Marketing Research Camp recently published a survey into Minpaku – literally “staying at private homes” – a Japanese term for “Bed and Breakfast”, and its more modern form, Airbnb.

This is a very interesting survey; the report here was based on a single question published on the web site (their full 61 page report is available for free download, however) and revealed a number of interesting statistics. In particular, the headline figure of 40% Tokyo-resident home-owners thinking that Airbnb and similar services should not accept foreign customers is quite an eye-opener. Recently, there has been a lot of news articles about poor-mannered foreign guests (and I’ve even seen other foreign residents complaining of this) being excessively noisy in common areas of flats where there is an Airbnb property, and the implication from the news being that the vast majority of the places are not people renting out a spare room, but one-room flats being bought (or indeed illegally subletted) in residential property specifically for Airbnbing while the owner lives elesewhere.

One local government in Tokyo (Ota ward) recently tried to regulate Airbnb-type rentals, but I heard just two properties applied for certification.

Just for the record, I do not approve of Airbnb-type rental outside of spare rooms in one’s own home, and I think there should be just as strict regulation of online BnB properties as there is of traditional BnBs.

Note that I’ve decided to move demographic information to the end of articles from now on.



Research results

First, 15.9% of those surveyed said they were familiar with Airbnb and could explain to others what it was all about, and another 24.3% said they knew the name, but not the details of their service. For the more generic Japanese term Minpaku, 90.1% knew its meaning Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Sample size=290, home owners) Agree Somewhat agree Can’t say Somewhat disagree Disagree I don’t think I want to offer my home on Airbnb, etc 51.7% 20.0% 24.1% 3.1% 1.1% I think it possible that properties registered on Airbnb, etc can cause bother for the neighbours 28.6% 32.8% 32.4% 5.2% 1.9% I think I wouldn’t like a nearby home to be offered on Airbnb, etc 29.7% 25.5% 36.9% 6.6% 1.4% I don’t think I’d want to stay at a home offered on Airbnb, etc 36.2% 26.2% 31.0% 5.5% 1.0% I don’t think Airbnb, etc should allow foreigners to use their services 15.2% 24.8% 45.2% 12.1% 2.8% I’d think about moving if the number of neighbouring properties on Airbnb, etc increased 8.6% 19.3% 43.4% 18.6% 10.0% I think it possible that Airbnb, etc properties that do not have the owner living on the premises gives rise to crime 26.6% 42.8% 25.9% 4.5% 0.2%

Demographics

Between the 12th and 15th of February 2016 1,000 residents of Tokyo aged between 20 and 69 competed a private internet-based questionnaire. No further demographics were presented.