Says the walls felt like plywood and a dropped coffee can dented the floor, and would not recommend it.
Leopalace21 · Updated October 2026Ad · Affiliate links
Leopalace reviews: what residents report, and what holds up
We read 105 resident accounts from Yahoo! Chiebukuro (知恵袋), note.com, Ameblo, Hatena Blog, a legal Q&A board and Reddit. Four themes repeat: sound through the walls, a slow or one-way management response, surprises at move-out and renewal, and the convenience of a furnished room. This page separates what Leopalace’s own pages confirm from what is hearsay.
On this page
The short version
What repeats across independent accounts.
- Noise: the most reported topic by a wide margin. Voices, TV, snoring, footsteps and even a neighbor’s doorbell several units away are reported, in wooden and steel-frame buildings alike. A few residents of newer or premium units report quiet.
- Management: noise complaints sent to management often go nowhere at first. Residents say what worked was a written complaint through the web form, a request for a direct notice to the neighbor, and a stated intention to move out at Leopalace’s expense.
- Move-out: Leopalace’s published basic cleaning fee is ¥52,250 or ¥63,250. Residents report anything from ¥0 after four or eight years to a bill for a damaged wall panel, and several say the bill came late or without a breakdown.
- Rent: eight accounts describe renewal rent increases from about ¥500 to about 30%, with some saying they declined by email and kept their rent. Leopalace’s renewal FAQ does not mention rent changes.
- Equipment: furniture and appliances are provided and repairs go through Leopalace. Complaints are a small kitchen, a tripped breaker, slow Leonet internet and an air conditioner that shuts off after three hours.
- Screening and stays: residents say an income and the start-up funds nearly decide approval, and that monthly contracts suit work postings and training stays but not years.
What people write about
How often each topic comes up. One account can raise several, and people with problems post more than people without.
Noise and thin walls
The strongest consensus, across every site and across years. Reports come from wooden, light steel and heavy steel buildings, so a steel frame is not a guarantee. Corner and top-floor units are quieter in several accounts.
The Leopalace felt flimsy and hollow compared with the Village House their friends lived in, and had mold problems.
Ordinary speech and snoring come through. They keep strict night habits, with bath and laundry done by 7:30 pm, yet still have friction with upstairs TV noise from 11 pm to 5 am.
Could hear a neighbor’s voice and snoring at all three, so thin walls are not limited to wooden buildings.
Lives in a steel-frame Leopalace built five years earlier and finds it very comfortable.
Says Leopalace is known for sound carrying: a door-to-door salesperson’s intercom ring can be heard several units away.
Loved the apartment until a new neighbor sang karaoke in falsetto late at night and early in the morning.
One or two words of speech were intelligible, male voices carry further and open windows make it worse. Recommends avoiding wooden buildings and choosing a top-floor corner unit.
Describes the usual sequence: Leopalace first sends a letter to everyone, then contacts the noisy tenant on request, then the resident can call the police on a non-emergency line and keep a log. Says eviction can take up to six months.
Lived in a steel-frame Leopalace that was not the heavy-steel type, would not trust it for sound, and says a normal apartment they just moved into is a big difference.
Does the building type or age matter?
Few accounts name a building type, so this is directional. In these accounts age matters more than frame: pre-2018 wooden and light steel buildings draw the loudest complaints, and a handful of newer buildings and premium units are praised. Only two accounts describe LeoNeXT buildings, so we cannot compare them with others.
Neighbor voices and footsteps were clearly audible in the older wooden and 2004 steel-frame units, but a post-2018 steel-frame unit is very comfortable and rarely noisy. Pros: furnished, easy move. Cons: older buildings and frequent door-to-door sales.
Walls were thin but varied by site: toilet and bath sounds were unexpectedly quiet while bedrooms leaked more. Their current non-Leopalace apartment is worse.
Older units were reasonably comfortable despite the thin-wall reputation. The newer model adds smartphone-capable systems, cushion flooring, a separate sink and bath, better IH cooking and a color intercom.
Likes the room design and finds soundproofing between units adequate, but exterior insulation is poor and adjacent rooms are occasionally noisy. Security is by Secom, parking is about ¥8,000 a month and the station is a 30-minute walk.
Says the sound problem comes from how the party walls were built rather than from wall thickness, and that newer Leopalace buildings improved this, so sound is much reduced.
Reports minimal noise from neighbors in the premium unit type.
Very quiet neighbors on both sides are a relief, because previous noisy neighbors made TV and doors audible. Advice: keep washing machine and door noise down.
