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People owning property across Japan will be allowed to rent out vacant homes or rooms to tourists after being granted approval from local authorities, following a law enacted by the Diet on Friday.
Under the law, people will be permitted to rent out their homes for up to 180 days a year to help with the country's increasing demand for accommodation for tourists.
The government will implement various measures to address potential concerns that the new law might have on residential areas. Ordinances will be set so that trouble with neighbors can be avoided and travelers' safety ensured.
The law allows property owners to rent out their spaces even in areas which have been designated exclusively residential and where hotels and inns are not allowed to operate.
Under the law, those providing lodging services will be required to affix signage to the property and maintain records of foreign travelers using their services.
It will also be the provider's duty to mediate in disputes with neighbors and take measures against complaints from local residents.
People walk among food stalls at Ueno Park in Tokyo, Japan,
April 5, 2017.
Those renting out their homes or rooms but not abiding by official regulations could be forced to stop offering the service and in extreme cases could be fined for violations and even face custodial sentences.
The law is expected to come into force in 2018 and has been viewed by the government as one possible way to cope with a potential accommodation drought during the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Tokyo in 2020.
(CGTN)
