Setagaya Ward in Tokyo announced its position on September 9 regarding a draft outline for amendments to ordinances related to the Hotel Business Act and the Private Lodging Business Act, following inquiries and comments from some media outlets and ward residents suggesting that the changes could amount to deregulation.
The primary purpose of the proposed amendments is to strengthen responses to noise, garbage disposal, neighborhood disputes, and other issues arising from hotel businesses and private lodging operations, thereby ensuring the safety and peace of mind of ward residents and maintaining a quiet residential environment. Provisions common to both ordinances would require advance notification to nearby residents and others before opening, the display of signs stating the facility name and emergency contact information, proper waste disposal at the operator’s responsibility, and requirements for operators to respond in person during emergencies.
The ordinance implementing the Hotel Business Act would require operators to explain local rules and precautions to guests and to install a front desk or equivalent facility.
Under the ordinance for private lodging businesses, operators such as owner-occupied facilities that meet certain requirements and are confirmed to be properly managed would be permitted to operate for up to the 180 days per year allowed under national law, including on weekdays in exclusively residential zones. Currently, operations on weekdays other than weekends and public holidays are restricted in exclusively residential zones. While these restrictions may be lifted at an operator’s request when certain conditions are met, even after the restrictions are lifted, administrative guidance limits operations to around 120 days per year. On the other hand, a new provision would allow the lifting of restrictions to be revoked if improper operations are identified afterward. There is currently no provision for revocation.
Setagaya Ward stated that it will respond strictly to operators engaging in improper management, while recognizing the efforts of properly managed operators and differentiating them from other businesses.
After collecting public comments from September 15 through October 6, the ward aims to submit the amendment proposal to the first regular meeting of the Setagaya Ward Assembly in February 2027, with implementation targeted for April of the same year.
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This article was generated using automatic translation by GPT-4 API. The translation may not be accurate.
