Japan to impose new restrictions on short-term tourist rentals

New restrictions will be imposed on short-term rental properties in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district to address problems caused by overtourism.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that, under the planned local rules, short-term stays will not be permitted in residential areas or near schools and cultural heritage sites.

Shinjuku, which has the highest number of registered short-term rental properties in Japan, is expected to see about 2,000 apartments affected by the new regulations.

The decision is expected to be formalized in February, while the annual rental period in residential areas is planned to be reduced from 180 days to 120 days.

More than 1,000 official complaints submitted by district residents over the course of a year have prompted the local administration to take legal action.

Residents have mainly complained about improper waste disposal, excessive noise at night, violations of smoking bans and unauthorized entry onto private property.

Local officials said that fining individual businesses or suspending their operating permits had failed to resolve the problem. They stressed that legislative amendments were necessary to achieve lasting results.

The number of tourists visiting Japan has reached record levels, increasing tensions between local residents and visitors in the country’s historic and tourist areas.

Kyoto has previously introduced similar measures, limiting short-term rentals in residential areas to 60 days a year.

Japan has also taken measures to protect historic environments and residential areas, including introducing visitor quotas for Mount Fuji and canceling some traditional festivals.