What premises does an adult day-care (day service) need? Function-training room, bathing, and parking for the pick-up vehicles

In short: for an adult day-care (day service), four things matter first — (1) the use zone (a day service is generally treated under the Building Standards Act as an elderly-welfare facility within "child-welfare facilities," so it is buildable outside industrial-exclusive zones); (2) whether the dining room plus function-training room can reach a combined area of at least 3 m² × the user capacity (Article 95 of the standard on personnel, equipment and operation of designated in-home services, MHW Ordinance No. 37 of 1999); (3) a rest room, consultation room and office — and a bathing facility if you provide bathing assistance; and (4) the parking and drop-off flow for pick-up vehicles. Using an existing building over 200 m² may require a change-of-use confirmation application. Confirm the use zone, area, plumbing, evacuation and the lessor's stance before you sign.

You lease a place, and only then find the function-training room or rest room falls short of the equipment standard and the layout has to be redone — the same rework that hits restaurants and clinics hits day services. This article is for operators looking for rented premises to open a day service, and for the owners who lease to them: what you can confirm before signing, set out in order from the standard on personnel, equipment and operation of designated in-home services (MHW Ordinance No. 37 of 1999) and the Building Standards Act and Fire Service Act. We do not go into staffing/shifts (labour), fee calculation, or the preparation of designation-application documents. Final confirmation that the premises can meet the standards rests with the designating authority (prefecture/municipality), the specified administrative authority and the fire department.

Which use zone lets you open a day service?

A day-service office (an adult day-service centre) is, under the Building Standards Act, treated not as a "clinic" or a "shop" but generally as an elderly-welfare facility included in "child-welfare facilities." Article 19(1) of the Enforcement Order of the Building Standards Act includes elderly-welfare facilities in "child-welfare facilities," so the use-zone restriction follows the treatment of child-welfare facilities in Appended Table 2 (accessed 28 September 2026).

Use zone	Feasibility for a day service (as a child-welfare facility)
Industrial-exclusive zone	Not buildable
Category-1/2 low-rise exclusive residential zone	In principle possible (area limits apply by scale)
Other residential, commercial and industrial zones	In principle possible

So the use zone itself really only blocks you in the industrial-exclusive zone; even a low-rise residential neighbourhood can work. But the Building Standards Act classification can vary with scale, form and the specified administrative authority's operation. Confirm feasibility at the specified administrative authority (building guidance section).

A change-of-use confirmation application also matters. Converting a former shop or office to a day service requires an application once the child-welfare-facility use area exceeds 200 m² (Building Standards Act Arts. 6 and 87). Whether it applies is an architect's judgment, worth scoping before you sign. The general use-zone logic for care offices is at how care-office premises are decided by the use zone. Small-scale multifunctional in-home care, which involves overnight stays, follows a different equipment logic, so this article is limited to the day (non-residential) day service.

How large must the combined dining/function-training room be at 3 m² × capacity?

The core of the equipment standard is Article 95 of the standard on personnel, equipment and operation of designated in-home services (MHW Ordinance No. 37 of 1999) (accessed 28 September 2026). It requires a designated day-service office to have a dining room, function-training room, rest room, consultation room and office, plus fire-extinguishing and other disaster equipment and the other equipment needed for provision.

The biggest driver of the property choice is the dining/function-training room area. Article 95 requires that "the combined area of the dining room and function-training room be at least the area obtained by multiplying 3 square metres by the user capacity of the designated day-service office."

User capacity	Combined dining + function-training area (3 m² × capacity)
10	≥ 30 m²
20	≥ 60 m²
30	≥ 90 m²
40	≥ 120 m²

This area is the "dining + function-training total," and the rest room, consultation room, office, toilets, corridors and bathing facility are on top of it. Article 95 allows the dining room and function-training room to be the same space where a size adequate for both meals and training can be secured. A single-floor combined layout is possible, but "capacity × 3 m² or more" is the foundation. Because the capacity is worked back from the size of the premises, confirm the effective floor area (measured net of columns and wet areas) at the viewing stage.

Where in the premises do the rest room, consultation room and bathing facility go?

