🏠 Housing Safety Net Law Revised
Foreigners explicitly listed as "Housing Support Priority", effective Oct 2025
❓ What changed?
On October 1, 2025, the revised Housing Safety Net Law came into force. Foreigners are now explicitly included as "Housing Support Priority Persons" who face difficulty renting housing. The law launches a MLIT-certified rent guarantor company system, a supportive housing certification program, and other frameworks aimed at reducing rental refusals.
🏛️ Three Pillars
Minister-certified rent guarantor companies
Rent guarantor companies certified by MLIT are in principle obligated to accept foreigners, elderly, and other priority groups
Supportive housing certification
Certified housing bundled with welfare checks, consultation, and job support — landlords can rent to foreigners with confidence
Clarified belongings disposal rules
Legal rules for handling belongings after tenant death are codified, easing landlord concerns
👥 Who are "Housing Support Priority Persons"?
- ●Foreigners (explicitly added in the revision)
- ●Elderly (60+)
- ●People with disabilities
- ●Households raising children
- ●Low-income households
- ●Disaster victims, etc.
🛠️ How foreigners can use the system
- ✓① Request guarantee from a certified rent guarantor company → easier to pass screening
- ✓② Search for certified supportive housing (ask at your city/town housing desk)
- ✓③ Consult a "Housing Support Corporation" in your area (multilingual support is growing)
- ✓④ Post-move-in troubles can also be consulted with the support corporation
📊 Why was the law revised?
Roughly 30% of rental listings still refuse foreigners, making housing a serious challenge for foreigners working and studying in Japan. By explicitly listing foreigners as priority persons, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism challenges landlord/agency prejudice at the legal level and builds public guarantee infrastructure so that landlords can rent with peace of mind.