Says the walls are not paper thin: a neighbor jumping from a loft is audible but chatter is not. Leonet is fine by day and slow at night, and a personal router plugged into the wall port solved Wi-Fi.
About the 2018 party-wall defects, says it is less about collapse and more about poor sound isolation and no insulation. The wall between units has to extend higher and be layered to resist fire, and a mismatch with approved plans would be fraud.
When the neighbor is loud: what management did
Residents describe a pattern. A first call or flyer changes little. Escalation, in writing and with a real intention to move, is what several credit for results.
A new neighbor made noise from 9 pm to midnight, sometimes until 2 or 3 am. Management contacted them and posted notices without improvement, then a consultation calmed things, and management offered to cover moving costs.
Repeated noise complaints produced nothing: management said it could not act, blamed the resident’s attitude and threatened to contact the employer.
Got the noise reduced by asking for a direct notice to the offender instead of building-wide flyers, filing through the web form rather than by phone, and saying they would move at Leopalace’s expense.
Neighbors talked until 3 am. Despite several contacts with management and about ten police calls, the noise continued and the asker moved out.
Six months of noise problems. Management helped briefly and then failed; after switching to a stricter escalation, including the police, the noise stopped in about a month.
Got the one-month early-exit charge waived after emailing several times about a neighbor who made them feel unsafe. The manager agreed but still wanted the rent discounts refunded. Says the call center helped little and the email address used for the contract helped most.
Advises going to Leopalace, not the police, and saying the noise is causing stress and a lack of sleep and that you will reluctantly move. Says the neighbor in their own case was moved to another unit.
Move-out bills and early exit
Leopalace publishes the basic cleaning fee and a one-month charge for leaving within the first year. Residents report both extremes of what comes after: a free exit after a long stay, and bills for damage or repairs that they dispute.
Paid ¥0 at move-out.
Left a unit with stained carpet, grease and wall marks and paid ¥0, because long residency made basic cleaning free, they say.
Typical charges quoted: cleaning about ¥50,000, carpet ¥10,000 to ¥40,000 and door repair ¥20,000 to ¥30,000. One-room totals of ¥30,000 to ¥50,000 were also mentioned.
A father who lived in two Leopalace units for about a year each paid only standard cleaning. A current resident says management does not bill minor wear unless daily life is affected, and mostly bills carpet stains, left items and smoking damage.
Was told by Leopalace that it charges the cleaning fee regardless, because its cleaners have to go in anyway.
Is leaving after management never resolved upstairs noise, motorbike parking noise and a neighbor’s air conditioner, and asks whether the exit cleaning clause charges twice, since cleaning was prepaid.
Was told a bill would arrive within two weeks, but nothing came by July 22 and only automated phone lines answered. A reply says to wait and not contact them.
Hired an outside company for an air-conditioner leak and got a ¥60,000 bill. Answerers say repairs must go through Leopalace because the air conditioner belongs to the landlord.
Reports an intermittent toilet smell, peeling walls, water damage under the sink and a dead battery in the digital lock. Says the contract charges two months’ extra rent for leaving within six months and one month within a year, and asks whether that can be negotiated.
Says they were charged an extra renewal because notice was a day late, the inspector came after they left, and Leopalace later demanded about ¥200,000 for the floor and walls. Replies are split: some paid nothing for similar damage, others say keep photos.
Report paying nothing or getting deposit money back: one left stained carpet and cracked windows after five years, another got a large refund after two years. Advice is to file the damage report at move-in.
Moved out without paying a cleaning fee and says Leopalace waives the basic cleaning fee after four years in a room. Other commenters in the thread say it is charged regardless.
Was told by email the cleaning fee is waived after four years, then given different dates by phone, and ended with written confirmation after a supervisor stepped in. Commenters advise getting everything in writing.
Says moving between Leopalace buildings may skip a new guarantor fee and may get the lease-break fee waived for a work transfer. Says earlier billing matched what was stated.
Rent increases at renewal
Eight accounts describe renewal letters with a higher rent. Leopalace’s renewal FAQ describes the two-year term, a renewal fee of ¥16,500 and an electronic agreement, and does not discuss rent changes. Several residents say declining by email kept their old rent; one says a refusal led to a flat no on renewal at the current rent. Read your contract before you sign a renewal.
Got a phone call saying agreement to a rent increase is optional, plus formal documents. Answerers say you can decline and keep the old rent, though one advises accepting small increases if you will stay long.
