Airbnb said on Thursday it’s been forced to cancel thousands of bookings in Japan after the government unexpectedly announced the immediate implementation of a law that regulates home sharing.

The online chaos surrounding Airbnb’s most popular destination in the Asia-Pacific region comes as cities like New York and Paris seek to regulate the house-sharing service out of fears it’s jeopardizing the supply of affordable housing or being used for illegal activities.

“We know this stinks – and that’s an understatement,” the company said. It’s created a fund to cover customers’ costs of finding last-minute hotel reservations.

Japan last year made home-sharing legal, but it stipulated that hosts must register their home-share with the local authority and put their registration number on their listings by June 15. Airbnb said it had been helping hosts with this licensing process, but on June 1 the Japanese government suddenly announced that any host without a license would have to cancel bookings made before June 15.

Airbnb has canceled reservations with arrivals from June 15 to June 19 for any unlicensed listings, and going forward will cancel any reservations for which the host doesn’t have a license within 10 days of the booking.

@AirbnbHelp @airbnb Why remove our listing? We are applying for a registration number. It is only June 2nd. You told us that we had until June 15th to add that number to our listing. I can see that thousands of listings in Japan are being removed. #airbnb #japan #tokyo #japan — Shinjuku AirbnbHouse (@HouseInShinjuku) June 2, 2018

As feared the Japanese government is forcing AirBnB to cancel tens of thousands of fully booked and paid reservations. This is the worst possible way the government could have dealt with this issue. 1/ pic.twitter.com/MouoRkzckk — Nick Kapur (@nick_kapur) June 8, 2018

Along with requiring the licenses, localities can set their own restrictions, which have been criticized by some as too cumbersome. In Kyoto ― a tourist hotspot ― house-sharing in residential areas will only be allowed in the low season times of the year, from mid-January to mid-March. All hosts will only be allowed to rent their house out for 180 days a year.

The Japanese government has said that the regulations will protect locals and tourists and will “nurture healthy growth.” The country will have to deal with large numbers of visitors next year for the Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The number of available Airbnb listings in Japan seems to have already plunged, perhaps due to hosts not wanting to go through the hassle of applying for paperwork.

HuffPost Japan reported that a government official in Minato Ward ― in central Tokyo, where there had been many listings ― said there had only been 40 requests for the license since June 5. Only five had been accepted, and the others were mainly rejected because they needed to notify their neighbors, or there was an issue with their fire equipment. </s> Heading to Japan next week? You should probably double-check your Airbnb rental, because it might be cancelled. The country will soon enforce a law requiring vacation rentals like Airbnb residences to be registered with the Japanese government, prompting the removal of more than 48,000 Japan-based Airbnb listings, and the cancellation of reservations for as early as next week.



According to Nikkei, the more than 62,000 Japanese listings seen as recently this spring have dwindled to just 13,800 due to an amendment to Japan’s Hotels and Inns Act, which now requires hosts to register their listing and restrict rental periods to 180 days per year. On June 1, Airbnb was instructed to cancel reservations made at unregistered residences, two weeks before the June 15 deadline.

“As a result, any reservation scheduled for guest arrival between June 15 and June 19 at a listing in Japan that does not currently have a license has been cancelled,” said Airbnb. “Going forward, unless the government reverses its position, we will automatically cancel and fully refund any reservations at listings in Japan that have not been licensed within 10 days of guest arrival.”

Airbnb, according to its statement on the incident, says it was caught by surprise, and the June 1 announcement was “contrary to the guidance” the company was given by the Japanese Tourism Agency. “Much to our disappointment, after a number of discussions, including a meeting today, the JTA was unwilling to return to their original position or to make reasonable compromises to protect travelers visiting Japan,” said Airbnb.

This isn’t the first time Airbnb has been the subject of scrutiny based on its detrimental effect on neighborhoods and available residential housing. Japan’s restrictions follow the registration and 120-day rental limit imposed in Paris, France. A court will rule on June 12 whether or not the unregistered rentals, amounting to over 80 percent of the city’s Airbnb listings, must be removed from the site.

To its credit, Airbnb plans to support affected travelers with what it’s calling its Japan Travel Response Plan. A $10 million fund will be used to cover “unexpected and unavoidable expenses based on this sudden development” for guests with cancelled reservations. Affected guests will also receive a full refund, along with a $100 coupon toward its activity-centric Airbnb Experience service. Affected guests must email Airbnb and submit copies of the relevant receipts (like hotel accommodations and flight change fees) to get reimbursed for the unexpected costs “within two to four weeks.” Gizmodo has reached out to Airbnb for further clarification. </s> Airbnb says Japan’s government required it to cancel all reservations with hosts that have not yet registered, even if they were in the process of seeking a licence.

