Sublease and rental guarantee agreements causing problems for first-time investors
September 5, 2016Buyer Beware!,Real Estate News,All
Starting September 1, companies* offering sub-lease arrangements to investors and landlords will be obligated to include a clause in pre-contract documentation to warn the property owner that future rent may be subject to change.
The new rule has come after a recent spike in complaints from landlords who, at the advice of real estate brokerages and construction companies, built apartments under the expectation of leasing them for a guaranteed rent. After completion, however, the sub-leasing company would either cancel the rental agreement (a relatively easy task since rental law is strongly in favour of the tenant) or decrease the rent offered to the landlord. Some investors were promised that rents would continue to rise 3% annually, only to find out after purchase that the sublessor would only offer a rent of 10% below initial estimates.Read more
Jingumae designer building sold for 9 billion Yen
September 2, 2016JingumaeOffice/Retail News & Information,Real Estate News,All,Tokyo
ORIX JREIT Inc. announced that they will be acquiring the trust beneficiary rights to the Terrazza Aoyama building in Jingumae at the end of September. The acquisition price is 9 billion Yen (approx. 87 million USD), excluding tax, resulting in a net operating income of 4.2%. The seller was RD Legend Alpha SPC.
The building is located alongside Gaien Nishi Street and is 400 meters from the Olympic Stadium site and 650 meters from Gaienmae Station on the Ginza Subway Line.Read more
Tokyo apartment sales in August 2016
September 1, 2016Real Estate News,Market Information,All,Tokyo
The following is a selection of apartments that were sold in central Tokyo during the month of August 2016:Read more
Historic Rokkosan Hotel sold to car importer
August 31, 2016Rokkosan,Rokkosan HotelHistoric Properties,Real Estate News,All,Hotel News
The 87-year old Rokkosan Hotel in Hyogo Prefecture has been sold to Osaka-based car importer Hakko Group for an undisclosed price. The sale includes the land and both the historic hotel and the adjacent, newer 45-room hotel building. This is the first hotel acquisition for the company. They plan to preserve the historic building and possibly re-open it next year. The newer building next-door will be demolished and replaced with new accommodation as well as multi-purpose hall facilities. In the meantime the hotel will continue to be operated by Hankyu Hanshin Hotels.Read more
Osaka government building looking for hotel to fill up empty floors
August 30, 2016Real Estate News,All,Osaka,Hotel News
Plagued by high vacancy rates and high maintenance costs, Japan’s fourth tallest building is looking for a hotel to occupy its empty floors.
The Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building is 40% vacant, with the remaining space largely taken up by government departments and private companies. The 55-storey building is inconveniently located on a man-made island in Osaka Bay with poor transport options. Additional concerns about earthquake risks have deterred potential tenants.
Osaka Prefectural Governor Ichiro Matsui announced that the government is considering appealing to a hotel operator to take up the vacant floors. The prefecture spends approximately 400 million Yen per year maintaining the building. If the 7th ~ 17th floors are occupied by a hotel, the building’s occupancy rate could reach 80%.Read more
Central Tokyo's luxury apartment market reaches new highs
August 29, 2016Luxury real estate in JapanReal Estate News,Market Information,All,Tokyo
Although sales are sluggish in suburban areas, a sales war is erupting between Japan’s top property developers as they battle to out-do each other with luxurious residential projects in Tokyo’s centre. The battleground is Tokyo’s Minato Ward, in wealthy neighbourhoods where prices have always been relatively high.
Many of these new condominium developments are located in the vicinity of Tokyo Midtown - a mixed-use office, retail, hotel and rental apartment complex in the Akasaka/Roppongi district. Read more
Tokyo apartment asking prices in July 2016
August 26, 2016Real Estate News,Market Information,All,Osaka,Nagoya,Tokyo
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sq.ft) second-hand apartment in greater Tokyo in July 2016 was 34,940,000 Yen, up 0.6% from the previous month and up 13.9% from last year. This is the 7th month in a row to record an increase from the previous month. The average building age was 22.4 years.
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the average asking price was 47,860,000 Yen, down 0.1% from the previous month but up 12.2% from last year. This ends a 24-month streak of consecutive monthly price increases. The average building age was 22.0 years.
In Tokyo’s 23 wards, the average asking price was 52,790,000 Yen, down 0.2% from the previous month but up 10.8% from last year. The average building age was 21.9 years.
In Tokyo’s central six wards (Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku, Bunkyo and Shibuya), the average asking price was 71,850,000 Yen, up 0.5% from the previous month and up 7.3% from last year. The average building age was 20.0 years.Read more