Was told of a ¥12,500 rise, about 30%, at renewal. An answerer who had a ¥25,000 rise in Tokyo after the construction-defect scandal negotiated it down to ¥10,000.
Their renewal brought a 20% rise. A 9-year resident replied that theirs were only about ¥500, mostly consumption-tax related.
Emailed the consultation window refusing to consent to the rent revision, and Leopalace replied that a forced rent increase would not occur, so rent stayed as contracted. Warns that it depends on the contract wording and that signing the renewal makes the rise binding.
Was told at signing there would be no big increases, but the renewal showed roughly ¥10,000 more. After refusing by email, they were told renewal at the current rent was not possible.
Rent rose from ¥52,000 to ¥61,000 at renewal. They moved to a ¥59,000 UR flat, and the old unit was relisted at ¥52,000 with no new tenant.
Faced a ¥15,000 monthly rise at renewal and delayed signing for fear of automatic eviction.
Noticed a ¥4,000 rent rise on the bank statement. One answerer says an unsigned 20% rise proposal was dropped and the old rent honored, and another saw only a ¥500 tax-related rise over eight years.
Furniture, internet, heat and appliances
The furnished room is the draw. The complaints are about quality in older units: a small kitchen, a tripped breaker, slow shared internet and weak insulation. Leopalace’s own pages say its Leonet internet costs ¥3,630 or ¥2,640 a month and is optional, and that repairs to its equipment go through Leopalace.
Kitchen too small to chop on, a breaker trips when the IH cooker, washer and fridge run together, Leonet (bundled with U-NEXT) is slow and outside providers refused service, and walls pass conversation and footsteps. Warns people off.
Gets a stable 110 Mbps by plugging a router into the wall LAN cable and plays online games without trouble.
The air conditioner’s 3-hour auto shutoff is true, and walls transmit footsteps, TV and conversation but less than the legend claims. Insulation and internet are poor. Good for short stays, not long ones.
Advice: prefer a staircase to a loft ladder, a dedicated trash site, counter space between stove and sink and a good window direction. Top floors are quieter but hotter, lower floors colder.
Enjoys the keyless smartphone and PIN lock, built-in washer, two-burner IH cooker, microwave, fridge, TV, air conditioner and table. High ceilings make it feel less cramped.
Their microwave stopped heating. The toll-only phone lines were hard to use and online forms were slow, but after a call and a form the microwave was replaced free of charge.
Felt hotel-like with curtains, table, 32-inch TV, bidet toilet and clean condition, but the kitchen has almost no counter space and no carpet was provided.
Bedding, fridge, washing machine, vacuum, microwave, stove and air conditioner were provided, though contents differ by property.
Cooked on an A4-sized counter between the IH unit and the sink, balancing pots on the washer and fridge. Others reply that a folding table and a gas burner help.
Says Leopalace replaces broken appliances free with no questions: the IH cooktop was swapped the next day and a friend’s air conditioner was replaced within days.
Says furnishing a flat from scratch costs more and a used fridge, washer and microwave alone are about ¥30,000. Still needs bedding, cookware and a router, and the kitchen lacks counter space. Says sound is a problem in older buildings and LeoNeXT is quieter.
Says Leopalace told them the internet is capped at night because it is shared between units. Others say their own router or a LAN cable from the wall port helps.
Insects, mold and condensation
Insects are reported in the first weeks, mostly from first-floor units. Mold comes with window condensation. Both are common in light-built apartments and not unique to Leopalace, but residents say management’s response is slow.
Saw about three insects every ten minutes after moving in. Sealed the air-conditioner drain and set traps, but cockroaches kept coming. A former resident replied that traps and cleanliness reduced the problem.
Kept finding German cockroaches daily despite spraying. Management visited and left a spray, but professional pest control was deferred until after move-out.
A cockroach came out from between the fridge’s freezer and fridge sections. One answerer says pest control in Leopalace-type buildings is nearly futile without structural work.
A window frame turned mold-colored months after they kept the windows shut for privacy. An answerer says to use mold cleaner and wipe off condensation.
Lace curtains grew mold from window condensation, and management said charges depend on inspection, mentioning ¥30,000 of basic maintenance. Another answerer had the same mold, which bleach did not remove.
Found about 15 large cockroaches on a windowsill and 20 more flying inside. Commenters say it is likely building-wide, to seal gaps and use traps, to document it and call management, and to ask to move out if it continues.
