Requirements to Become a Residential Lodging Business Manager in Japan to be Eased
Airbnb business in Japan. Many houses has been deleted from Airbnb website
Even if a non resident of Japan hopes to operate Airbnb business in Japan, it is not easy for them to list their real estates in airbnb website.
Assumed that you are not living in Japan but own real estate in Japan.
You have completed registration of private lodging business (Airbnb Business = Minpaku business) with Japanese government.
But as of now, you can not list your real estate with airbnb inc website.
It considers that if host does not have legal address in Japan, you can not manage your business legally.
Though, without legal address in Japan, you can obtain registration number from government, you can not list it in airbnb website.
On the other hand, if you incorporate a company in Japan and your company obtains registration number from government, your company can list it in airbnb website.
Because even if you are not living in Japan, your company exists in Japan legally.
(in the case a company applies for minpaku registration it is always host absent type. So, it needs to hire registered management company )
Yanushi huzai Gata Minpaku Japan
In the case you operate Minpaku = Airbnb Business in Japan (180 days limitation)
If you are living in room 101 and minpaku room is 102 in the same building.
In this case, this is included in 家主不在型 minpaku.
But as far as you can find accident ocurred in room 102 right away, you do not need to hire 管理業者。
But as far as fire prevention law is concerned it is completely regarded as 家主不在型. so, you need to install fire prevention facilities.
Installment of emergency lighting
In the case you apply for minpaku registration (with 180 days limitation), you will install necessary fire prevention facilities.
You will order fire safety company and install fire extinguisher, automatic fire alarm（自動火災報知機）, Emergency exit light (誘導灯).
These equipments are stipulated in fire prevention law. But he may not install emergency lighting (非常用照明設備).
Because it is stipulated by building standard law. So, when you install necessary equipment, you also need to hire architect, even if room area is less than 100 sqm.
Certificate of residence in Japan
In the case non-resident of Japan applies for Minpaku registration, basically, she needs to prepare a statutory declaration that certifies her legal address.
However, depending on authority, soft copy of passport and mail (envelope etc) that clarifies she has received mail from other person with her address written in passport.
Requirements to Become a Residential Lodging Business Manager in Japan to be Eased
If you want to operate a business in Japan that offers residences as lodging (minpaku = 住宅宿泊事業＝民泊), you basically need to hire a manager (=住宅宿泊管理業者).
Let us assume that you buy a piece of real estate and run a residential lodging business. When a guest stays at your real estate property, you will not be staying at the property.
So you need to hire a private accommodation manager who can give the guest the keys to the house on your behalf, clean the rooms, and deal with any problems that arise with the guest immediately.
According to the law governing the operation of private accommodations business, if the number of rooms where guests stay exceeds five, you need to hire a manager, even if you are staying at the property.
Also, if you are not staying at the property, you must always hire a Residential Lodging Business Manager.
Otherwise, you will not be able to clean the rooms and check the comings and goings of the guests. This may lead to the occurrence of crimes.
There are requirements to become this 住宅宿泊管理業者. The person who becomes the manager needs to have at least two years of work experience related to the real estate business or a certification such as a real estate agent etc.
So it is difficult to find a manager if that private accommodation is located in the countryside. Also, since they are protected by the qualifications, price competition is not likely to occur. Therefore, management fees may not be cheap.
Some foreigners may want to stay in a house with a rural atmosphere in a rural area. In such a case, you buy a property in a rural area and hire someone who lives there as a manager. The cost may be less than hiring a real estate broker.
The government aims to increase the number of foreign visitors to Japan.
Therefore, they are trying to increase the number of people who can start private accommodations by relaxing the requirements to become a manager.
After the law is revised, even those who have never worked in the real estate business may be able to become a manager if they attend a training seminar.
If all goes well, the law may be revised within this year.
