Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward to ban vacation rentals in residential areas

Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward plans to ban, as a general rule, vacation rentals such as Airbnbs in residential areas and areas near schools, local officials said Monday.The ward in central Tokyo hosts the largest concentration of vacation rentals in the country. The policy will also apply to existing properties, the officials said.There were 3,775 registered short-term rental properties in the ward as of July 15, according to the Japan Tourism Agency. The ward estimates that approximately 2,000 of them may have to cease operations under the plan.The agency and other relevant bodies notified local g…READ FULL ARTICLE