Is Airbnb Legal in Tokyo? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Notification required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

No tourist tax

Yearly night cap

180 nights

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to ¥1,000,000

Active Airbnb listings

15,100

Next rule change

Dec 16, 2026

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Anyone renting a home for paid stays who does not hold a Hotel Business Act licence or a special-zone certification must notify before the first guest. Lodging without a notification or licence is unlicensed lodging. The notification number then has to appear on the Airbnb listing.^{3,4,5,29,49,50}

Issued by

The mayor of the ward where the home stands (each of the 23 wards runs its own health office); filed online through the national Minpaku system (民泊制度運営システム). Outside the wards, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government takes notifications.

Valid for

No expiry date. The host reports nights let, guest numbers and nationalities to the ward by the 15th of every even-numbered month for the previous two months, and keeps the notification current.

Processing

Toshima Ward warns that issuing the sign can take 3 months or more because of the number of notifications; other wards do not publish a time.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Airbnb asks for the notification number on the listing and an official document proving it is genuine, and counts every booking in a notified home towards the 180 nights and reports the nights to the Japan Tourism Agency.

Fees

Who qualifies

• The home has a kitchen, bathroom, toilet and washbasin in working order
• The home is lived in, is advertised for tenants or buyers, or is used by its owner or tenant from time to time (at least once a year); a new flat built only for minpaku does not qualify
• A fire-law compliance certificate (消防法令適合通知書) from the local fire department
• Tenants need the landlord's consent to sublet for minpaku; condo units need management rules and an owners' association policy that do not prohibit it
• The home is outside any area or period your ward bars (zones, weekdays, school districts), and the neighbour notice your ward requires has been given

How to apply

1. 1 Book a pre-consultation with the health office of your ward (生活衛生課); several wards, including Toshima, Sumida and Ota, take notifications and consultations by appointment
2. 2 Check the ward's area and period limits, the condo rules or landlord's consent, and obtain the fire-law compliance certificate from the fire department
3. 3 Give the neighbour notice your ward requires: Shinjuku asks for written notice 7 days before filing, Toshima 14 days before with a briefing meeting, Shibuya 60 days before for notifications from July 1, 2026, and Sumida a briefing or door-to-door visits before the filing day
4. 4 Appoint a registered manager (住宅宿泊管理業者) if you will be away during stays or offer more than five rooms
5. 5 File the notification through the Minpaku system or at the ward counter, collect the ward's sign, and display it where the public can see it
6. 6 Add the notification number and a supporting document to the Airbnb listing, and keep a guest register

Permit rules

Notify the ward office before renting (Minpaku Act)

A person who wants to let a home for paid stays must notify the prefectural governor or, in Tokyo's 23 wards, the ward mayor, who take notifications, supervise hosts and set local rules. The host receives a notification number that goes on the listing and on the sign at the property.^3,4 In force since June 15, 2018

Airbnb requires the notification number and an official document

To list a notified home in Japan, add the notification number to the listing and upload an official document that proves it. Using another person's number or giving false information is a criminal offence.⁴⁹ Applies to: Hosts listing on Airbnb under the Minpaku Act

Hotel Business Act licence for repeated paid lodging outside the Minpaku Act

Letting a home repeatedly for payment as lodging is in principle a hotel business and needs a licence; hosts who skip the Minpaku Act notification usually apply for the simple-lodging (簡易宿所) licence. It has no 180-night cap, but the building must satisfy zoning, fire and sanitation standards, and the application fee in Shinjuku is ¥16,500.^11,20 Applies to: Hosts who want more than 180 nights or whose property does not qualify as a home

Ota Ward: special-zone minpaku certification with no 180-night cap

Ota Ward certifies lodging under the National Strategic Special Zones Act for a fee of ¥20,500, and stays of 3 to 6 days need extra fire-escape measures. The ward tightened its rules and guidelines on April 1, 2026 after a rise in noise and rubbish complaints, and 481 facilities were certified at June 30, 2026.^33,34 Applies to: Operators in Ota Ward · In force since April 1, 2026

The property must count as a home

The property needs a kitchen, bathroom, toilet and washbasin, and must be a home someone lives in, a home advertised to tenants or buyers, or a home its owner or tenant uses from time to time, at least once a year. A new flat bought only for minpaku, with no history of residential use, does not qualify.^5,32