Article 95 also requires a rest room, consultation room and office. What to confirm in the property:

Room / facility	Standing under the standard	The makings to confirm
Rest room	Required (Art. 95); a zone where a user who feels unwell can lie down	Room for a bed; can it be separated from the dining/training room
Consultation room	Required (Art. 95); must be arranged so the content is not overheard (screening)	Can it be a private room or partitioned
Office	Required (Art. 95)	An independent zone for records and management
Bathing facility	Not required; only if you provide bathing assistance	Hot water, waterproofing, drainage; room for a wheelchair/mechanical bath

Note that a bathing facility is not required by the equipment standard. A bath is needed if you provide bathing assistance and claim the bathing-assistance addition, but a meals-and-training model can work in premises without one. Deciding "will we do bathing too" first clarifies the plumbing/waterproofing work and the size you need. Retrofitting a bath depends on the property's hot-water capacity, waterproofing and drainage route, moving cost and schedule. Design of plumbing, waterproofing and zoning, and the judgment of whether a change-of-use application is required, are the work of an architect/designer. We (the real estate agent) assist with the groundwork of whether the property can meet these conditions, and with negotiating terms with the lessor. We do not do the equipment design or structural-conformity judgment itself.

How do you look at parking and the drop-off area for pick-up vehicles?

A day service typically picks users up from and drops them at home. Parking and a drop-off for the pick-up vehicles are not set by number in the equipment standard, but they heavily shape the property choice. What to look at:

Confirm	Why it matters
Parking for the pick-up vehicles	Can you secure parking for the number of vehicles on-site or nearby; the number is set by capacity and routes
Drop-off (boarding space)	A flat space with a roof where wheelchair users or unsteady walkers board safely
Front-road width and access	Can pick-up vans enter and leave morning and evening; check one-way and time-band restrictions
Relation with neighbours	Do morning/evening boarding and idling clash with neighbours; matters most in dense residential areas

Where on-site parking is impossible, the make-up becomes renting monthly spaces nearby, or securing only a drop-off and arranging parking separately. Because the pick-up flow bears directly on daily operation, check the morning/evening road situation at the viewing stage. Which parts of the lease to read is at reading a lease. Business property in general is at investment and business real estate; the link between offices and permits, at company formation and choosing an office.

What kind of property needs work for barrier-free and fire equipment?

Since elderly people attend daily, barrier-free and fire equipment are the last gate in the property choice.

Have a question about your situation?

Tell us about your property search or plans to sell.

Chat on LINEContact us

First, barrier-free. From entrance/drop-off to the function-training room, toilets and bath, you need step removal, handrails, corridor widths a wheelchair can turn in, and roomy toilets. If you put activity rooms above the ground floor, lifts and evacuation routes become the issue. Whether such construction is feasible, its design, and whether a change-of-use application is required are for an architect/designer.

Second, fire equipment. A day service (adult day-service centre) is classified as a fire-defence object under item (6)-ro or (6)-ha of Appended Table 1 of the Enforcement Order of the Fire Service Act, the class turning on whether users who cannot evacuate on their own are included. By class and scale, automatic fire-alarm equipment, fire-alarm equipment reporting to the fire authority, sprinklers and guide lights may be required. Which equipment, and how far, is judged and installed by the fire department (prevention section) and a fire-equipment contractor. Confirming the current fire equipment and the likely additions before you sign avoids surprise work after opening.

What to do	Who
Property investigation, brokerage, lease contract	Licensed real estate agent (us)
Whether a change-of-use application is needed, structural conformity, barrier-free/plumbing/waterproofing design	Architect / designer
Whether fire equipment is needed, and its installation	Fire department (prevention section) / fire-equipment contractor
Preparation of the designation application and other documents to public offices	Administrative scrivener
Work rules/shifts/social insurance matching the staffing	Certified social insurance labour consultant
Fee calculation and tax	Tax accountant (billing via the National Health Insurance federation)

Who should you consult?

Investigation of the property, brokerage, and the sale or lease contract are handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent, Tokyo Governor (1) No. 113304). Preparation of documents submitted to public offices, such as the designation application, is handled by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office. Whether a change-of-use application is needed, structural conformity and barrier-free design are for the architect/designer; fire equipment for the fire department/contractor; work rules, shifts and social insurance for the certified social insurance labour consultant; fees and tax for the tax accountant.

