30 stories
Can a company be registered at a rental apartment? This article explains from a legal perspective the risks of unauthorized office use, the impact on landlords, and legitimate alternatives such as SOHO use and shared offices.
Understand the propane gas equipment free-loan contract common in Japanese rental properties: the mechanism, benefits, drawbacks, and how to avoid common contract disputes.
A lease can be formed verbally even without a written agreement, but the risks are significant. Explains the clauses owners should include, such as repair obligations, prohibited uses, and termination terms, and how to use the contract effectively from an owner’s perspective.
Understand the legal obligation to replace water meters every 8 years in Japan, who bears the cost, and how the replacement process works in condominiums.
## Elevator Management Is Not Just About Whether Inspections Were Done
This article explains common disputes that arise during move-out inspections for landlords, along with ways to avoid them. It also covers the basics of restoration guidelines and the standards for deciding what can and cannot be charged.
Land category is the legal classification of land use under Japan’s Real Estate Registration Act. It affects whether construction is permitted, financing conditions, and tax burden. This practical guide explains the 23 categories, how to check them, and how to change them.
An explanation of the legal requirements for eviction notices, valid grounds, and when relocation compensation may arise for rental properties. Covers key points under Japan's Act on Land and Building Leases and practical responses for property management companies and landlords. Consult INA.
Explains how one-room ordinances work and outlines Taito Ward's specific regulations. Introduces minimum unit area, family-unit requirements, and the impact on real estate investment from a professional perspective.
Explains the rental contract process from property search to move-in in seven steps. Covers the difference between standard and fixed-term leases, required documents, the breakdown of initial costs, and how to use online important matter explanations.
This guide explains condominium fire inspections, including inspection types such as equipment checks and comprehensive inspections, typical cost ranges, penalties, and resident response, to help ensure compliance with fire safety law.
Can land and buildings in an urbanization control area be bought and sold? This guide explains the key precautions and success factors for both sellers and buyers, along with how to choose the right real estate intermediary.
Defective properties in Japan are not assets you should buy simply because they are cheap, nor assets you should automatically avoid because they appear risky. The investment decision depends on whether you can separate the type of defect,
This article explains whether short-term rental is allowed in condominiums, the rules under the Private Lodging Business Act, restrictions in management bylaws, and the risks owners face, along with reasons many buildings adopt voluntary limits.
This article explains the eligibility requirements and advantages of a three-story wood-frame apartment building known as Mokusankyo. It highlights key points investors should know, including lower construction costs, efficient use of small sites, and flexible design.
Land in Japan classified as *sanrin* (山林, mountain forest/forest land) can look attractive because it is cheap and large, but it is risky to judge it on price and size alone. Before buying, you need to confirm whether building is possible,
An overview of Japan's Building Standards Act: the construction conditions it sets for condominiums, what constitutes an illegal structure, and how non-conforming buildings are handled.
For apartment owners, this guide explains the legal grounds for eviction negotiations under lease law, typical relocation compensation, the negotiation process, and the required legal procedures from a practical perspective.
This guide explains how to handle security deposit disputes when the refund is withheld. It covers how costs for walls, floors, and water-related areas are divided between tenants and landlords, along with four practical negotiation methods, including using case law, attending estimates, and seeking help from public institutions.
Explains the legal risks, mortgage issues, and four key selling points for properties that exceed the floor area ratio, including noncompliant and existing nonconforming buildings. Covers the responses investors and owners should understand.
This guide explains the differences among A, B, and C construction works in commercial properties. It covers scope, cost responsibility, contractor selection authority, and practical cautions such as comparative quotes and restoration obligations in C works.
The proxy payment system for public assistance allows the welfare office to send rent directly to property owners. Partially mandated since April 2020, this guide explains the application process, required documents, and practical benefits for property management companies.
A professional guide to the legal basis of renewal fees, regional differences, and the conditions that make fee reduction negotiations more or less likely to succeed when renewing a rental property.
## Consumer Center Complaints Begin Not at Move-Out, but at Move-In
The duty of care as a prudent manager is the duty of a tenant to use and maintain a rental property with the care required by socially accepted standards while the tenant is renting the property. In rental management, these terms are not si
Changing the title of inherited land is now mandatory in Japan. This article clearly explains the overall process of land inheritance, including procedure flow, inheritance tax, registration and license tax calculations, and the special small residential land provision.
A practical guide to key-related issues in rental properties. It explains what to do when keys are lost, who bears replacement costs, the benefits of introducing smart locks, and essential security measures, offering useful information for both owners and tenants.
This guide explains four ways to dispose of unwanted rural land, including inheritance renunciation, sale, donation, and transfer, along with Japan's national land return system introduced in 2023. It also covers practical sale tips for investors and owners.
A kyotei road, also called a proviso road, is residential land used like a road under an agreement between landowners. This guide explains key points to check before purchase, including mortgage screening, fixed asset tax, subsidies, and whether rebuilding is permitted.
With inheritance registration now mandatory, leaving ownership unchanged has become riskier. An expert explains four key risks, including penalties, more complex rights relationships, and inability to use the property as collateral, along with the overall inheritance procedure.