A registered manager is required if you are away or have more than five rooms

The host must hand day-to-day management to a registered Minpaku manager (住宅宿泊管理業者) when the notified home has more than five guest rooms, or when the host is absent while guests stay.⁶ Applies to: Hosts who are absent during stays or offer more than five rooms · In force since June 15, 2018

Condo rules and the landlord's consent come first

Before notifying, check that the condo management rules do not prohibit minpaku and that the owners' association has no policy of prohibiting it. A tenant or sub-tenant needs the landlord's and any sub-lessor's consent to sublet for minpaku.⁴ Applies to: Condo owners and tenants

Shinjuku: no weekday stays in exclusively residential zones

In exclusively residential zones (住居専用地域) a notified home may not operate from Monday noon to Friday noon. Outside those zones, Shinjuku allows the full 180 nights on any day of the week.¹⁹

Shibuya: wider restricted zones for homes notified from July 1, 2026

For homes notified from July 1, 2026, the restricted zones now include Category 1 and 2 residential zones and quasi-residential zones as well as school districts and low-rise and mid/high-rise exclusive residential zones, where only 63 days a year remain open. The exemption is limited to individuals who live on the same site and manage five rooms or fewer; homes notified by June 30, 2026 keep the earlier rule.²³ Applies to: Homes notified in Shibuya Ward from 2026-07-01 · In force since July 1, 2026

Sumida: no Sunday-noon to Friday-noon stays when the host is absent

Across the whole ward, a host who is absent during stays may not operate from Sunday noon to Friday noon, unless the manager is on site in the home, in the same building, on the same plot or in a neighbouring building. The ordinance has applied since April 1, 2026.^27,28 Applies to: Hosts in Sumida Ward who are away during stays · In force since April 1, 2026

Toshima: area and period limits start on December 16, 2026

Toshima has no area or period limits until December 15, 2026. From December 16, 2026 limits apply, and a notification that is accepted on or after that date is covered even if it was filed earlier, because the ward needs several weeks to review filings.^29,31 Applies to: Hosts in Toshima Ward · Takes effect December 16, 2026

Taito: no weekday stays for homes notified from October 1, 2026

Homes notified from October 1, 2026 may not operate on weekdays, whether the host lives there or not. Homes notified by September 30, 2026 keep the earlier rule, under which an absent host without an on-site manager may not operate on weekdays.^24,25 Applies to: Hosts in Taito Ward · In force since October 1, 2026

Minato: absent hosts in restricted zones are shut for most of the year

In the ward's restricted zones (exclusively residential zones and school districts), a host who is absent may not operate from 11 January noon to 20 March noon, 11 April noon to 10 July noon, and 1 September noon to 20 December noon.²⁶ Applies to: Absent hosts in restricted zones of Minato Ward

Setagaya: no stays from Monday noon to Saturday noon in residential zones

In exclusively residential zones, minpaku is in principle barred from Monday noon to Saturday noon, except from noon on a holiday to noon the next day.³⁵ Applies to: Hosts in exclusively residential zones of Setagaya Ward

Chuo, Koto, Arakawa and Meguro limit weekdays across the whole ward

Chuo allows stays only from Saturday noon to Monday noon. Koto and Arakawa bar stays from Monday noon to Saturday noon, except the days around public holidays. Meguro bars stays from Sunday noon to Friday noon.^2,36,37,38 Applies to: Hosts in Chuo, Koto, Arakawa and Meguro Wards

Bunkyo and Itabashi: no Sunday-noon to Friday-noon stays in residential zones

Bunkyo bars these hours in residential zones, residential districts, quasi-industrial zones and school districts. Itabashi bars them in exclusively residential zones, except from noon the day before a holiday to noon the day after. Itabashi opened a consultation on tighter rules from September 12, 2026 to September 28, 2026.^39,40,41 Applies to: Hosts in Bunkyo and Itabashi Wards

Nakano and Suginami: weekday limits in exclusively residential zones

In Nakano's exclusively residential zones, stays are possible only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays, though a live-in host can ask the ward mayor for permission to operate on weekdays. Suginami bars weekday stays by absent hosts in those zones, except around holidays.^42,43 Applies to: Hosts in exclusively residential zones of Nakano and Suginami Wards

Ota: absent hosts barred from set zones and from weekdays near schools

Absent hosts may not operate in low-rise and mid/high-rise exclusive residential zones, industrial zones, school districts and other listed districts. Within 100 m of the grounds of elementary and junior high schools, new absent-host notifications may not operate from Monday noon to Friday noon. Live-in hosts are not subject to these limits.³² Applies to: Absent hosts in Ota Ward

