The 180-day limit is managed for each notified residence
Record the days guests actually stay, then align all OTA data with the owner's bi-monthly government report.
Under Japan's Housing Accommodation Business Act, guests may stay at one notified residence for no more than 180 days in a year. The period runs from noon on April 1 to noon on the following April 1, and local ordinances may impose further operating restrictions.
Bottom line: the owner should combine OTA bookings, direct bookings, changes, and cancellations for each notified residence and record the days guests actually stayed. Even when a manager handles reservations or the guest register, the residential accommodation operator remains the party that files the bi-monthly report with the authority.
This guide explains how to keep records below the limit; it is not a guide to circumventing the cap. Hotel Business Act licensing and Special Zone Minpaku are separate systems with their own property-specific approval requirements.
Start with the basic 180-day rules
The cap applies to each notified residence, not to each OTA account or listing. If one notified residence contains multiple units or buildings, a day on which guests stay in any one of them counts as one operating day for that notified residence.
Five standards owners should track
- Counting period: noon April 1 to noon the following April 1
- Annual cap: 180 days for each notified residence
- Combine actual stays across OTAs and direct bookings
- Track any additional weekday or seasonal restrictions imposed by local ordinance
- Report the preceding two months by the 15th of every even-numbered month
Five records to keep separate
Notified residence
Confirm the notification number and the exact scope of the notified residence. Multiple listings for the same residence do not create separate 180-day allowances.
Booking dates and actual stays
Record the days guests stayed, not the date a booking was made. Reflect date changes, cancellations, and no-shows while retaining the reconciliation trail.
Sales channels
Consolidate Airbnb and other OTAs with direct bookings in one ledger. Splitting listings does not increase the statutory allowance.
Local restrictions
The 180 days are the national ceiling. If the municipality limits additional days of the week or seasons, those conditions must be tracked as well.
Data delivered to the owner
When a manager handles bookings or the guest register, the management agreement should define reporting data, cutoff dates, and the correction process.
Cases often mistaken for exclusions
Changing the sales channel or label does not create a new allowance when the underlying activity remains accommodation under the Housing Accommodation Business Act.
Adding or changing an OTA
Stays through Airbnb, other OTAs, and direct bookings are combined for the same notified residence.
Reconcile channel totals with the notified-residence ledger each month.
Multiple rooms in one notified residence
If guests stay in several rooms on the same day, that is one day for the notified residence. A stay in any room on another day counts as another day.
Track room nights and statutory operating days in separate columns.
Renaming use as a monthly rental
Calling a stay a monthly rental does not automatically remove it from the Act. The contract and actual use may require separate tenancy-law review.
Do not replace accommodation contracts with leases without qualified advice.
Considering a hotel license or Special Zone Minpaku
These are separate authorization systems, not exceptions to the 180-day allowance. Location, use, building, and fire-safety requirements must be checked.
StayJP does not file applications; it can introduce a partner administrative scrivener when needed.
Six steps to stay within 180 days
Confirm the notified-residence unit
Check the notification number, address, included units or buildings, and local ordinance.
Consolidate every booking channel
Record OTA, direct, and owner-use dates in the same calendar or ledger.
Finalize actual stay dates
Apply changes, cancellations, and no-shows and confirm days for each notified residence.
Reconcile register, bookings, and revenue
Compare dates and guest counts across the guest register, OTA and direct bookings, and revenue records.
Receive reporting data from the manager
Where management is entrusted, receive source records on the cutoff date and in the format agreed by contract.
Owner submits the periodic report
File the preceding two months by the 15th of each even-numbered month and adjust available dates before approaching the cap or local restrictions.
Three operating-day baselines
Separate the unit from the deadline
Annual ceiling for one notified residence
Statutory unit, not OTA account or room count
Owner reports accommodation results to the authority
Check the counting method in official sources
This guide follows the Japan Tourism Agency's Minpaku Portal and Airbnb's published guidance for Japanese notified residences. Recheck current local ordinances and notification details before operation.
- Japan Tourism Agency: residential accommodation operators
- Japan Tourism Agency: FAQ on counting the 180 days
- Japan Tourism Agency: electronic guest register and periodic reporting
- Airbnb: Japan's annual 180-night limit
Reviewed: August 20, 2026
Frequently asked questions about the 180-day rule
1. What is the annual counting period?
It runs from noon on April 1 to noon on the following April 1. It does not restart on January 1 or on the contract start date.
2. Do multiple listings create additional allowances?
No. The limit applies to the notified residence. Listings for different rooms within the same notified residence must be combined.
3. Are long stays or another OTA excluded?
A day on which a guest stays as part of the residential accommodation business is not excluded merely because of booking length or sales channel. Airbnb also reports booking nights for Japanese notified residences to the Japan Tourism Agency.
4. Can a property automatically switch to a hotel license before day 181?
No. Hotel Business Act licensing and Special Zone Minpaku are separate authorization systems. StayJP does not file applications and can introduce a partner administrative scrivener when needed.
5. What can StayJP handle for 180-day control?
For an operation-ready property, StayJP handles OTA, reservation, guest-register, and operating records according to the contracted plan. The agreement defines how data is delivered to the owner and who handles each reporting step.
Summary: manage 180 days by notified residence, not booking site
Accurate control connects the notified-residence unit, all sales channels, actual stay dates, local ordinances, and periodic reporting in one record flow.
- The year runs from noon April 1 to noon the following April 1
- Multiple listings for one notified residence are combined
- Changes and cancellations must be reflected in actual stay dates
- The owner submits the bi-monthly government report
- Hotel licensing and Special Zone Minpaku are separate systems
StayJP accepts contracted reservation, OTA, guest-register, and record management for minpaku properties whose operating conditions are already in place.