RENTAL site Airbnb said on Thursday that it had been forced by the Japanese authorities to cancel thousands of reservations ahead of a new law regulating short-term rentals, and apologised for the "extraordinary disruption".

"This stinks - and that's an understatement," Airbnb said in a statement, adding it would fully refund cancelled reservations and was also creating a US$10 million fund to compensate affected travellers.

The popular holiday rental site had already suspended the listings of owners who had not obtained a registration number required under the law that comes into force on June 15.

But on Thursday it said Japan's government had required it to cancel all reservations with hosts that have not yet registered, even if they were in the process of seeking a licence.

"This is understandably frustrating, especially since many hosts are close to acquiring their licence," the statement said. "It's particularly disruptive for guests who have a trip to Japan planned for the weeks and months ahead."

The company said the fund would help travellers who incur extra costs as they rebook accommodation at short notice. The initial cancellations affect bookings between June 15 and June 19 but could be expanded.

"Going forward, unless the government reverses its position, we will automatically cancel and fully refund any reservations at listings in Japan that have not been licensed within 10 days of guest arrival," it added.

The number of Japan rentals on Airbnb had already dropped dramatically after the site over the weekend began suspending listings from hosts who have not yet registered with the government.

The new law requires owners to obtain a government registration number and meet various regulations that some critics say are overly strict. Hosts can only rent their properties for 180 days a year, and face additional restrictions imposed by local authorities.

In the tourist magnet of Kyoto, for example, rentals in residential areas will only be allowed between mid-January and mid-March, the low season for tourists.

Airbnb and other holiday rental companies have publicly welcomed the law, saying it removes the uncertainty that has long existed in the sector.

Japanese authorities say the legislation will protect tourists and local residents alike, and is intended to "nuture healthy growth".

But some Airbnb hosts say the registration process is overly restrictive and intended to benefit the hotel industry.

Rental sites like Airbnb have faced criticism in many markets internationally for driving up housing prices and competing unfairly with the regulated hotel industry.

The controversy over short-term rentals in Japan comes as the country works to boost already-record numbers of tourists and is anticipating an influx of visitors for next year's Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympics. AFP </s> Image copyright Getty Images

Travelling to Japan in June? If you've made a booking with Airbnb, you may have to find alternative accommodation.

The online home-sharing giant has had to cancel thousands of reservations after Japan's government put in place a new law around home-sharing.

The law regulates Airbnb's most popular destination market in the Asia Pacific region.

Airbnb said changes to the guidance around its implementation meant reservations would now be affected.

Under the new law, hosts are required to register their listing and display their licence number by 15 June to remain active.

But the Japanese government said on 1 June that any host without a licence number had to cancel upcoming reservations that were booked before 15 June.

Airbnb said it would therefore cancel any reservation made by a guest arriving between 15 June and 19 June at a listing in Japan that does not currently have a licence.

"We know this stinks - and that's an understatement," Airbnb said.

"Japan is an incredible country to visit and we want to help our guests deal with this extraordinary disruption."

Airbnb also said it had set up a $10m fund to help those incurring any additional expenses related to having to make alternative travel plans because of cancellations.

The booking issue in Japan is the latest hiccup that Airbnb has faced in Asia, one of its fastest growing markets.

Earlier this year, the firm said it would have to start sharing information about its customers who book accommodation in China with the government. Data shared with the authorities will now include passport details and the dates of bookings.

Hosts listing accommodation in China will also have their details passed on once they start accepting bookings.

The online home-sharing giant said the move meant it was now complying with local laws and regulations, "like all businesses operating in China".

Airbnb has said it is aiming to have one billion annual guests worldwide by 2028.

The firm is one of Silicon Valley's most valuable companies and is already worth an estimated $30bn. </s> Japan has cracked down on home-sharing giant Airbnb, and thousands of guests are being affected.

Last year, a new Japanese law came into effect that required Airbnb hosts to register their properties through the government and publicize their license number by June 15 in order to remain active on the platform. In a written statement by Airbnb released Friday morning, the company confirmed that thousands of hosts had already updated their listings with the necessary registration information, but “many more” were still in the process of finalizing their registrations.

Many were shocked on June 1, two weeks before the confirmed deadline and at the peak of the tourist season, when Japan’s tourism agency issued a sudden memo declaring that any Airbnb host without a license, regardless of their current status in the registration process, must cancel any upcoming reservations booked before June 15. As a result, thousands of Airbnb listings in Japan, a rapidly-growing market for the startup, vanished from the site.

“This announcement came as a surprise to us,” said Airbnb. “It was contrary to the guidance our team had previously been given by the Japanese Tourism Agency (JTA) and put the travel experiences of thousands of visitors to Japan at risk.”