180 nights a year, counted from noon on 1 April

A notified home may host guests for at most 180 nights in a year running from noon on 1 April to noon on the next 1 April. Airbnb counts every booking in a notified listing towards the cap and passes the nights to the Japan Tourism Agency.^32,50 Applies to: Every home notified under the Minpaku Act · In force since June 15, 2018

Fire-law compliance certificate before notifying

The host obtains a fire-law compliance certificate (消防法令適合通知書) from the fire department that covers the home before filing the notification.⁴

Wards require advance notice to neighbours

Shinjuku requires written notice to neighbours 7 days before filing, Toshima 14 days before with a written notice and a briefing meeting for residents within about 20 m, and Sumida a briefing or door-to-door visits before the day of filing. For notifications from July 1, 2026 Shibuya requires the notice 60 days before filing.^19,23,29,47 Applies to: Hosts filing a notification in these wards · In force since July 1, 2026

Be able to reach the home within 30 minutes

Sumida, Taito and Toshima require a contact who can reach the home within 30 minutes of a neighbour's complaint or enquiry, day or night. Taito inspects the response and the on-site manager during its yearly visits to notified homes.^25,27,29 Applies to: Hosts in Sumida, Taito and Toshima

Insurance is recommended

The Japan Tourism Agency asks hosts to take appropriate insurance, such as fire insurance and third-party liability cover, when notifying.⁷

Report nights let and guests every two months

Each notified home must be reported to the ward by the 15th of February, April, June, August, October and December for the previous two months, covering the nights let, the number of guests and their nationalities.⁸

What the host still handles

• Tokyo accommodation tax from April 1, 2027: register as a special collector (特別徴収義務者) with the Tokyo Bureau of Taxation; applications are open, and those filed by the end of February 2027 receive a registration card by the end of March. Afterwards, file and pay each month by the end of the following month.
• Consumption tax: you owe it once your sales two years earlier, or in the first half of the previous year, exceed ¥10 million, or from the day you register as a qualified invoice issuer.
• Collect the taxes yourself: Airbnb does not collect Japanese accommodation tax or consumption tax, so add them to the price or charge them separately.^{14,15,16,17,18,51}

• Letting a home for paid stays without a Hotel Business Act licence (which covers hosting with neither a Minpaku Act notification nor a special-zone certification) is punishable by up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to ¥1,000,000, or both (Hotel Business Act, article 10).^1,11
• A false notification, or ignoring an order to close the business, carries up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to ¥1,000,000, or both.⁷
• Failing to hand management to a registered manager when one is required (more than five rooms, or the host is absent) is punishable by a fine of up to ¥500,000.⁷
• Ignoring an improvement order, refusing an inspection or giving false answers to the ward carries a fine of up to ¥300,000, and so do failing to file changes, to display the sign, to keep a guest register or to file the two-monthly report.⁷
• Failing to file a closure notice, or filing a false one, brings an administrative fine of up to ¥200,000.⁷
• On December 4, 2025 Shinjuku Ward ordered four operators to abolish their minpaku business after repeated reporting failures; an operator under an abolition order cannot run minpaku for three years.²²
• Sumida Ward issued improvement orders on June 15, 2026 to 14 operators of 26 facilities that had not filed the periodic report, and published the name of one operator of 7 facilities that ignored an earlier order.²⁸

1. April 1, 2027 Upcoming
   Tokyo accommodation tax extends to minpaku

   The tax becomes 3% of the room price per person per night for stays of ¥13,000 or more and covers simple lodging, special-zone minpaku and Minpaku Act homes as well as hotels and ryokan; operators in the new categories can register now.^14,15

2. December 16, 2026 Upcoming
   Toshima Ward area and period limits start

   Limits on areas and periods start, together with penalties; a notification accepted on or after this date is covered even if it was filed earlier.^29,31

3. October 1, 2026
   Taito Ward bars weekday stays for newly notified homes

   Homes notified from this date may not operate on weekdays; the ward also gained powers to order improvements and to publish the names of violators, including for existing homes, and plans yearly inspections of every notified home.^24,25

4. September 12, 2026 Not in force
   Itabashi Ward consults on tighter minpaku rules

   Public comment on amendments to the ward's minpaku and Hotel Business Act ordinances ran from September 12, 2026 to September 28, 2026.⁴¹

