List of Minpaku and Ryokan Business Regulations in Tokyo's 23 Wards [2026 Edition] Comparing Front Desk, On-site Presence, Key Handover, and Supplementary Ordinances by Ward
When starting a minpaku (private lodging) business in Tokyo's 23 wards, the first decisions are “which system to operate under” and “in which ward to hold the property.” Even within the same category of simple lodging (簡易宿所), some wards allow unmanned operation using key boxes, while others require a front desk with staff permanently stationed to obtain permission.
The New Minpaku Law (住宅宿泊事業法 - Private Lodging Business Act) has a nationwide upper limit of 180 days per year. However, most of the 23 wards further restrict the permissible areas and days of operation through local ordinances. Where within the same ward the property’s address lies affects the number of days allowed to operate annually significantly.
This article summarizes the regulations of the 23 wards in a single table, introducing trends by ward alongside local property market prices.
The information for each ward has been organized by our company based on confirmation with the respective health centers and publicly available ward materials (as of September 2026). You can proceed to detailed explanations for each ward from the ward names.
Comparison Table of Minpaku and Ryokan Business Regulations in the 23 Wards
Front desk, on-site presence, and key handover requirements are based on ordinances for the ryokan business (simple lodging - 簡易宿所), while the rightmost column shows supplementary ordinances under the New Minpaku Law (住宅宿泊事業法 - Private Lodging Business Act) imposed by wards.
| Ward | Front Desk | On-site Presence | Key Handover | Supplementary Ordinance under New Minpaku Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiyoda Ward | Required | Permanent | Direct Face-to-Face | Homeowner-staying type or permanent presence with no restrictions outside school districts and educational areas; other areas limited to Fridays and Saturdays or prohibited |
| Chuo Ward | Required (From April 2026, front desk must be installed in guest passageway) | Permanent | Direct Face-to-Face | Permitted days: in principle, lodging is limited from Saturday noon to Monday noon |
| Minato Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes | Key box allowed | Homeowner-residing type has no restrictions; owner-absent type in residential-only and educational districts has operating period restrictions |
| Shinjuku Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes | Key box allowed | Residential-only areas may operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays; multi-unit dwellings require separate circulation paths for residents and facilities |
| Bunkyo Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes on foot | Key box allowed | Residential-only and educational districts may operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays; notification to neighbors required 15 days prior to notification |
| Taito Ward | Not required | Permanent | Direct Face-to-Face | Homeowner-staying type or permanent presence has no restrictions; others permitted only on weekends, holidays, and year-end/new-year period |
| Sumida Ward | Not required | Permanent (with dedicated toilet/guest room) | Direct Face-to-Face | [Effective April 1, 2026] If not permanently present, operation allowed only from Friday noon to Sunday noon (no weekday operation). Existing facilities excluded. Front desk installation obligation added from April 1. |
| Koto Ward | Not required | Permanent (from July 2026) | Direct Face-to-Face | Operation only allowed on weekends |
| Shinagawa Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes | Key box allowed | Commercial and neighborhood commercial areas (excluding educational districts) have no restrictions; others limited to weekends |
| Meguro Ward | Required (can be outside the facility) | Within 10 minutes on foot | Key box allowed | Operation allowed only on Fridays and Saturdays; notification to neighbors required 15 days prior to notification |
| Ota Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes on foot | Key box allowed | Residential-only and industrial districts prohibited |
| Setagaya Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes | Key box allowed | Residential-only areas may operate only on weekends and holidays |
| Shibuya Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes | Key box not allowed | Residential-only and educational districts have operation period restrictions |
| Nakano Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes → Permanent (from April 2027) | Key box allowed | Residential-only areas may operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays |
| Suginami Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes on foot | Key box allowed | Owner-absent type in residential-only areas may operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and the day before holidays |
| Toshima Ward | Required | Within 10 minutes → Permanent (by end of 2026) | Direct Face-to-Face | [Effective December 16, 2026] Annual operating days limited from 180 to 120 days. Permitted operating periods concentrated in 7/1–8/31, 12/20–1/10, etc. Retroactive application to existing facilities. |
| Kita Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes | Key box not allowed | No supplementary ordinance (only 180 days under New Minpaku Law) |
| Arakawa Ward | Required | Permanent | Direct Face-to-Face | Operation allowed only on weekends (approx. 100 days annual limit reported; details recommended to confirm) |
| Itabashi Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes on foot | Key box not allowed | Residential-only areas may operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and the day before holidays (Homeowner-residing types may be exempt from regulations) |
| Nerima Ward | Not required | Permanent | Direct Face-to-Face | Residential-only areas may operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and the day before holidays; notification to neighbors required 15 days prior |
| Adachi Ward | Not required | Within 10 minutes | Key box allowed | Residential-only areas may operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (except year-end/new-year period) |
| Katsushika Ward | Not required | Permanent + Patrol (once daily) | Direct Face-to-Face | [Effective April 1, 2026] Permanent presence mandatory for weekday operation. Existing facilities excluded. |
| Edogawa Ward | None in particular | Within 10 minutes | Key box allowed | [Expected enforcement around July 2026] Operation likely limited to weekends and holidays (ordinance draft published and public comments completed) |
The Differences Among the Three Minpaku Business Systems
There are three systems to conduct lodging businesses in Tokyo. Understanding these differences is essential to interpreting the comparison table.
