Tokyo lodging: minpaku, hotel permits and rental leases

Before booking a Tokyo apartment, find out which permission or rental agreement covers your stay. It may be registered private lodging, hotel-permitted accommodation or a residential rental. The room may look much the same in the photos; the difference is the permission and agreement used for your stay. Labels such as “monthly apartment” or “serviced apartment” don't establish that on their own.

A 30-night minimum is especially easy to misread. It may be the company's booking rule; it isn't a universal exemption from lodging regulation. A hotel can host someone for a month. Calling an apartment a long stay does not, by itself, make the booking a residential rental.

Notified private lodging

Under the Private Lodging Business Act, the host registers the residence with the local authority by submitting a document called a notification. The host must also meet the law's conditions for running the lodging. The government overview explains that each registered lodging can host guests for no more than 180 days in a counting year that runs from April to April.

Local restrictions may also affect when it can operate. Ask the business to confirm that your complete dates fit the applicable rules and remaining allowance. The 180-day guide explains the calendar in more detail.

Match the notification number to the room

Shinjuku publishes a list of notified residences. Its 31 August 2026 list includes separate fields for the street address, building or room description, notification number and notification date.

The list shows separate entries for rooms 101 and 201 at the same building address, with different notification numbers. That is why matching only the street address is insufficient. Ask for the room’s number, match it to the corresponding entry and use the current list or the ward’s help when the record is unclear. A historical entry does not prove current availability or compliance with every rule.

For a full-month plan, also check the operating calendar. Shinjuku’s local rules restrict this type of lodging in exclusively residential zones from Monday noon to Friday noon. That zone-specific rule can prevent a continuous stay even when the annual 180-day allowance has room left. It is not a ban on every lodging or apartment across Shinjuku.

Accommodation under the Inns and Hotels Act

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare explains the Inns and Hotels Act framework. A lodging permit is a different route from a Private Lodging Business Act notification, with its own category and conditions.

The private-lodging scheme's 180-day cap doesn't apply to this permit route. Check the permit and booking terms for the property you're considering.

A hotel-style name or daily housekeeping is not proof of a permit. If the listing claims one, ask for its identifying details and the issuing authority. The local public health office can be the relevant place to clarify a lodging-permit question.

Special-zone private lodging

MHLW's lodging information also identifies certification under the National Strategic Special Zones framework as a separate route. It isn't available on identical terms everywhere.

If a listing uses this route, ask which certification covers the property and what stay conditions apply.

Residential rental agreements

To distinguish a residential rental from lodging, MHLW considers whether the person uses the apartment as their home. Its guidance also considers how the property is managed. Duration alone doesn't settle that distinction.

For a residential rental, read the lease rather than looking only for a lodging licence. Check who is renting the apartment to you, its address, how long you can stay, who can live there, the house rules and what happens if you leave early. A fixed-term lease needs particular attention to its end and any proposed extension.

Compare the full price for your dates

Compare the full price for your dates and the services you want. If you need 27 nights and a company only offers 30, ask for its actual minimum and agreement. Then compare a suitable shorter-stay offer with paying for the longer period, including cancellation terms and unused nights.

If a host can't explain the legal route or the documents don't match the address, pause the booking and ask the booking platform or local office responsible for lodging to clarify. Save that answer with the agreement before paying.

For an illustrative price comparison, a suitable 27-night booking at ¥8,000 a night totals ¥216,000. A 30-night minimum at ¥7,000 totals ¥210,000, including ¥21,000 for the three nights you do not need. The longer booking is ¥6,000 cheaper in this example, assuming no other fees; its effective cost over the 27 nights used is about ¥7,778. Confirm both offers are permitted for the dates and compare cancellation terms before paying for unused nights.