[2025 Update] A thorough explanation of the obligation to notify of psychological defects and accident-prone properties! What should you pay attention to when creating an important information document?

Updated: July 2026, 2

The terms "psychological defects" and "accident property" have been trending recently, haven't they?
Many people have probably seen it on real estate websites or in the news and wondered about it. There's even a movie about haunted properties that's been a big hit!

In fact, there are many cases where these "psychological defects" have led to disputes between buyers or tenants and real estate companies. The scope of explanations is somewhat determined by laws and guidelines, but there are many gray areas, which can easily lead to misunderstandings and distrust.

In this article,Latest Notification Obligation Rules for 2025We will explain this in an easy-to-understand manner, and introduce actual cases of problems that have occurred and points that should be checked when making a transaction.
If you're wondering, "What exactly is a psychological defect?", please read to the end.

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What exactly is a "psychological defect"?

Definition of psychological defect

Psychological defects are those that give buyers or tenants a psychological sense of resistance, even if there are no physical defects in the building or land itself.Typically, these are events related to "human death," such as suicide, homicide, fatal accidents due to fire, or lonely death.

In addition, if there are facilities in the vicinity that cause a sense of aversion, such as a gang office or a cemetery, this may also be considered a psychological defect.

A notable feature of this law is that even if there is no problem with the property itself, if the buyer or tenant feels that they cannot live in the property safely or that it affects the asset value, it will be treated as a psychological defect.

Psychological defect = accident property?

Generally, the term "accident property" refers to a property with psychological defects. However, the two concepts are not completely identical.

-Accident property: A property where an incident directly related to human death, such as suicide, murder, or fire, has occurred.

・Psychological flaws: Includes properties with accidents, but not necessarily only fatalities. Also includes neighborhood troubles and the presence of anti-social forces.

Latest rules on notification obligations

Events that must be explained

According to guidelines published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2021, in principle, there is an obligation to provide explanation for the following events:

-Homicide, suicide, and fire fatalities

-Incidents and accidents caused by the actions of the tenant or owner

-Events that are likely to cause disruption to the buyer or tenant's normal life

These are important factors for the parties to the transaction to consider, so they should be clearly explained in the important explanation.

An event that needs no explanation

On the other hand, the following cases generally do not require explanation:

-Death from natural causes or old age

-Accidents that occur in daily life (such as falling while bathing)

-A long period of time has passed and it is generally considered "not a problem in normal transactions."

However, even though it is "unnecessary," it is safer to explain if the buyer or tenant expresses particular concerns or if the matter is widely known.

What is the three-year rule?

The guidelines state that the guideline for the obligation to provide explanation is "approximately three years."
For example, even if someone dies alone or commits suicide, the obligation to notify will be waived in principle if more than three years have passed. However, if the incident is highly criminal or has a lingering social impact, an explanation may be required even after three years.

Ultimately, the practical point is to judge from the perspective of whether it contributes to the safety and reliability of transactions.

Cases of trouble involving psychological defects

Cases where psychological defects were concealed

The seller concealed the history of suicide, and the real estate company prepared a detailed explanation without checking. The buyer was later informed by a neighbor that the property was a "property where a suicide had occurred in the past," and filed a claim for contract termination and damages. In one case, the court ruled that the seller had violated its duty to explain, and the buyer was ordered to pay damages amounting to several million yen.

Cases where the problem was discovered later and turned into a complaint

There have been cases where the explanation of important matters did not mention psychological defects, but after moving in, the tenant heard from a neighbor that the previous tenant had died alone, which caused them to feel a strong sense of distrust. As a result, the tenant demanded a reduction in rent and compensation, leading to a dispute. Even if it did not go to court, it could lead to a breakdown in trust and customer defection.

Key points for creating important explanations to avoid problems

How to describe psychological defects

When describing psychological defects, it is important to avoid ambiguous expressions and to objectively describe the facts that occurred.
For example, "A suicide occurred on this property in ____ month of ____ year." Speculation and subjective expressions can lead to problems.

The importance of oral explanations and written descriptions

Although important explanations are generally given in writing, it is essential to carefully explain sensitive topics such as psychological defects verbally and confirm the other party's understanding. By explaining both in writing and verbally, you can prevent later complaints that the other party "didn't hear what you said."

Handling uncertain information

Even if the seller or landlord does not provide sufficient information, it is important to clearly state "to the best of our knowledge" and record the facts of the interview. Rather than simply hiding uncertain information, keeping a record of your efforts to investigate and confirm will help avoid risks.

Troubleshooting

- Keep a written record of any notices from the seller or lender

-Save explanations as minutes or recordings

-Sharing uniform rules based on guidelines within the company

-Introduction of important explanation checks by experts (administrative scriveners)

Summary

The handling of psychological defects and properties with accidents is often unclear from a legal perspective, so making a mistake in judgment can lead to serious problems. It is the responsibility of real estate agents to correctly understand the disclosure obligations and reflect them appropriately in their important explanations.
However, there is an unavoidable risk that explanations may be overlooked due to manpower shortages or busy periods. In such cases, entrusting the preparation of important explanations to an expert administrative scrivener will ensure safe transactions in line with legal amendments and the latest guidelines.

To maintain trust in real estate transactions, why not reconsider how you deal with "psychological defects"?

(Yamamoto, Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation)

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