5. September 8, 2026 Not in force
   Shinjuku Ward announces a plan to tighten minpaku rules

   The ward mayor outlined an ordinance amendment that would bar new minpaku in residential use zones and cap commercial zones at 120 days a year, with a two-year transition for existing homes. Public comment is to precede the amendment.²¹

6. July 15, 2026
   National advice on location bans and ICT management

   The Japan Tourism Agency and the health and land ministries told local governments, as technical advice, that ordinances may impose zero-day bans and require ICT-based management.¹²

7. July 1, 2026
   Edogawa Ward minpaku ordinance takes effect

   The ward's ordinance and rules took effect. The ward's consultation draft said manager-run minpaku would no longer be possible in new exclusively residential and residential zones.^45,46

8. July 1, 2026
   Shibuya Ward's amended ordinance applies

   The amended ordinance applies to homes notified from this date; homes notified by June 30, 2026 keep the earlier limits.²³

9. April 1, 2026
   Ota Ward tightens special-zone minpaku and Minpaku Act rules

   Ota Ward revised its rules and guidelines to cut noise and rubbish complaints; they also apply in part to existing facilities.^32,33

10. April 1, 2026
    Katsushika Ward minpaku ordinance takes effect

    The ordinance promulgated on December 17, 2025 and its rules took effect, tightening how minpaku is run in the ward.⁴⁴

11. April 1, 2026
    Sumida Ward minpaku ordinance takes effect

    Absent hosts may not operate from Sunday noon to Friday noon across the ward unless the manager is on site, and a ward-wide complaint desk opened.^27,28

12. March 26, 2026
    Shibuya Ward promulgates a stricter minpaku ordinance

    The amended ordinance and rules, announced on March 26, 2026, add residential zones to the restricted zones, narrow the exemption and require neighbour notice 60 days before filing.²³

13. December 15, 2025
    Toshima Ward amends its minpaku ordinance (first stage)

    The amended ordinance took effect, changing the documents required with a notification; the area and period limits follow on December 16, 2026.³⁰

14. December 10, 2025
    Sumida Ward passes a new minpaku ordinance

    The ward assembly passed the Sumida minpaku ordinance and an amendment to its Hotel Business Act ordinance; both took effect on April 1, 2026.⁴⁸

