Japan to clear way for local gov'ts to effectively ban private lodgings

TOKYO — The Japan Tourism Agency plans to notify local governments that they may effectively ban minpaku private lodging in certain areas through ordinances to protect residential areas from noise, garbage and other nuisances, a source familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The notice to be sent later this month would mark a reversal of the agency's longstanding stance that banning private lodging is inappropriate from the viewpoint of promoting the service.

Owners can rent out vacant homes or rooms to tourists for up to 180 days per year under a relevant Japanese law. The service has gained popularity in recent years, with around 40,700 properties registered for private lodging use as of May.

Japan has seen some moves at the local level to effectively ban the service to address residents' concerns, including by setting the 180-day operating limit to zero through ordinances.

The Japanese government, however, has taken the view in its guidelines for local governments that prohibiting it is "inappropriate" and "deviates" from the purpose of the law.

The agency's new notice would say local governments may introduce regulations if the number of private lodgings is expected to increase around residential areas or in the vicinity of educational institutions and they are feared to worsen the living environment.

It would also state that local governments can restrict existing ones in cases where the negative consequences of having private lodgings around have already emerged. They can also make it mandatory for operators to install sound-level meters and surveillance cameras.

The government will set up a call center on a trial basis in the current fiscal year to receive nighttime complaints about noise and other disturbances and strengthen the monitoring of lodging operators, according to the source.

© KYODO