Quick answers
- Can you run a minpaku (Airbnb-style rental) in Tokyo?
- Yes, under the national home-sharing law, up to 180 nights a year, but each ward adds its own limits. In October 2026, a new host-away minpaku in the residential areas of these 11 central wards could run only at weekends or in school holidays, or not at all in parts of Chiyoda and Ota. A condominium’s management rules, or a resolution of its general meeting or board, can forbid it whatever the ward allows.
- What changed in 2026?
- Four wards tightened their rules for new notifications: Sumida from 1 April, Chiyoda and Shibuya from 1 July, and Taito from 1 October 2026. Bunkyo extends its limits to the whole ward from 7 January 2027. Shinjuku and Ota have published stricter proposals that were not yet in force.
- Is minpaku allowed in Taito-ku?
- For notifications from 1 October 2026, a minpaku anywhere in Taito-ku may operate only from Saturday noon to Monday noon, on public holidays and over the New Year, whether or not the host lives there. Homes notified before then keep the earlier rules.
We gather data objectively from the latest available sources and share what we find useful.
We hope it helps anyone looking for a home in Japan, or considering a business built around property.
In central Tokyo, a new minpaku without the owner on site can, in most residential areas, run only at weekends or in school holidays — and in parts of Chiyoda and Ota, not at all.
Ward by Ward
A new minpaku where the owner does not live in the home and a government-registered minpaku management business runs it, in the area each ward restricts. October 2026.
Dates show when a ward’s stricter rules took effect for new notifications; homes notified earlier generally keep the earlier rules. Outside the restricted areas, the national 180-night cap applies. For Chuo, Minato, Shinagawa and Meguro we found only the original 2018 rules on the ward’s page and ordinance, with no amendment listed.
If the owner lives on site, and links to each ward
| Ward | Restricted area | Host away | Owner on site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiyoda | School districts, district plans restricting hotels, about 100 m around schools and nurseries, and the listed residential districts (Kojimachi, Banchō, Kudan, Kanda…) | Not in these areas, even with a manager stationed on site | Fri noon – Sun noon in school districts and near schools; otherwise no limit | Ward page |
| Chuo | Whole ward | Weekends only · Sat noon – Mon noon | Same | Ward page |
| Minato | Residential zones | School holidays only | No limit | Ward page |
| Shinjuku | Residential zones | Fri noon – Mon noon | Same | Ward page |
| Shibuya | Residential zones (widened) | About 63 days a year, mostly school holidays | Up to 180 nights if the owner lives in the same or next building (5 rooms or fewer) | Ward page |
| Shinagawa | Whole ward except commercial zones (school districts within them are still restricted) | Weekends only · Sat noon – Mon noon | Same | Ward page |
| Meguro | Whole ward | Fri noon – Sun noon | Same | Ward page |
| Bunkyo | Residential and quasi-industrial zones, school districts → whole ward from 7 Jan 2027 | Fri noon – Sun noon | Same | Ward page |
| Taito | Whole ward | Weekends and holidays only · Sat noon – Mon noon | Same (from Oct 2026) | Ward page |
| Sumida | Whole ward | Fri noon – Sun noon, unless a manager is stationed on site | Up to 180 nights (5 rooms or fewer) | Ward page |
| Ota | Residential-only zones, industrial and exclusively industrial zones, school districts and similar (not quasi-industrial) | Not in these zones; within 100 m of a primary or junior high school, Fri noon – Mon noon only | No limit | Ward page |
What Happens to Existing Minpaku
New rules apply to new notifications. But a buyer cannot take over a notification: the buyer files a new one, under the rules in force at that time.
Still Changing
In July 2026 the national government told wards that a near-total ban can be reasonable (notice ↗). Two more are on the way, neither in force yet:
- Shinjuku (planned June 2027) — residential and quasi-industrial zones and school districts: banned in principle, except a ward-approved home the owner has lived in for 3+ years (up to 120 days). Commercial zones: up to 120 days (spring, summer and winter holidays). Proposal ↗
- Ota — no new minpaku, even owner-occupied, where hotels cannot be built or near schools; elsewhere, Saturday noon to Monday noon and public holidays only. Proposal ↗
Ota’s Special-Zone Minpaku and Licensed Inns
Ota also runs special-zone minpaku. The scheme continues, but its standards tightened in 2026, and a proposal would require staff on site for new licensed inns too.
