Tokyo's Shinjuku to ban more than half of vacation rentals
The Shinjuku ward in Tokyo is planning to ban over half of its short-term vacation rentals due to rising complaints from residents regarding noise, trash, and trespassing. This move aligns with global trends in major cities attempting to curb the negative impacts of overtourism.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing tension between the sharing economy and the preservation of residential quality of life in major tourist hubs.
TOKYO: Tokyo tourist hotspot Shinjuku will impose a ban on more than half of its holiday rentals including homes on Airbnb, an official said Monday (Sept 7), after a surge in complaints about visitors.
Known for its buzzing commercial and entertainment district, the ward hosts nearly 10 percent of Japan's 42,000 short-term rentals.
But it also has a large residential population, who have become increasingly exasperated with tourists who fail to properly dispose of rubbish, smoke where they're not supposed to, and make too much noise.
A Shinjuku official supervising holiday rentals told AFP that the district was "planning to revise the current ordinance... to ban private lodging" in residential zones and areas near schools.
"As the number of private lodging businesses has risen, complaints and troubles around them have increased," the official said on customary condition of anonymity.
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