Screening, contracts and company housing
Residents describe the entry as easy if you can pay the start-up costs. People on company-paid contracts report the same noise and condition problems, plus questions about who pays at exit. The monthly contract suits short stays and generally accepts people without a job, with advance payment.
Was approved despite a financial history because Leopalace uses a non-credit-based guarantee. Adequate income and initial funds nearly guarantee approval, they say, though they strongly advise against living there.
Say regular Leopalace contracts reject unemployed applicants while the monthly plan generally accepts them with advance payment.
Screening passes if initial fees can be paid, except for people previously blacklisted by Leopalace for unpaid rent. Warns of cleaning charges at exit because there is no deposit.
Rented a Leopalace without a Japanese bank account: they paid the initial costs by bank transfer, then gave Leopalace their bank details after arriving.
Disagree about move-out: one needed a company-attended inspection, the other, with keypad and app entry, was told to move out by the date with no inspection.
The unit had heavy tobacco odor and yellowed walls that persisted after cleaning. Answerers say Leopalace is unlikely to pay unless the contract says so.
Likes monthly places such as Leopalace for being no nonsense: you pay the monthly rate plus a cleaning fee, and that is it.
Passed screening after giving a friend’s number and address as emergency contact. Backed out after three friends of a friend reported dirty arrivals with cockroaches and repairs that were never answered.
Say Leopalace gives no number: one guesses about three times monthly rent, one suggests ¥500,000 to ¥1,000,000, and one was asked for a statement of ¥1,000,000 as a student years ago.
Was told partway through that they needed ¥1,000,000 in the bank or a guarantor. Commenters say a guarantor company can usually be used instead and to ask Leopalace.
Says the first payment was about ¥300,000 including two months up front, cleaning, fire insurance and other fees. Says leaving within a year is charged heavily and later exit costs are only damage.
What people like
A room you can move into with a suitcase, a low start-up bill, short and monthly stays, and in newer buildings a comfortable room. Almost every positive account comes with a caveat about walls or space.
Their first two places in Japan were Leopalaces and the experience was great.
Used Leopalace’s low fixed costs, ¥30,000 to ¥50,000 in regional areas and ¥60,000 to ¥100,000 near Tokyo, to save faster, while complaining about quality of life and regretting how costly later housing slowed their saving.
The room is ideal for someone on a work posting, but the walls are very thin: a neighbor’s alarm clock woke the author. Not recommended for stays beyond a year.
Bedding, fridge, washing machine, vacuum, microwave, stove and air conditioner were provided, though contents differ by property.
Says all teachers at their board were placed in Leopalace. They stayed just under a year, others stayed three years or more, and not buying a fridge or microwave was a big relief.
Did a short Leopalace stay long ago, expected a surprise deposit or cleaning charge, and says nothing was charged and it was easy and efficient.
Verified or hearsay?
We checked what we could against Leopalace’s own pages, read on October 5, 2026. A claim marked hearsay may still be true for the building it came from.
| Claim | Status | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Basic move-out cleaning of ¥52,250 (under 40 m²) or ¥63,250 (40 m² or more) | Verified | On Leopalace’s help page. One affiliate blog quoted ¥28,050, which looks out of date. |
| A month’s rent if you leave a standard lease within a year | Verified | On Leopalace’s guide to canceling. Some special contracts add one to two months. |
| Two-year lease, renewal fee ¥16,500, electronic renewal | Verified | On Leopalace’s lease guide and renewal FAQ. |
| No deposit, no agent fee; a guarantee company is required | Verified | On Leopalace’s lease guide. Key money varies by property. |
| Leonet internet at ¥3,630 or ¥2,640 a month, optional | Verified | On Leopalace’s help page. Matches two residents’ figures. |
| Repairs to furniture and appliances must go through Leopalace | Verified | On Leopalace’s help page. Matches a resident billed ¥60,000 by an outside repairer. |
| Monthly contracts run 30 to 365 days with utilities included | Verified | On Leopalace’s monthly guide. |
| Free basic cleaning after four years in the same room | Hearsay | Not on any Leopalace page we read. Two residents report ¥0 after four and eight years. Ask Leopalace in writing. |
| Rent changes at renewal | Hearsay | Eight resident accounts. The renewal FAQ is silent. |
| Air conditioner shuts off after three hours | Hearsay | Several residents say so. No Leopalace page we read confirms it. |
| Thin walls, slow Leonet at peak hours, insects and slow management response | Hearsay | Many independent accounts, but no measurement. Leopalace publishes sound ratings on its Non-Sound System page. |
Why the accounts skew negative
Yahoo! Chiebukuro and legal Q&A boards attract people with a problem or a question. Satisfied tenants rarely post, so the negative share overstates the typical experience. Older posts, some from 2008 to 2019, may not match current terms: Leopalace has since changed its cleaning fee, its Leonet plans and its building standards, and a 2018 construction-defect scandal affected some buildings. Almost no first-hand accounts from foreign residents appeared.