Estimate what a Tokyo home could earn

1. 1. Hotel Business Act (旅館業法, Act No. 138 of 1948), article 10, machine-readable text · e-Gov Law Search (Digital Agency)
2. 2. Arakawa Ward ordinance on running minpaku (荒川区住宅宿泊事業の運営に関する条例) · Arakawa Ward
3. 3. Minpaku portal: overview of the Minpaku Act (住宅宿泊事業法とは) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
4. 4. Minpaku portal: information and procedure for notification (届出に必要な情報、手続き) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
5. 5. Minpaku portal: eligible housing (対象となる住宅) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
6. 6. Minpaku portal: entrusting management to a registered manager (管理業務の委託) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
7. 7. Minpaku portal: other notes for hosts, penalties and insurance (その他留意事項) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
8. 8. Minpaku portal: host duties, including the two-monthly report (住宅宿泊事業者編) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
9. 9. Minpaku portal: enforcement status of the Minpaku Act and nights let, June to July 2026 (住宅宿泊事業法の施行状況) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
10. 10. Notifications and registrations by prefecture, health-centre city and Tokyo ward, as of 2026-09-15 (届出及び登録の状況一覧) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
11. 11. Minpaku portal: the Hotel Business Act (旅館業法について) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
12. 12. Technical advice to local governments on zero-day restrictions and ICT management, 2026-07-15 (ゼロ日規制等について) · Japan Tourism Agency (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
13. 13. Minpaku (Private Lodging Business): laws, handbook and guidelines (関係法令・ハンドブック) · Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs
14. 14. Tokyo accommodation tax (東京都の宿泊税) · Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Taxation
15. 15. Tokyo accommodation tax leaflet for operators (宿泊事業者のみなさまへ) · Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Taxation (hosted by the Japan Tourism Agency)
16. 16. Q&A on taxation of private lodging (minpaku): income tax and consumption tax (民泊に係る税務Q&A) · National Tax Agency
17. 17. How consumption tax works (消費税のしくみ) · National Tax Agency
18. 18. Tax Answer No. 6501: Exemption of small businesses from consumption tax (納税義務の免除) · National Tax Agency
19. 19. Minpaku Act and Shinjuku Ward rules (住宅宿泊事業と新宿区のルール) · Shinjuku Ward
20. 20. Shinjuku Ward hotel business licence application form with fee schedule (旅館業営業許可申請書) · Shinjuku Ward
21. 21. Press conference of the Shinjuku ward mayor, 2026-09-08: new rules for minpaku and hotels · Shinjuku Ward
22. 22. Abolition orders issued to four minpaku operators, 2025-12-04 (廃止命令を発出) · Shinjuku Ward
23. 23. Outline of the 2026 amendment to Shibuya Ward's minpaku ordinance and rules (改正の概要) · Shibuya Ward
24. 24. Taito Ward ordinance on minpaku amended (台東区の条例を改正しました) · Taito Ward
25. 25. Taito Ward: outline of stronger minpaku measures from October 2026 (令和8年10月から民泊への対策を強化します) · Taito Ward
26. 26. Minato Ward: Minpaku Act and ward ordinance (住宅宿泊事業（民泊）を行う皆様へ) · Minato Ward
27. 27. Sumida Ward: for residents near minpaku, with the ordinance's limits (民泊が行われている周辺にお住まいの方へ) · Sumida Ward
28. 28. Sumida Ward: measures against illegal and disruptive minpaku (民泊対策に関する区の取組について) · Sumida Ward
29. 29. Toshima Ward: for businesses, the Minpaku Act and Toshima rules (事業者向け：住宅宿泊事業法について) · Toshima Ward
30. 30. Toshima Ward: the Minpaku Act ordinance has been amended (住宅宿泊事業法の条例を改正しました) · Toshima Ward
31. 31. Toshima Ward: results of the public comment on the draft ordinance amendment (パブリックコメントの実施結果) · Toshima Ward
32. 32. Ota Ward: the Minpaku Act and ward restrictions (住宅宿泊事業について) · Ota Ward
33. 33. Ota Ward: procedure for special-zone minpaku (国家戦略特別区域外国人滞在施設経営事業の手続き) · Ota Ward
34. 34. Special-zone minpaku results as of 2026-06-30 (特区民泊の実績) · Cabinet Office (National Strategic Special Zones)
35. 35. Setagaya Ward: Minpaku Act (住宅宿泊事業（民泊）について) · Setagaya Ward
36. 36. Chuo Ward: the ward's rules on minpaku (住宅宿泊事業に関する中央区のルール) · Chuo Ward
37. 37. Koto Ward: procedures for minpaku (住宅宿泊事業（いわゆる民泊）に関する手続き) · Koto Ward
38. 38. Meguro Ward ordinance on running minpaku (目黒区住宅宿泊事業の適正な運営の確保に関する条例) · Meguro Ward
39. 39. Bunkyo Ward: for residents, minpaku and its restricted areas (区民の皆さんへ) · Bunkyo Ward
40. 40. Itabashi Ward: the Minpaku Act and the ward's restrictions (住宅宿泊事業法について) · Itabashi Ward
41. 41. Itabashi Ward: public comment on amendments to the minpaku and hotel ordinances (条例の改正案についてご意見をお寄せください) · Itabashi Ward
42. 42. Suginami Ward: Minpaku Act and the ward's restrictions (住宅宿泊事業（民泊）) · Suginami Ward
43. 43. Nakano Ward: the ward's own rules for minpaku (住宅宿泊事業について) · Nakano Ward
44. 44. Katsushika Ward: the Minpaku Act (住宅宿泊事業（民泊）について) · Katsushika Ward
45. 45. Edogawa Ward: the minpaku ordinance and rules have taken effect (条例と規則が施行されました) · Edogawa Ward
46. 46. Edogawa Ward: draft minpaku ordinance and rules open for comment (条例（案）及び施行規則（案）) · Edogawa Ward
47. 47. Sumida Ward: procedure for notifying minpaku, including the neighbour briefing (民泊（住宅宿泊事業）に関する手続き) · Sumida Ward
48. 48. Sumida Ward: review of regulation of minpaku and hotels, with the ordinance passed on 2025-12-10 · Sumida Ward
49. 49. Airbnb Help: Notification under the Private Lodging Business Act (Minpaku) · Airbnb
50. 50. Airbnb Help: 180 night cap in Japan, frequently asked questions · Airbnb
51. 51. Airbnb Help: Areas where tax collection and remittance by Airbnb is available · Airbnb