Delegation guide for minpaku owners

Manager, cleaner, and owner: who does what?

Compare who communicates, instructs, approves, and pays instead of relying on broad labels such as cleaning management or onsite support.

Minpaku owners often treat notifying a cleaner of a booking change, reviewing completion photos, requesting corrective work, and visiting the property as one service. They are separate tasks, and each management company contracts for a different scope.

In short: the management company is accountable for the management work it accepts by contract, the cleaning company performs the contracted cleaning work, and the owner decides the delegated scope, approvals, and external spending.

This guide uses the Japan Tourism Agency rules on management delegation and subcontracting and the MLIT standard contract to explain what remains with the owner under StayJP's 10%, 15%, 20%, and 30%+ plans.

The three parties have different contractual roles

A registered Housing Accommodation Management Business performs the contracted management work under its responsibility. A cleaning company performs agreed tasks such as room cleaning, linen changes, and photo reporting. Hiring a cleaner does not by itself make that company the registered manager.

The owner chooses what to delegate, approves out-of-scope repairs, replacements, and capital work, and pays the related external costs. Do not combine the person who performs a task with the person who makes the final decision.

Statutory management delegation is not the same as outsourcing cleaning

When statutory delegation is required, all Housing Accommodation Management duties must be entrusted by contract to one registered manager. With the owner's consent and a contractual basis, that manager may subcontract part of the work to a cleaner or another provider, but may not subcontract all of it.

An owner who is permitted to perform the statutory duties directly may hire a specialist for a factual task such as cleaning. That does not transfer the owner's statutory responsibility to the cleaner. Confirm whether delegation is required with the competent authority or a qualified professional.

Check each party's role task by task

Management company: performs the reservation, guest, cleaning-coordination, statutory management, and reporting work stated in the management contract and selected plan.
Cleaning company: cleans and changes linen to the agreed schedule and specification, then reports completion and photos in the contracted format.
Owner: chooses the plan, cleaner, budget, approval authority, capital work, and any task outside the contract.
Manager and owner: divide decision rights for refunds, refusal of accommodation, and emergency spending in the contract.
Manager and cleaner: define booking-change notices, access, work specifications, reporting lines, and the route for corrective requests.
All three: keep booking, message, photo, and approval records instead of closing work through verbal confirmation alone.

StayJP plans differ by the level of cleaning involvement

10% Light: Owner managed
15% Standard: Schedule and information
20% Pro: Quality follow-up and inspection
30%+ Premium: Direct cleaner instruction

Separate responsibilities in common situations

Booking change: StayJP sends the revised cleaning date from 15% upward; the owner does this under 10%.
Missing completion photos: from 15% upward, StayJP reports verified non-completion or delay to the owner.
Quality issue visible in photos: from 20% upward, StayJP requests corrective work; under 15%, the owner decides what to do.
Post-checkout onsite inspection: available under 20% and 30%+ after the service area, frequency, and timing are set by contract.
Emergency local response: included only within the 30%+ contract conditions and does not follow automatically from a 20% scheduled inspection.
Equipment or appliance fault: 30%+ includes an initial check and report. The owner arranges and orders repairs or replacement under every plan.

Separate who performs the work from who pays

A management company handling communication or verification does not automatically place cleaning, repair, or product costs inside the management fee. Record the performer, external-cost bearer, and pre-approval limit separately.

Under 30%+, cleaning costs, basic linen, towels based on guest count, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and laundry detergent are included within the contract limit.
Under 30%+, toothbrushes, slippers, extra towels, air freshener, and similar extras use an additional percentage agreed before the work.
The owner handles and pays for repair, replacement, interior work, and appliance arrangements and all product, part, travel, installation, removal, and construction costs under every plan.
Onsite inspection and emergency local response are separate tasks; confirm frequency, hours, area, and additional conditions for each.

Choose the delegated scope in six steps

1. Confirm the property's notification or permit status and current management delegation.
2. List current OTAs, reservations, guest support, cleaner, keys, inventory, and local responders.
3. Put schedule notices, photo review, quality follow-up, onsite inspection, emergencies, and repairs on separate lines.
4. For every line, name the performer, instructor, approver, cost bearer, and completion record.
5. Compare 10%, 15%, 20%, and 30%+ based on what the owner can retain and what should be delegated.
6. Set service area, frequency, hours, and cleaning and supply limits in the contract.

Summary: compare the responsibility flow, not company labels

The manager, cleaner, and owner do not replace one another. They divide one operating flow in which reservation data changes the cleaning schedule, work results return as photos and reports, and someone must decide how to handle quality issues or equipment faults.

Separate accountability under the management contract from performance of cleaning work.
Distinguish 15% schedule and photo review from 20% quality follow-up and onsite inspection.
Distinguish 20% onsite inspection from 30%+ emergency local response.
Even under 30%+, the owner handles repair, replacement, interior, and appliance arrangements and external costs.
Make responsibility, approval, cost, and records readable in the same contract table.

StayJP reviews the property location, current cleaning and local setup, and the work the owner wants to retain before discussing an available plan and contractual scope.

Confirm delegation and subcontracting in official sources

These official materials explain statutory management delegation, partial subcontracting between managers and cleaners, and the work, cost, and responsibility terms that should be disclosed in the contract. Confirm application to a specific property with the competent authority or a qualified professional.

Reviewed: August 20, 2026

Frequently asked questions about responsibilities

Can I hire a cleaner directly instead of a management company?

It depends on the operating model. When delegation under Article 11 is required, hiring a cleaner alone is not a substitute; all Housing Accommodation Management duties must be entrusted to one registered manager. Confirm the requirement with the competent authority or a qualified professional.

Does the 15% plan instruct cleaners to improve quality?

No. The 15% plan covers cleaning schedules, booking-change notices, and review of completion reports and photos. Corrective quality requests start at 20%, while direct quality instructions to the cleaning company are part of 30%+.

Does the 20% onsite inspection include emergency dispatch?

No. The 20% post-checkout inspection is defined by service area, frequency, timing, and other contract terms. Emergency local response is handled separately within the 30%+ contract conditions.

Does StayJP arrange repairs or appliance replacement under 30%+?

No. The 30%+ scope reaches the initial equipment or appliance check and interior or damage reporting. The owner arranges and orders repairs, replacement, interior work, and appliances and pays external providers under every plan.

What should I prepare before comparing plans?

Share the property location, notification or permit status, room count, current OTAs, cleaner, key and inventory process, need for inspections or emergency response, and the work the owner can retain. StayJP then checks service area and contract conditions.

Compare how much cleaning work you want to delegate

Review the responsibilities and costs under 10%, 15%, 20%, and 30%+, then share the property location, current cleaner, and required onsite work in the consultation form.

Compare plans and responsibilities Share the current operating setup