Asia
Tokyo Tightens Minpaku Rules as Complaints Rise
Tokyo is tightening controls on minpaku, or private lodging, as complaints about noise, garbage, and unregistered operations continue to rise.
2 min read
By WhitesWolf1
The city’s wards are using inspections and local ordinances more aggressively, while the national government has opened the door to much stricter local limits.
In Shinjuku Ward, inspectors checked facilities on a weekday when minpaku operations are generally not allowed, and they found travelers staying at some properties along with suspected unapproved business activity. The ward received 1,334 complaints in fiscal 2025, about 1.7 times the previous year, and it issued its first business cessation order to a minpaku provider in December.
Toshima Ward has moved to cut the annual operating cap from 180 days to 120 days, while Chiyoda Ward has banned new minpaku launches near schools or in dense residential areas unless the owner lives on site. Separately, Toshima also issued one-year suspension orders for 23 facilities run by 15 businesses after repeated failures to submit required reports.
The policy shift is being reinforced at the national level. In June, the Japan Tourism Agency said local governments can use ordinances to set a zero-day cap in some areas, effectively allowing outright bans on minpaku in residential neighborhoods. Starting April 2027, Tokyo’s lodging tax will also apply to minpaku stays.
For residents, the changes are intended to reduce disruption. For operators and investors, the message is that ward-by-ward rules now matter more than ever, and compliance costs are getting heavier.