| System | Procedure | Annual Operating Days | Applicable in 23 Wards |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Minpaku Law (住宅宿泊事業法 - Private Lodging Business Act) | Notification | Up to 180 days (nights). Further restrictions by ward ordinances apply. | All 23 wards |
| Ryokan Business (Simple Lodging - 簡易宿所) | Permit | No upper limit | All 23 wards (subject to zoning restrictions) |
| National Strategic Special Zone Minpaku (国家戦略特区民泊) | Certification | No upper limit (minimum stay period required) | Ota Ward only |
The New Minpaku Law allows notification even in residential-only areas but limits the number of operational days and requires supplementary ward ordinances. Ryokan business has no limit on days but cannot operate in residential-only or industrial zones and is regulated by ward ordinances detailing front desk and on-site presence requirements. Generally, for investment purposes, ryokan business is chosen; to rent out parts of one’s home, the New Minpaku Law is preferred.
If the homeowner does not live on-site and operates under the New Minpaku Law (owner-absent type), outsourcing to a Residential Lodging Management Business operator (住宅宿泊管理業者) is mandatory.
Trends Seen from Regulations in the 23 Wards
Looking horizontally across the comparison table, the 23 wards can be broadly divided into two categories.
- Wards allowing near-unmanned operation: on-site presence within 10 minutes, and key boxes allowed for key handover. These include Minato, Shinjuku, Bunkyo, Shinagawa, Meguro, Ota, Setagaya, Nakano, Suginami, Adachi, and Edogawa (11 wards).
- Wards assuming staff presence: keys must be handed over face-to-face, and permanent presence (not just on-site presence) is required. These include Chiyoda, Chuo, Taito, Sumida, Koto, Arakawa, Nerima, Katsushika, etc.
- In-between wards: Shibuya, Kita, and Itabashi do not permit key boxes and require equipment such as smart keys that verify identity.
2026 was a year in which wards requiring permanent presence increased. Sumida and Katsushika added permanent presence mandates from April 2026; Koto started in July; Chuo revised front desk installation rules in April. Toshima restricted New Minpaku Law operation days to 120 per year in December 2026 reforms and aims to add permanent presence for ryokan business. Nakano plans to require permanent presence from April 2027, and Edogawa has pursued limiting operation to weekends and holidays. The articles for each ward describe the situation at the time of investigation for planned reforms, so please confirm enforcement status with the ward.
Our investigation found only Kita Ward with no supplementary ordinance under the New Minpaku Law. Most wards limit operating days, especially in residential-only and educational districts, to weekends and similar periods.
Property Market Prices in the 23 Wards (August 2026)
| Ward | Median Listing Price for Detached Houses | Median Rental Price for Detached Houses | Median Gross Yield for Whole Building Income Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiyoda Ward | — | — | 3.1% |
| Chuo Ward | — | — | 2.5% |
| Minato Ward | 368 million yen | 740,000 yen/month | 3.8% |
| Shinjuku Ward | 120 million yen | 298,000 yen/month | 3.9% |
| Bunkyo Ward | 129.8 million yen | 250,000 yen/month | 4.0% |
| Taito Ward | 100 million yen | 163,000 yen/month | 4.4% |
| Sumida Ward | 62.8 million yen | 200,000 yen/month | 5.7% |
| Koto Ward | 82.3 million yen | 160,000 yen/month | 4.7% |
| Shinagawa Ward | 120.9 million yen | 270,000 yen/month | 4.5% |
| Meguro Ward | 150 million yen | 410,000 yen/month | 3.8% |
| Ota Ward | 75.35 million yen | 220,000 yen/month | 4.9% |
| Setagaya Ward | 115 million yen | 290,000 yen/month | 4.4% |
| Shibuya Ward | 164.8 million yen | 375,000 yen/month | 3.5% |
| Nakano Ward | 80.9 million yen | 220,000 yen/month | 4.7% |
| Suginami Ward | 95.8 million yen | 250,000 yen/month | 5.0% |
| Toshima Ward | 94.8 million yen | 290,000 yen/month | 4.8% |
| Kita Ward | 64.8 million yen | 185,000 yen/month | 4.8% |
| Arakawa Ward | 64.9 million yen | 213,000 yen/month | 5.1% |
| Itabashi Ward | 64.8 million yen | 178,000 yen/month | 5.5% |
| Nerima Ward | 68 million yen | 190,000 yen/month | 5.3% |
| Adachi Ward | 49.85 million yen | 169,000 yen/month | 5.3% |
| Katsushika Ward | 49.8 million yen | 153,000 yen/month | 5.9% |
| Edogawa Ward | 61.25 million yen | 144,000 yen/month | 5.4% |
Source: Urbalytics Market Report. Medians of listings and rentals as of August 2026. Wards with fewer than 10 listings show "—".
