Dear Cavalol
Just came across your posting. I am aware that my comment is late and you probably already -or almost- left Tokyo. Hope you have had great trip and enjoyed japan.
Still, as an apartment owner and previous Airbnb host here in Tokyo. I will like to explain to you and to other curios people out there about the status of Airbnb in japan, Why it is confusing and why you may have noticed those kind of signs.
Airbnb is now officially legal in japan. In particular it has been legalize in the big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. However, those so called “legalization” is in fact ONE BIG JOKE. It has so many restrictions on the apartment owner/host that it is literally impossible to host/rent out short term in proper “legal licensed” way.
Due to limit writing space and time, I will ignore most of the other restrictions and regulations for now. i will only focus on one -which is the most ridiculous one-
“In order for apartment owner to get Airbnb license in Tokyo, he must first show the local municipalies that his bldg condominium allows it”. He actually need to provide the local council a document from the bldg management that there are no restrictions against short term rental in this particular bldg. But guess what: They will never ever give it to you. Ever!
I have talked with hundreds of apartment Owners and hosts in Tokyo who tried to talk and convince their bldg managements. But in 100% of the cases (not 99% but 100%) the answer was always negative.
What’s even worst, is that even in cases where neigbours originally did not mind about Airbnb so much, the bldg managements themselves are abusing their power and manipulating neighbours votes against it.
You see, in japan Bldg managements are way overstepping of their responsibilities. Their responsibilities meant to maintain the Bldg in good condition, take care of basic security and to follow tenants instructions. But in reality, they are the supreme authority and somehow always manage to get most of apartment owners to follow their own agendas and “suggestions”.
Why Bldg managements are against Airbnb?
First of all because most of those bldg managements are also involved in the hotel or serviced apartment industry. For example, the apartment I purchased is managed by Mitsui Fudosan. Mitsui Fudosan is linked to Mitsui Coroporation and they owing several hotels and plenty of service apartment bldgs. For them Airbnb is a direct competitor! So the instructions from Top management of Mitsui is: to get tenants to vote against it. Which is pretty easy really because most tenants don’t plan to do Airbnb so why they don’t just to follow what the “trusted” management company suggested? Remember that most Japanese people are not business minded people, they just purchase an apartment for their own use or for long term typical investment. So they are pretty easy to be manipulated and pushed into personally unfavorable situations by those big Coroporations.
So, no one in Tokyo (In particular central Tokyo) can actually get permit from bldg managements and therefore no one can get a proper Airbnb style license. So what to do? Some people such as myself choose to give up on the all adventure (and lose lots of money on their investment in the process), some people are trying to fight this absurd request and some people choose to continue hosting in Tokyo/Japan under the radar.
The good thing is: under government instructions, the law enforcements do not really try to enforce those restrictions and they pretty much ignore “illegal” Airbnb operations. That is because it is good for the country tourism and economy (japan hotel supply is very low and bad value for money so removing Airbnb completely will kill 30-40% of tourism). The other good thing for you as a guest is that even if there will ever be prosecution (which is very very rare) it will be against the host not against you as a guest, you are protected.
The Bldg managements companies are aware of that, they are aware that law engorcement will never do anything. So what they do? They are trying to “stop the phenomena” themselves. One way is by trying to scare guests with those kind of signs thatbyou noticed etc… and another way is by threatening the apartment owner/host of prosecutions ect…
Bottom line is, this confusing situation been created by the impotence of the Japanese government that on one hand supposedly legalize short term rental but on the other end made serveral requirements which the hosts can never get.