Akiya Airbnb & Minpaku Feasibility Calculator
Estimate what a Japanese vacant house could earn as a short-term rental, what it costs to run each year, and how long it takes to repay the purchase and renovation.
1. What you spend up front
Accepts 480万, 4,800,000 or ¥4.8m.
Roof, water, kitchen, bath, wiring, insulation.
Beds, linen, wifi, appliances, photography, licensing.
Total cash invested: ¥12,983,880 ($86,559)Purchase price plus statutory closing costs, renovation and furnishing.
2. How you plan to operate it
Operating route
180 bookable nights → 63 booked.
32 stays a year.
Electricity, water, gas, internet, amenities.
Estimated net profit per year
¥292,332 ($1,949)
Longer than the realistic remaining life of most akiya buildings without further renovation.
Room revenue
63 nights booked out of 180 bookable.
¥882,000
Cleaning fees collected
32 stays a year.
¥192,000
Gross annual revenue
¥1,074,000
Platform commission
Charged on the whole booking value including the cleaning fee.
-¥161,100
Cleaning cost
-¥256,000
Utilities & consumables
-¥240,000
Taxes, insurance & local dues
Fixed asset and city planning tax, buildings insurance, septic pumping and neighbourhood dues.
-¥124,568
Net annual profit
¥292,332
Years to repay the investment
Total invested ¥12,983,880.
44.4 years
Reality check: the 180-night cap, fire-safety and structural requirements, neighbour consent and zoning all decide whether you can operate at all — before demand matters. Rural akiya far from a station, hot spring or tourist route frequently run below 20% occupancy. Model a pessimistic case before you buy, and read the minpaku rules guide first.
How these numbers are worked out
- Cash invested = purchase price + statutory closing costs (commission, stamp duty, registration tax, scrivener, acquisition tax) + renovation + furnishing.
- Bookable nights = 180 under the minpaku notification route, 365 with a hotel or ryokan licence.
- Gross revenue = nightly rate × booked nights, plus cleaning fees across the number of stays.
- Net profit = gross revenue minus platform commission, management fee, cleaning, utilities, and the annual tax, insurance and dues estimate.
- Payback years = cash invested ÷ net annual profit, with no allowance for income tax, loan interest or future repairs.
Planning estimate only, built entirely from the figures you enter. Not investment, tax or legal advice.
Short-term rental questions
- How many nights a year can I rent out a minpaku in Japan?
- Under the Private Lodging Business Act notification route the legal maximum is 180 nights per calendar year. Operating beyond that requires permission under the Inns and Hotels Act or a special zone designation, which brings stricter fire, structural and management requirements.
- What is a realistic occupancy rate for a rural akiya?
- Rural properties away from a station, hot spring or tourist route often sit well below 30% even in a good year, and bookings cluster into a few peak weeks. City-fringe and resort-area homes can do far better. This calculator uses whatever figure you enter, so try a pessimistic case before committing.
- Which costs does this calculator include?
- Purchase price plus all statutory closing costs, renovation, furnishing and setup, then annually: platform commission, cleaning, optional management fees, utilities and consumables, fixed asset and city planning tax, insurance, septic pumping where relevant, and neighbourhood dues.
- What does it not include?
- Income tax on your profits, consumption tax if you cross the registration threshold, licensing and fire-equipment costs, loan interest, and major repairs during ownership. Treat the output as a planning model, not an investment forecast.
- Is short-term rental income taxable for a non-resident owner?
- Yes. Japan-source rental income is taxable in Japan regardless of where you live, and non-resident owners normally need to appoint a tax agent to file the annual return.
Check the purchase side too
The closing-cost calculator breaks down every fee and tax behind the cash figure used here.
Before you model bookings, check whether the house can legally be rebuilt, reached and connected — AkiyaCheck scans any Japanese listing URL for those risks.