To compensate for the burden the sudden policy-shift has placed on would-be travelers, Airbnb has created a $10 million fund to cover additional expenses, including flight costs, for guests whose plans had been thwarted due to a cancellation. Additionally, Airbnb intends to offer full-refunds on top of a $100 coupon for other Airbnb experiences.

“We are pretty confident that we will grow back,” Mike Orgill, the company’s head of public policy for the Asia Pacific, told Bloomberg.

But, the stringent Japanese policies seem to have affected Airbnb immensely. According to a report by the , Airbnb has been forced to remove 80% of Japanese listings in the past few months alone — plummeting from 62,000 listings to 13,800 since spring.

“While this is a difficult time for our hosts and guests, we believe the new rules will ultimately be a positive change for Airbnb and our Japan community,” said Airbnb. “There will undoubtedly be a period of adjustment, but ultimately, clear rules and regulations for home sharing will make our community in Japan bigger and stronger.”

Airbnb launched in Japan in 2013. It is yet to be seen how the company will recover from this setback to further their growth in the nation, one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for tourism. </s> Airbnb has been one of the breakthrough stories in the wave of shared-economy startups that have emerged out of Silicon Valley, with a valuation of $30 billion for its travellers platform that lets people book private homes as accommodations, as well as other services. But even so, it’s not immune to the force of regulation and the impact it can have on its business.

Airbnb has had to cancel a swathe of reservations in Japan, after a change in local laws required hosts to have specific licenses, but some have failed to get these ahead of the deadline set by regulators.

It’s not clear how many people or hosts have been impacted — the numbers are shifting as hosts receive their licenses — but Airbnb says that it has set up a fund of $10 million to cover any travellers who might get put out as a result of the rules. Some have estimated that as much as 80 percent of bookings have been impacted by the changes.

As Airbnb notes, the cancellations and its resulting moves are a result of changes to the country’s Japanese Hotels and Inns Act. Modified last year to include people using private homes for tourist accommodation for up to 180 days/year, those hosting now have to register and display a license number alongside their listings. The tourism authority (JTA) had set a deadline of June 15 to do this, and those who hadn’t received a license by June 1 had to cancel reservations booked before June 15, and Airbnb has extended this to cover the gap of other travellers so that they have time to make alternative arrangements:

The $10 million fund, Airbnb said, will cover “additional expenses for guests who are scheduled to travel to Japan and have had their plans interrupted due to a cancellation.” Those whose reservations are cancelled on or after June 15 because of the license situation will get a full refund and a coupon worth “at least 100% of the booking value” to use on a future Airbnb trip. They will also receive a $100 coupon for an Airbnb Experience.

Those who are unable to find alternative Airbnb places to stay for their trip will be put in touch with a travel agency in Japan, JTB, to find alternatives.

For those who are impacted by this news, Airbnb will be sending you step-by-step instructions of what to do next, or you can find them here.

This is not the first time that Airbnb has had a stumble on the heels of regulatory changes. In Amsterdam, regulators are preparing to halve the number of nights a property can be let out to 30 nights per year starting in 2019, from 60 nights currently. Berlin and Barcelona have also tried to limit the platform’s growth with their own regulations. </s> TOKYO—A new law that legalizes home-sharing in Japan was supposed to help Airbnb Inc. open the country up to more visitors. Instead, it has led to the loss of tens of thousands of listed offerings as well as canceled reservations and angry customers saying they may never use Airbnb or visit Japan again.

Under the law, which takes effect June 15, Airbnb hosts wanting to open their homes to paying guests need to acquire a license and comply with fire and other safety regulations. Until now, many hosts have been operating in... </s> Despite a ban on advertising short-term rentals that comes with heavy punishments for anyone who tries, New York City had more Airbnb rentals than any other location in the world on New Year's Eve.

The San Francisco-based short term rental service told the New York Daily News that there were more than 55,000 rentals in the city on the final night of 2016, up from about 47,000 on last New Year's Eve. There were more Airbnb rentals in New York City than anywhere else on the globe as 2016 became 2017.

With perhaps the most famous New Year's Eve celebration in the entire world, it's no surprise that people flocked to the Big Apple on December 31, but the number of people using Airbnb in defiance of the city's ban should make officials question that policy and will likely upset hotel executive who pushed for the ban in order to limit competition.

The real heroes, though, are the residents of the city who flouted a silly law and risked fines of up to $7,500 for doing so. New York officials have promised to use the Airbnb ban to crack down on what they call "illegal hotels"—that is, locations used exclusively for short-term rentals year-round—rather than going after residents who rented-out their apartments or homes for the holiday weekend.

The only beneficiaries of New York's ban on Airbnb rentals are the city's hotels—which, naturally, were the driving force behind the passage of the ban in the first place. That's why hotel executives were toasting the ban after it passed.