The outline says staff on site applies to “newly applied” inns; it does not say whether the other items reach existing ones.
What to Check on a Specific Home
- Zoning, plus school districts, district plans, distance from schools and nurseries, and the street address (Chiyoda). A plot spanning two areas is judged by where most of it lies
- The building’s management rules (do they forbid minpaku?)
- When the buyer files a new notification, which periods would apply
- Nights already used this fiscal year (from 1 April, noon); they count together with the buyer’s
- Preparation before filing (neighbour notice: 60 days ahead in Shibuya) and when the seller files the closure; there can be a gap before operating
In a Time of Big Change
The rules are now being revised and tightened so sharply that minpaku could fairly be called a temporary relaxation from the years before the Tokyo Olympics, when Tokyo was badly short of places to stay.
Too many minpaku, and rules that could not keep up: how they were used, how loose the limits were, the lack of any cap on numbers. Whatever the causes, people who entered the business are being forced to change course, and we expect many have had to withdraw or sell at a loss because the change has been so large and so fast.
A new pattern is forming. What matters now is where, with which property and with what difference a lodging business can run steadily, and that calls for more strategic investment. Put the other way, it is because the change is so large that new opportunities, trends and businesses are starting to appear. That is our view.
We, too, will keep watching how this business develops and consider whether to enter it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you run a minpaku (Airbnb-style rental) in Tokyo?
Yes, under the national home-sharing law, up to 180 nights a year, but each ward adds its own limits. In October 2026, a new host-away minpaku in the residential areas of these 11 central wards could run only at weekends or in school holidays, or not at all in parts of Chiyoda and Ota. A condominium’s management rules, or a resolution of its general meeting or board, can forbid it whatever the ward allows.
What changed in 2026?
Four wards tightened their rules for new notifications: Sumida from 1 April, Chiyoda and Shibuya from 1 July, and Taito from 1 October 2026. Bunkyo extends its limits to the whole ward from 7 January 2027. Shinjuku and Ota have published stricter proposals that were not yet in force.
Is minpaku allowed in Taito-ku?
For notifications from 1 October 2026, a minpaku anywhere in Taito-ku may operate only from Saturday noon to Monday noon, on public holidays and over the New Year, whether or not the host lives there. Homes notified before then keep the earlier rules.
Is minpaku allowed in Sumida-ku?
Across the whole ward, a host-away minpaku notified from 1 April 2026 may operate only from Friday noon to Sunday noon, unless a manager is stationed on site. If the owner lives in the same building or next door and manages five rooms or fewer, the limit does not apply.
If I buy a home that runs as a minpaku, can I keep operating?
Not on the seller’s notification. When the operator changes through a sale or inheritance, the buyer must file a new notification and the ward’s rules at that time apply (national notice); nights at the same home keep counting.
Do the new rules apply to minpaku that already operate?
In Chiyoda, Shibuya, Sumida and Taito, the new periods apply to notifications made after each change. Taito’s new supervision rules, and Bunkyo’s rule that an individual living abroad must appoint an agent in Japan, also cover existing ones.
Sources
Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa, Meguro, Bunkyo, Taito, Sumida and Ota, checked on 26 October 2026; links in the ward table above. Proposals: Shinjuku (policy meeting, 1 October 2026) and Ota (public consultation, August 2026).
The 180-night cap, management rules in condominiums, and the 15 July 2026 technical advice to local governments.
General information based on the sources listed, as of the date above. We check each figure against its source, but cannot guarantee that the information is complete, accurate or current. It is not legal, tax or investment advice; before any purchase, please rely on the original sources, the property’s disclosure statement and contract, and your own advisers.
