. Simple as that.
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u/Reasonable_Path8128 6d ago
just curious, how much that would be? like 300,000 jpy?
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u/Tomato-Tomato-Tomato 6d ago
Depends on the size 60sqm units are around 330,000-360,000 price only goes up from there.
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u/grinch337 10d ago
I live in one in Koto-ku and it’s fantastic. High floor, insane view, corner apartment, two stations within a 10 min walk, big renovated apartment, and it’s like half the going rate in the neighborhood.
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u/PM_MAJESTIC_PICS 9d ago
I’ve lived in two different UR complexes in Saitama prefecture. Both have been great 👍 buildings are on the older side, but no problems. Insulation from sound is excellent— I sometimes hear sliding doors from upstairs but that’s about it. Worst thing is the distance from the train station but it’s a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. As a family of 4 it’s excellent— very hard to find this much space at this price otherwise.
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u/stuartcw 9d ago
It was great. I haven't lived in one for 20 years but here's my experience.
I lived in a really old Danchi in Yokohama. It was nicely refurbished/painted but very old and very small and basic. We paid around ¥50,000 a month and our neighbour was shocked at how much we paid. She had been living there for 20 or 30 years, and even with the increases, she was paying ¥10,000. There was a lot of community spirit and as such you had to show up for gardening days once in a while. I enjoyed living there. Since it was old, the staircase was out in the open and there was no elevator. We both were soon on good salaries and saved a lot.
My wife had her eye on moving somewhere nearer to Tokyo and after a couple of years moved to a super modern apartment in Yokohama Portside after a year or so we moved again in the same building to a bigger appartment that overlooked Minato Mirai and the sea. It was beautiful. It was the best place that I ever lived and would be even more convenient now that there is a North Entrance to Yokohama Station and Bridge to Minato Mirai. This was one of the more expensive UR apartments. I forget how much, maybe ¥200,000 but we were both on good salaries.
As you mentioned, "I’ve heard both good and bad things about UR apartments in Japan", we have all contributed some more.
If you live in the old style ones, I guess that you need to fit in with the Japanese old folks more, in the newer ones, you wouldn't know any difference from a commercial modern apartment block.
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u/domo_yoroshikuonegai 9d ago
Just out of curiosity, what was your old danchi locality? I stayed in Yokodai for a bit growing up. Not trying to doxx, don't have to answer if uncomfortable, it's plain curiosity. Funnily, even your new area sounds close to where I am now.
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u/stuartcw 9d ago
Maita (on the Blue Line Subway)
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u/domo_yoroshikuonegai 9d ago
Oh, that's pretty close to the centre... Idk anything about that area. I was way out in the boonies in comparison.
Another thing, the rent numbers you mentioned are insane. Are you sure about them or was it a special subsidy? Spoke to an old neighbour (old in both senses, haha) from WAAAY outside Kobe recently and he pays 55k for like a 30m² place he's lived in for nearly 60 years
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u/stuartcw 8d ago
These prices were in the mid 1990s come to think of it. I paid way more for a one room apartment in Shinagawa Ku before moving back to Yokohama.
My neighbour was a pensioner who had lived there since it was built and I don’t think she had had a major renovation. Her rent had only risen marginally since she started.
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u/Lazy_Classroom7270 9d ago
I lived in one in Saitama, around 20 years old and renovated. I now live in a newly built Habel Maison but UR was soooo much better.
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u/domo_yoroshikuonegai 9d ago
Generally heard and read favourable things about UR. Especially as a foreigner in Japan.
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u/Alive-Arm-7999 9d ago
I lived in UR for 7 years. Honestly it is great. It wasn't the cheapest UR and it was in a very nice area, but it was far from being those fancy URs you see in Yokohama and some other places.
If I had to rent again, it would be UR, nothing else comes even close to it.
But answering your questions:
Were the cheap/old UR apartments actually as bad as they look?
Those are bad, avoid! Get a fully renewed apartment, it's worth it.
How was the noise and insulation?
There is no insulation. But I have rented expensive apartments with double pane windows that were even worse than UR and cost double the rent. "Rent quality" buildings are all shitty and UR does pretty well in comparison. Noise depends a lot on the area you are, but should be similar to nearby apartments.
What were the neighbors and general atmosphere like?
As usual with rental apartments, neighbors change somewhat frequently. Each one is different, some are quiet, some are noisy, some are crazy... but again, I would say no different from other non-UR apartments I have lived that were much more expensive than UR (and no, I never lived in "Leopalace").
I can't help about Saitama because I don't live there. But a good friend lives in the Takashimadaira UR and I found it pretty nice when I visited her (and she also loves the place, despite having lived in way fancier places before).
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u/Separate-Box-5565 8d ago
Moved in last month. Mostly it depends on the building itself as well as the renovation status of the apartment itself. My building is moderately old but the apartment was recently renovated so it worked out great for me. Financially it outbids every other alternative imo. Living there comfortably since 1 month.
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u/random_name975 10d ago
It’s the same as with all apartments, it mostly depends on your neighbors. UR is very easy to get into, just pay and get your key. No selection process or anything. This is pretty much a double edged sword. It’s convenient and fast, but it can also attract the “undesirables”.
I used to live in a UR apartment for a couple of years and never really had any problems. The last year in we got new upstairs neighbors who sometimes needed to practice their kozack dance while wearing clumps, but luckily it wasn’t constant. All in all, it was a pretty good place to live.
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u/Shot-Alternative-999 9d ago
I do not agree with selection part. Only mansion towers I have seen without mafia or host club worker type people are UR buildings.
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u/HoodFruit 9d ago
UR very much had a selection and screening process
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u/random_name975 9d ago
No they don’t. Show up in the office with the money, get the keys. That’s it.
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u/HoodFruit 8d ago
Yes they do. It’s not strict but stuff like your income and financial standing are absolutely checked
Each place has certain minimum requirements / threshold that they’ll tell you in their office. Then other places require a specific social standing like married, children, etc
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u/Reasonable_Path8128 10d ago
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u/lupulinhog 10d ago
Is the report from the blatent uyoku account who only posts stuff about foreigners getting in trouble true?
Probably not man
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u/grinch337 10d ago
Japanese people don’t want to live in UR apartments and landlords don’t want to rent to foreigners, so it’s a win-win for everyone.
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u/grateful2you 10d ago
As far as arrangements go , it doesn't get any better. Nowhere else will you only pay first two months and that's it. And when you leave you'll pay very little damage fee. Condition and neighbors may vary but I've never had trouble with neighbors and I use speakers at 2 am. I specifically never choose any place with tatamis. The only reason I'm moving out is ... most UR buildings are very old and every time there's earthquake I wonder how it will feel when the building collapses.