What to ask before you sign, from these accounts
- Which year was the building completed, and which structure is it? Ask which side of the room shares a wall.
- Which floor is it, and who is above and next to the room? Visit in the evening if you can.
- Is the move-out cleaning prepaid in the quote, and what is the exit bill if I stay two years or less?
- Is rent fixed for the full term, and what happens to rent at renewal? Ask for the answer in writing.
- Is it a standard lease, a monthly contract or a company contract, and which notice and penalty rules apply?
- Is there a Leopalace support plan with after-hours help and free repairs, and what does it cost?
- Does the room have a wall LAN port, and is Leonet optional for this unit?
Leopalace’s apartment search
Japanese button: “If you are starting to live on your own, Leopalace21” Opens Leopalace21's site (Japanese; English version too)
Related Leopalace guides
Thin walls
The published wall ratings, what renters report and a viewing checklist.
Moving out
Cleaning fees by size, notice steps, the early-exit charge and what counts as damage.
Leopalace rent and move-in costs
Median rent by prefecture and the move-in bill, fee by fee.
Screening
General and foreign-resident requirements, the guarantor fee and the online steps.
Leopalace monthly contracts
30-day prices by city and how they compare with a lease.
Leopalace review
Costs, thin walls, the construction defects and what renters say.
Leopalace FAQ
Is Leopalace bad?
It depends on the building and on how long you stay. The company is real and its fees match what residents report. The complaints are about thin walls in older buildings, slow management responses and disputed move-out bills. Residents of newer buildings and short-stay tenants report better experiences.
Are Leopalace walls really thin?
Many accounts say you can hear neighbors’ voices, TV, snoring and footsteps, in wooden and steel-frame buildings alike. A few residents of newer or premium units say it is quiet. Leopalace publishes wall ratings for each structure but also says people hear sound differently, so listen in the room.
Does Leopalace charge a lot at move-out?
Its published basic cleaning fee is ¥52,250 for rooms under 40 m² and ¥63,250 for larger ones, and its own lease example collects it at signing. Residents report ¥0 to a few ten thousand yen extra for damaged panels or carpet. Some report a bill arriving weeks later with no breakdown.
Does Leopalace raise rent at renewal?
Eight resident accounts describe renewal letters with rent increases of about ¥500 to about 30%. Several say they declined by email and kept their rent, and one was told renewal at the current rent was not possible. Leopalace’s renewal FAQ does not discuss rent changes, so ask before you sign.
Is it hard to get approved for Leopalace?
Residents describe screening as easy for people who can pay the start-up costs and have an income. A guarantee company is required on individual contracts. Monthly contracts reportedly accept people without a job if they pay in advance.
Is Leopalace good for foreigners?
Reviews written by foreign residents were almost absent from what we found. Leopalace’s furnished rooms, online application and monthly contracts suit a first stay, and one Reddit user rented without a Japanese bank account. Our foreigners guide covers the details.
Set Up in Japan is an independent guide. It is not the property operator’s website.
Leopalace’s apartment search
Japanese button: “If you are starting to live on your own, Leopalace21” Opens Leopalace21's site (Japanese; English version too)
How we checked
We read 105 accounts: Yahoo! Chiebukuro (知恵袋) answers, note.com, Ameblo and Hatena Blog posts, a legal Q&A board (弁護士ドットコム, Bengo4.com), a building catalog on Yahoo! Real Estate and Reddit comments, all read on October 5, 2026. We kept first-hand and second-hand accounts of living in, viewing or applying to Leopalace, paraphrased them and removed names and personal details. We excluded blogs that carry Leopalace referral links or promote a partner shop, posts quoted on affiliate sites, thread summaries from 5ch (5ちゃんねる), forum threads about other properties and AI-generated answers. We could not read Minhyo (みん評), the agent site Ieagent, X directly or Google Maps. Reddit coverage is limited to threads we could read in full. Pages were read through an extraction tool, so wording could be off slightly. These are anecdotes, not a survey.
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