Tokyo’s Oji Residential Area Faces Community Collapse Due to Ongoing Minpaku Issues

In the Kita Ward of Tokyo, about a five-minute walk from JR Oji Station, an unusual sight is unfolding. In the quiet residential area, numerous signs reading “Oppose Minpaku” have suddenly appeared. Local residents are protesting the operation of a “minpaku” (short-term rental) business that was established in the residential area, demanding that it be shut down. However, the issue has yet to be resolved, and discussions with the business operator seem to be at a standstill.

 The disruptive behavior continues even now

The building, which is currently operating as a simple accommodation facility, is a three-story, 12-room apartment that was completed in September 2023. Since its opening in July of the previous year, disruptive behavior by guests has continued to cause trouble for the nearby residents. Resident A expressed their dissatisfaction with the facility as follows:

“This neighborhood has many families with children, and when foreigners gather, even if they are not making noise, we are afraid and can’t leave our homes until they go somewhere else. We can’t speak to them since they don’t understand the language, and we are too scared to say anything in case we anger them.

Also, they carry large suitcases, and they make noise when moving them at any time of day or night. It’s especially loud at night, and since it’s quiet around here, it often feels very disturbing. The operator promised during the residents’ meeting that guests would carry their suitcases by hand. I didn’t think they could enforce that with all the guests, and many times, it hasn’t been followed. Moreover, this is a private road, owned by the residents. Yet, some of the property owners haven’t even received any communication from the operator.”

There have also been issues with littering from cigarettes and guests loitering, and there are frequent instances of incorrect use of the intercom. Problems have also arisen with garbage collection.

“The trash from the ‘minpaku’ is not household waste but business waste, and the collection comes at 3 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, which is very noisy. Even when we asked the authorities to change the time, it was unsuccessful.” (same person)

Some residents have expressed concern about the collapse of the community. When they tried to file complaints about the disruptive behavior, the emergency contact number posted on the apartment wall was unreachable, and even after multiple attempts to reach out on different days, the number remained disconnected. The residents’ stress continues to increase.

The notice that suddenly arrived at neighboring households

The biggest dissatisfaction among residents seems to be that the business operator opened the “minpaku” (vacation rental) without properly explaining it, in the innermost part of the dead-end private road of the residents. Before the building was constructed, the residents had only speculated whether a single-family house or an apartment would be built on this large plot of land, and they had no particular concerns. After construction began, they were told that it would be a rental apartment.

However, about two months after the building was completed, on November 26, 2023, residents received a notice titled “Notification Regarding the Registration of Residential Lodging Business,” and for the first time, the residents were informed that the building would operate as a “minpaku.” In response, residents protested by placing minpaku opposition signs, and demanded an explanation from the business operator.

The first meeting was held on December 4, 2023, and the second meeting took place on the 17th. The business operator promised the residents measures to prevent noise, ban smoking on the streets, and 24-hour management, but the situation did not improve. Additionally, according to a resident (B), the day before the first meeting, the following incident occurred:

“I heard a man shouting outside. ‘How dare you put up such a sign! I’ll destroy it!’ and ‘I’ll call the police! I’ll call a lawyer!’ I thought it was strange to operate a ‘minpaku’ without any explanation, but what the operator was doing was far from normal.”

Despite ongoing discussions, on March 16, 2024, another meeting was held with the explanation that the establishment would operate as a simple accommodation subject to the Ryokan Business Law. The apartment was then applied for as a simple lodging on March 29, and permission was granted on May 17. Without reaching an agreement with nearby residents, the business finally started operations on July 1, 2024.

However, as residents had feared, they were plagued by continuous troubles, as mentioned earlier. Regarding the inability to contact the management, an unannounced inspection by the Kita Ward Health Center on October 3 revealed that there was no actual management office. As a result, the health center sent written guidance to the operator, but the residents were not informed about what happened afterward.

How do the operators and the government respond to the residents’ concerns?

How do the operators and the government view the ongoing situation with the no vacation rental signs?

When we reached out to the vacation rental operator for an interview, we were told, “We do not accept interviews.” The response from the Kita-ku Health Center was, “We cannot disclose details regarding individual cases.”

“In 2018, the Ryokan Law and the Residential Lodging Business Law were amended and enacted in June of the same year. As a result, Kita-ku created guidelines for the Residential Lodging Business Law, aiming to ensure that operators conduct their business under proper management. At that time, illegal vacation rentals were rampant in Kita-ku, so the goal was for all operators to submit notifications rather than secretly operate.

Under the Ryokan Law, an application and approval are required, but from an administrative perspective, if the application is complete, we have no choice but to grant approval. However, if there are any issues with the operation, we will issue guidance in accordance with legal procedures, and if illegal activities persist after guidance, we will take strict action,” said the Kita-ku Health Center.

Nationwide, vacation rentals are on the rise and are expected to continue growing. Measures to address nuisance behavior when they occur in residential areas must be taken before the operators arrive.

 

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