minpaku – Page 5 – JAPAN PROPERTY CENTRAL K.K.

Local groups seek ban on unlicensed short-term letting in Hakuba

Hakuba’s local tourism associations are seeking a ban on short-term Airbnb-type accommodation because it could threaten the already-low operational rates of the village’s existing inns and hotels.

Hakuba’s Kirikubo and Shinden districts at the foot of the Hakuba Iwatake Ski Resort have 68 licensed lodgings that have operating ratios of around 15 ~ 20%, as reported by the Iwatake Tourism Association. The president of the Association says the village already has enough accommodation options for foreign and domestic tourists and believes that the new model of short-term Airbnb-type lettings is something more suited to a large city.

by Zoe Ward

Short-term accommodation hosts to be hit with 180 day limit

The Japanese government is currently in the process of introducing a new law to govern the rapidly growing market of short-term letting of individual homes and apartments, and will be imposing strict rules on hosts. The maximum number of days that a property can be let out is expected to be capped at 180 days a year, while maximum fines will be lifted from 30,000 Yen to 1,000,000 Yen for hosts found to be violating the new law.

Accommodation listing sites may be obligated to impose checks on hosts and remove listings once a property has reached the 180 day limit. Local governments will also have the power to reduce the annual limit even further, even to 0 days a year.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Taiwan company buys building in Ota-ku for short-term accommodation

Tokyo-based real estate developer, Best Way, has sold one of their apartment buildings in Ota-ku to Taiwanese corporation Wellglory.

The building is currently under construction and due for completion in January 2017. The property was sold in anticipation of a potential further relaxation the the short-term leasing rules in Japan.

Earlier this year Best Way announced that they were building a 5-storey apartment building in Ota-ku that was specifically designed for short-term rentals. The building will contain 17 studio-type apartments. Units will feature connecting doors that allow flexibility and to cater to changing needs from occupants. It will also have additional security features as well sound-proofing and a coin laundry for guests to use.Read more

by Zoe Ward