Private lodging (Minpaku) business permit
更新日：2026年10月8日
If you have any of these concerns, we’re happy to help!
- I want to start a minpaku, but I don’t know where to begin.
- Hotel Business Act, Special Zones, the Private Lodging Business Act… What’s the difference?
- Is it safe to buy a property advertised as “minpaku-approved”?
- I’m already running a minpaku, but I’m not sure it’s legal.
- I own real estate, and an acquaintance asked to use it as a minpaku. Is that OK?
Support for Hotel and Ryokan Operators
Support Gyoseishoshi Corporation provides application support and specialized consulting on hotel and ryokan business licenses, for both new entrants to the industry and existing operators.
Hotel and ryokan business licenses are handled by the local public health center, and each center has its own local rules.
Our consultants have filed applications in every prefecture in Japan. Feel free to contact us.
Our dedicated staff handle cases nationwide.
Featured on the Site “COMPASS STAY”
Our services were featured on COMPASS STAY, a minpaku information site run by Rashinban Co., Ltd., an official Airbnb partner. The article, “Why You Should Hire a Gyoseishoshi to Open a Minpaku: Our Support and Key Points for Resolving Problems,” was published on December 5, 2025 (in Japanese).
The article highlights our extensive track record and high-quality support from an expert perspective, and explains why clients choose us.
Minpaku Revenue and Risk: In-Depth Analysis Report
Minpaku is drawing attention as a new business model that turns vacant homes into income-generating assets.
To succeed, however, you need to understand not only the upside of high profitability, but also the downside: regulations and potential problems.
For a limited time, we are offering a free comprehensive guide that analyzes the profitability and risks from an expert perspective, to help you run a stable operation year-round.
Free Minpaku Guide (Limited Time)
Why Choose Us
① “One Team” Support from Start to Finish
Opening a hotel, ryokan, or minpaku involves more than consultations with the authorities and document preparation. You also need to meet many other requirements, such as contracting a management company, installing fire safety equipment, and having an architect confirm that the building complies with the law.
We partner with management companies, fire safety contractors, and architectural firms that specialize in the accommodation industry. We introduce them as needed and support you through every step of the process.
You won’t have to find contractors yourself, and because we work with you as “One Team,” everything runs smoothly from start to finish.
②Support for Related Licences
Opening an accommodation facility may require other licenses in addition to the hotel/ryokan license or minpaku notification.
For example, if you want to supply your baths with hot spring water, you need a hot spring use permit. If you plan to serve meals, you need a food business permit.
Though less well known, you may also need to file a notification for installing specified facilities under the Water Pollution Prevention Act.
We have dedicated consultants for each of these areas and can also support licenses beyond the accommodation business itself.
③Support from Experienced Consultants
Our consultants belong to a team that has handled over 300 licensing cases for accommodation facilities.
Each local government has its own rules. We share this know-how across the firm, so we can tell you what to watch out for in advance.
The main laws involved in opening a hotel, ryokan, or minpaku are the Hotel Business Act, the Private Lodging Business Act, the Fire Service Act, and building laws including the Building Standards Act. You cannot open unless you meet the requirements of all of them.
We advise you not only on the Hotel Business Act and the Private Lodging Business Act, but also from the perspective of the Fire Service Act and the Building Standards Act, and support you through every step until you can open.
This saves you the trouble of checking with fire safety specialists or architectural firms yourself.
With offices in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, we can support clients nationwide.
④Consulting on Available Subsidies
We also provide support with subsidies.
There are subsidies available for accommodation businesses, and we can propose ones that fit your needs.
Some subsidies are offered by local governments, and we have experience supporting clients with both licensing and subsidy applications together.
Subsidy Support for Accommodation Businesses
⑤Fast and Reliable Service
Speed is our motto.
We set up a dedicated team for each project.
Our streamlined systems allow us to respond quickly.
We handle all your applications and filings quickly and reliably on your behalf.
＼Download our free guide／
Free Minpaku Guide (Limited Time)
Steps to Receiving Your Notice of Acceptance
Consultation and Formal Request
Your first consultation is free.
Contact us by phone or through the inquiry form. We will review your current situation and explain how we would approach your case.
Once you are satisfied with the quoted fee and scope of services, you can formally engage us.
Collecting Information and Preparing Documents
Our staff prepare the documents needed for your minpaku notification.
If related licenses are also required, we coordinate with the relevant authorities and prepare those applications as well.
Business License Application
Our staff file the hotel/ryokan business license application on your behalf.
We also handle applications for any related licenses, so that everything is ready in time for your opening.
License Issued → Opening
If no issues are found in the review, you receive your license.
＼Download our free guide／
Free Minpaku Guide (Limited Time)
About Minpaku
Originally, “minpaku” referred broadly to staying free of charge in a private home, such as an acquaintance’s house.
However, as the number of foreign visitors to Japan increased and occupancy rates at hotels and ryokan across the country continued to rise, a business model emerged: “minpaku services that accept travelers for a fee.”
However, the areas where Special Zone Minpaku certification can be obtained are limited.
Outside the Special Zone Minpaku areas, providing accommodation for the purpose of receiving lodging fees without a hotel/ryokan business license, and operating it repeatedly and on a continuing basis as a business, constitutes a violation of the Hotel Business Act.
For this reason, the minpaku business had difficulty expanding. However, on March 10, 2017, the “Private Lodging Business Bill” was approved by the Cabinet, establishing certain rules for providing minpaku services, and the sound spread and promotion of minpaku services nationwide is now expected.
We provide support for minpaku businesses based on the relevant laws and regulations.
The legal framework for minpaku is still developing, so it is necessary to constantly anticipate new ordinances and government trends and respond with a thorough understanding of them.
As experts in real estate-related licensing and law, we support our clients in making minpaku a successful income-generating business.
表）民泊ビジネスを始める3つの方法
| Hotel Business Act | National Strategic Special Zones Act | Private Lodging Business Act (New Minpaku Act) | ||
| Simple Lodging Business | National Strategic Special Zone | Owner-Occupied Type | Owner-Absent Type | |
| Filing party | Operator | Operator | Owner | Manager (Management company) |
| Type of filing | License | Certification | Notification | Registration |
| Maximum operating days | None | None | 180 days (nights) | 180 days (nights) |
| Minimum length of stay | None | Depends on local government | None | None |
| Handles complaints | Operator | Operator | Owner | Manager (Management company) |
| Front desk | Depends on local government | None | None | None |
| Operation in exclusively residential zones | Not allowed | Depends on local government | Allowed | Allowed |
| Contract type | Accommodation contract | Lease contract | Accommodation contract | Accommodation contract |
Latest Minpaku News and Updates!
＼Download our free guide／
Free Minpaku Guide (Limited Time)
【Expert Insights】
Latest Minpaku Topics
※We are a gyoseishoshi corporation, not a government agency.
Nationwide Support!
