Airbnb, the global site connecting those with private residences for rent with travelers, deleted from its search results all properties in Japan
operating without a license or notification number.
This was in response to a June 1 notice from the Japan Tourism Agency demanding that bookings for illegal properties be deleted or renters requested to change bookings to compliant properties.
Also see: Japan Tourism Agency issues notice to intermediary agents in the private residence rental sector, demanding deletion of bookings for illegal properties
Thus far, Airbnb had been notifying existing hosts operating private residences in Japan to enter their notification number under the Residential
Business Act or license number under the Inns and Hotels Act by June 14, but the site put changes into effect immediately following a notice sent by
the Japan Tourism Agency on June 1.
As of this writing on June 2, properties that have not entered the requisite notification or license number are either deleted from Airbnb or have had
their listing page blocked.
With this sudden acceleration of the Agency’s schedule prompting mass delisting, existing hosts on the site received an e-mail after the fact asking
them to update their listings to be compliant.
Given that properties suspected of not being compliant were deleted from search listings, and that search results have drastically decreased, travelers
seeking Airbnb properties in Japan currently face a very difficult situation.