In reality, though, the ban helps prop-up one of the worst hotels in America by giving tourists fewer, better options.

As New Year's Eve shows, visitors to The Big Apple are looking for other options and residents of the city are willing to freely exchange their space for money. Aside from protecting users against fraud and violance, there's little reason for the government to be involved in those transactions.

The lesson that city officials should take from all this is that Airbnb (and other short term rental services like VRBO and Home Away) can't be legislated out of existence. Visitors to New York, or any other city, have more lodging options than ever before—that's a good thing—and the marketplace is only going to get more diverse in the future.

Instead of fighting that tide, city planners should look for ways to accommodate new forms of accommodations. </s> Ryanair customers have slammed the budget airline after announcing it will cancel up to 50 flights daily for the next six weeks in a bid to improve punctuality.

The company said air traffic control (ATC) delays and strikes, bad weather and a backlog of annual leave to be taken by pilots and cabin crew had led to punctuality falling to below 80% over the last two weeks.

A spokesman said this figure was "unacceptable" and reducing 2% of scheduled flights until the end of October would help improve performance and allow staff to take holiday.

If the airline cancels 40 flights per day for six weeks at a load factor of 90 per cent, approximately 285,000 journeys would be affected.

The airline apologised to affected customers, who it said will be offered alternative flights or refunds.

But passengers took to social media to complain to the company.

Ryanair to cancel 50 flights every day - and here's the reason why

Some customers said last-minute cancellations had left them out-of-pocket due to non-refundable accommodation costs, or with no choice but to book expensive alternative flights or transport.

Others said they had been left stranded in their holiday destination.

Many urged Ryanair to publish a list of all flight cancellations, so they can make alternative travel plans. rather than at short notice.

Writing on the airline's Facebook page, Maria Joanna Suquitana said guests travelling to Italy for her brother's wedding had their flights cancelled just hours before they were due to depart.

She wrote: "We were forced to rent a van from Germany and drive 16 hours because we just can't trust to fly with you again. Most stressful days of our lives."

Karen Naughton Brill said her daughter's 21st birthday present of flights to Amsterdam had been "ruined" when they were cancelled with less than 12 hours notice.

She wrote: "She's gone to bed in tears, rang hotel, can't get refund too short notice, same with parking, Anne Frank house tickets etc etc all non-refundable."

Olivia Poole said her flight on Sunday was cancelled "with no explanation".

She wrote: "We've shelled out five times our original flight price for last minute, incredibly overpriced flights with another airline as your next available flights were on the day we're due to fly back.

"I will be going to any length required to receive the compensation as per EU legislation."

Facebook user Harriet Kathryn Ross wrote: "What they need to do is confirm and publish a schedule of which flights will be cancelled over the next six weeks.

"So customers have enough time to make alternative plans. Ryanair it's wrong to leave people in suspense at the last minute. It's not fair

Furious Twitter user Luce Steb, hit out after her parents' 25th wedding anniversary was "completely ruined by Ryan Air cancelling their flights 24 hrs before".

Another affected passenger, Jamie Barnes, tweeted: "Ryanair cancelled my flight and no other flights available on Monday to gatwick. Live agents don't work. What am I supposed to do?"

The Dublin-listed budget airline next week celebrates the fourth anniversary of its Always Getting Better campaign, which Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has described as an effort to stop "unnecessarily pissing people off".

Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers sent emails to the first affected passengers on Friday, giving them the choice of a refund or an alternative flight.

The airline said it would waive a 40 euro (£35) surcharge normally levied to change flights.

A Reuters reporter, whose flight from Dublin to Barcelona on September 18 was cancelled on Friday, was offered a choice of a surcharge of 250 euros (£219) to take an earlier flight on September 18 or 60 euros (£52) to take a flight on September 19.

Ryanair said its on-time ratio in recent weeks had been impacted by air traffic control strikes and weather disruptions.

It also said it was trying to deal with a backlog of crew leave, which must be allocated before the end of the year.

While it currently calculates crew leave from April to March, regulators are forcing it to calculate it from January to December from the start of next year, it said.

Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “We have operated a record schedule (and traffic numbers) during the peak summer months of July and August but must now allocate annual leave to pilots and cabin crew in September and October (while still running the bulk of our summer schedule).

"This increased leave at a time of ATC capacity delays and strikes, has severely reduced our on-time performance over the past two weeks to under 80%.

"By cancelling less than 2% of our flying programme over the next six weeks, (until our winter schedule starts in early November) we can improve the operational resilience of our schedules and restore punctuality to our annualised target of 90%.

"We apologise sincerely to the small number of customers affected by these cancellations, and will be doing our utmost to arrange alternative flights and/or full refunds for them.”
Due to a change in Japanese legislation, Airbnb announces that it will be cancelling thousands of reservations made in the country.