At least 15,000 elderly people were living in unauthorized nursing homes across Japan in fiscal 2015, a Kyodo News survey has found.

According to the survey of local governments, many of the facilities fell short of state standards on room size or fire equipment, but provide accommodations for low-income or elderly people without relatives at prices lower than authorized facilities.

Authorized care homes usually charge ¥200,000 to ¥300,000 a month in addition to admission fees.