Nearly 80 per-cent of Airbnb listings were removed after a new law for minpaku (private lodging services) goes into effect in Japan. As part of a national effort to crack down on illegal or semi-illegal private lodgings, the new law requires anyone participating in home-sharing to register their property and include a license number in their listing before June 15. Subsequently, any listing that does not already meet the criteria would have all bookings made before June 15 cancelled, causing a massive wipeout of thousands of listings on the famous rental website. Immediately, Airbnb responded to the new law, calling it a ‘surprise’ and announcing a $10 million fund to reimburse travellers for unexpected expenses due to cancellations. With Japan jumping on the bandwagon with Paris and San Francisco in the battle against the burgeoning home-share industry, it is fair that you plan your trips carefully, especially if you don’t want to be stranded abroad.
FAREWELL TO CHEAP AND NICE LODGING IN JAPAN
Written by Uyen Le-Khuc