These are independent business entities. You engage each directly. We neither pay nor accept referral fees or introduction commissions. The judicial scrivener for registration, the tax accountant for tax and the certified social insurance labour consultant for labour matters are each engaged by you directly. Consultation is free of charge.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Can a day service open in a residential area?
A. There is room to. An adult day-service centre is generally treated under the Building Standards Act as an elderly-welfare facility within "child-welfare facilities," buildable outside the industrial-exclusive zone and possible even in Category-1/2 low-rise exclusive residential zones with scale limits. Because the classification can vary with scale, form and the specified authority's operation, confirm feasibility at the specified administrative authority (building guidance section). Converting an existing building requires a confirmation application once the child-welfare-facility use area exceeds 200 m².

Q. Must the function-training room and dining room be separate rooms?
A. No. Article 95 of the ordinance (No. 37 of 1999) allows the dining room and function-training room to be the same space where a size adequate for both meals and training can be secured. But the combined area must be at least 3 m² × user capacity, and the rest room, consultation room, office and toilets are secured separately. The capacity is worked back from the property's effective floor area.

Q. Is a bathing facility always required?
A. No, it is not required by the equipment standard. Article 95 requires the dining/function-training rooms, rest room, consultation room, office and fire equipment; a bath is not listed. A bath becomes necessary if you provide bathing assistance and claim the bathing-assistance addition. Since retrofitting a bath depends on the property's hot water, waterproofing and drainage, decide "will we do bathing too" before choosing premises. The design judgment is an architect's.

Q. Must the property come with parking for pick-up vehicles?
A. Parking for pick-up vehicles is not a numeric requirement of the equipment standard, but it is essential to operation. Where on-site space for the number of vehicles is impossible, you rent monthly spaces nearby, or secure only a drop-off and arrange parking separately. A drop-off is best as a flat space where wheelchair users or unsteady walkers board safely; also check the front-road width, one-way and time-band restrictions at the viewing.

Sources (primary)

• e-Gov "指定居宅サービス等の事業の人員、設備及び運営に関する基準" (Standard on personnel, equipment and operation of designated in-home services) — MHW Ordinance No. 37 of 1999. Art. 95 (equipment standard for designated day service: dining room, function-training room, rest room, consultation room, office, fire-extinguishing and disaster equipment; the combined dining/function-training area must be at least 3 m² × user capacity; same space allowed where adequate; consultation content must not be overheard); Art. 93 (personnel standard). Accessed 28 September 2026.
• e-Gov "介護保険法" (Long-Term Care Insurance Act) — Act No. 123 of 1997. Designation of in-home service providers (Art. 70) and standards (Art. 74); the framework for day-service designation and care fees. Accessed 28 September 2026.
• e-Gov "建築基準法" (Building Standards Act) — Appended Table 2 (use-zone building restrictions); an elderly-welfare facility falls within "child-welfare facilities" under Enforcement Order Art. 19(1), following that treatment; change-of-use application under Arts. 6 and 87. Accessed 28 September 2026.
• e-Gov "消防法施行令" (Enforcement Order of the Fire Service Act) — Cabinet Order No. 37 of 1961. Appended Table 1 item (6)-ro/ha (fire-defence-object class for adult day-service centres etc.); required fire equipment varies by class and scale. Accessed 28 September 2026.
• MHLW, "Care-facility and living-related information search" — guidance on day-service designation and standards. Accessed 28 September 2026.

The specific operation of equipment, area, fire and use-zone rules is set by the designating authority, the specified administrative authority and the fire department, and differs by locality. This article does not assess any individual property. Confirm with the municipality (care-insurance section), specified administrative authority and fire department at the outset. Use-zone feasibility, whether a change-of-use application is required, and barrier-free/fire equipment vary with the property's floor area, structure and zone designation; the structural-conformity and design judgment is an architect's.

This article is general information. It does not judge or guarantee the feasibility of any particular property, acceptance of a designation, or staffing/fee calculation. Investigation and brokerage and the sale/lease contract are undertaken by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent); preparation of the designation application and other documents to public offices, by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office; work rules/shifts/social insurance by a certified social insurance labour consultant — independent business entities, engaged separately and directly. We neither pay nor accept referral fees.

About the author

Joji Uramatsu — licensed real estate transaction specialist (Tokyo Governor registration No. 293544) and administrative scrivener (registration No. 25087022). Representative Director, Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent, Tokyo Governor (1) No. 113304); principal, Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office. Kohinata, Bunkyo, Tokyo, about five minutes' walk from Myogadani station. Property and paperwork are put on the same table. Full profile: author page.