Can I rent my home out on a short-term basis, like on AirBnb, in Japan?

• Currently, any leases for less than 30 days require either a hotel license or minpaku registration.
• Failure to meet licensing requirements could result in jail or a fine, depending on the type and severity of the violation.
• Most homes and apartments do not qualify under current regulations.

Recently, the Japanese government has been deregulating the hotel and short-term letting industry to provide more accommodation options for foreign tourists in the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. With the latest data putting Japan’s residential vacancy rate at 13.5%, this reform has been touted as a way to help fill up some of Japan’s 8 million empty homes, of which half are rentals.

AirBnb is already quite popular in Japan with listings ranging from traditional farmhouses in the countryside to contemporary apartments in downtown Tokyo.

The new short-term minpaku regulations now allow hosts to rent out their property on a short-term basis. Properties must still meet certain requirements, such as being in the correctly zoned location, having a building certificate, meeting minimum floor sizes, having lockable windows and doors, proper walls between rooms, adequate fire escapes, information provided in several languages, meet hygiene requirements and must meet construction and fire codes. If you plan to sub-let your apartment, you need your landlord's permission. If you own your apartment, the home owners association must allow minpaku rentals in the building (most do not).

A registered minpaku-type property may rented for up to 180 days per year. Local governments have the authority to reduce this limit to an even lower number, and many already do. In Tokyo, each ward has introduced their own set of rules and limitations.