Japan's land ministry wants to make it easier for used-home sellers to use the Anshin R Housing mark. Its draft revision would relax two requirements that, in the ministry's own words, clash with how second-hand homes are actually sold. Public comment runs from 2 November to 3 December 2026.
How the scheme works
Under the registration rules, a general incorporated association or similar body that polices proper conduct in used-home information services can apply to the transport minister for registration. A registered body may license the Anshin R Housing mark to its members. Members must meet a list of conditions before they use it, including filing a written statement with their association and letting buyers see photos of the property.
The ministry says the gap between those conditions and ordinary used-home sales practice has been a barrier to using the scheme.
What would change
Renovation proposals. The rules now require that renovation work meeting the standard has been done, or that a renovation proposal, including cost information, has been drawn up. The draft adds a third route: a member may use the mark if it promises the buyer to prepare the proposal before the sales contract is concluded. The ministry says proposals are often written or revised around the buyer's wishes, so they do not always exist before the business starts, and the renovation actually carried out may differ from the proposal.
Interior photos. Members currently must make photos of the exterior, main interior, kitchen, bathroom, toilet and washbasin viewable by buyers. Under the draft, that obligation falls away if the owner does not consent to the photos being taken or made viewable. The ministry notes that owners often still live in the home during a sale and may balk at having every interior photo posted on an association's website.
Delivery of proposals. The draft also rewrites the delivery rule. It covers proposals promised for later preparation and states that a copy must be handed to the buyer before the sales contract is concluded; the current text requires delivery but sets no deadline. Members must still help buyers find a renovation contractor on request.
Timetable
The draft notice says it takes effect on 1 January 2027. The ministry's outline instead lists entry into force on 1 February 2027, and prints a promulgation date of 22 January 2026, which falls before the comment period opens. The draft notice and the outline therefore give different start dates.
How to comment
Comments close at 23:59 on 3 December 2026 and must be in Japanese. They can be sent through the e-Gov form, by email in the message body with no attachments, or by post to the ministry's housing bureau office handling housing defect warranty measures. Telephone comments are not accepted, and the ministry says it will not reply individually.