1LDK apartments typically range from 28 m² of space to as much as 60 m² of space on the more expensive end. On average, a 1LDK unit in Tokyo and Yokohama is about 30 m² to 40 m², has a separate toilet and bath, kitchen with a 2-burner or 3-burner stovetop, a separate bedroom with a larger closet, a larger balcony, and a dressing room/washroom with a vanity and space for a washing machine. Older 1LDK units may tatami mats in the bedroom, but newer properties tend to have flooring instead.

A typical tenant is a working professional or a working couple with no children. As more adults in Japan marry later in years or remain single longer, 1LDK units are a bit more popular and can be more expensive even if they have less floor space than a 1DK. This type of unit is also more common in a city center where there is greater demand for easy access to a major train station.  

Buyers of this type of property may buy this property as a permanent home until they decide to upgrade to a larger space, find themselves being transferred far away for work, or get married and want more space for a family.  The owner may want to  rent the property out for generating passive income, but more often than not, will sell the property to raise additional funds to purchase a larger condo close to work or to build a house in the suburbs.