The asking prices and rental prices for detached houses peak in Minato, Shibuya, and Meguro wards, and decrease toward eastern areas such as Adachi, Katsushika, and Edogawa. Gross yields show the opposite trend, with higher yields in lower-priced wards like Katsushika, Sumida, and Itabashi.
For whole-building minpaku investments, acquisition cost heavily influences profitability; thus, wards with lenient regulations and lower prices appear easier to start in. However, lodging unit price and occupancy rates depend on location and tourism demand, so low price alone does not guarantee a profitable operation. Comparing regulation, acquisition cost, and demand among wards is essential.
Considerations When Choosing a Ward
- If you want to operate unmanned with a small number of rooms in a detached house, narrow candidates to wards permitting key boxes and on-site presence within 10 minutes.
- In wards requiring permanent presence, consider whole-building properties with enough rooms to cover front desk and permanent operation space costs.
- If proceeding under the New Minpaku Law, confirm by urban planning maps whether the property lies within residential-only or educational districts, as operating days change significantly.
- For wards with upcoming reforms, check if new rules apply retroactively to existing facilities.
- Validate management regulations for condominiums or ask the lessor for subletting consent if the property is rented.
Wards with relaxed regulations often have more competing facilities. Detailed conditions and market prices by ward can be confirmed via the ward names in the above comparison table. If you want to entrust operation system creation, see our Minpaku Operation Agency Services page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which ward in Tokyo’s 23 wards has the most relaxed minpaku regulations?
This depends on what you prioritize. Kita Ward is the only one we confirmed as having no supplementary ordinance under the New Minpaku Law, but it does not allow key boxes under ryokan business. If you want a near-unmanned operation under ryokan business, wards like Minato, Shinjuku, Shinagawa, Ota, and Setagaya with on-site presence required within 10 minutes and key boxes allowed are candidates.
Where in the 23 wards is National Strategic Special Zone Minpaku allowed?
The only ward conducting National Strategic Special Zone minpaku (国家戦略特区民泊) in the 23 wards is Ota Ward. Other wards operate under either the New Minpaku Law or ryokan business (simple lodging - 簡易宿所).
Do the revised rules apply to facilities already operating?
This varies by ward. Sumida and Katsushika exclude existing facilities from the reforms, while Toshima’s revisions are planned to apply retroactively. Confirm transitional measures with the ward before purchasing property.
Ordinances and operations may change due to amendments or health center decisions. Please consult the appropriate health center before acquiring property or applying.
Featured photo: Mylène Larnaud / Unsplash
About this article
- Author
- Takanobu Ezaki（Accommodation Business Manager）Qualifications: Type A Fire Prevention Manager, Type 1 Health Officer, Hazardous Materials Engineer, Class B-4, Class 2 Boiler Engineer
Has held the posts of manager, general manager, and director at hotels, ryokan, and golf courses across more than 30 years, taking charge of overall facility operations along with P&L management, liaison with government authorities, licensing and permits, and large-scale renovation projects. Work spans launching new glamping facilities through to repositioning existing ryokan, consistently covering everything from pre-opening preparation to stabilizing operations. At TLL, oversees accommodation business operations and leads pre-opening preparation for new properties.
View profile → - Publisher
- TLL合同会社宅地建物取引業 東京都知事(1)第108202号住宅宿泊管理業 国土交通大臣(01)第F03424号
Data in this article cite their source and as-of date. Market conditions and regulations change, so check the latest information and consult a professional before deciding. Translated from the Japanese original.
