Despite the increasing number of elderly people living alone in Japan, landlords often refuse to rent them accommodations, raising government concerns over the growing problem.

Three governmental ministries held the first panel meeting on July 3 to discuss ways to support people who have difficulty renting housing.

The government plans to compile concrete measures by autumn, including introducing potential amendments to the law.

“Seventy percent of landlords are reluctant to rent to the elderly and disabled people,” a land ministry official said in the meeting, which was jointly held by the land ministry, welfare ministry and Justice Ministry.

“The main reasons are concerns about maintaining harmony with neighboring tenants and nonpayment of rent. Once these issues are resolved, it will lead to occupancy,” the official said.

The government is considering measures to support those who requires special consideration in securing housing, such as the elderly, the disabled and single parents, people living in poverty and former prisoners.

These individuals often face difficulties in renting private housing despite their efforts to live independently, due to the reluctance of landlords and real estate agencies.

Japan has a housing safety net program and support system for people in need. However, many of these people are still unable to rent housing since landlords fear that they will die alone after moving in, leave their belongings after moving out or fail to pay their rent.

On the other hand, the number of single-person young households is decreasing, leading to an expected increase in vacant private housing.

The panel confirmed that it will focus on measures to secure housing, support after moving in and the creation of an environment where landlords can feel secure in renting out their properties.

One of the panel members, Tomoshi Okuda, who heads Hoboku, a nonprofit organization providing support for the homeless, said, “Families and communities used to play this role, but with the increase in single-person households, there is now a question of who will assume this role.

“It is a big thing that housing is included in social security, so we would like the government to outline its direction,” he said.

EVEN HAVING JOB, 60S COUPLE DENIED RENTAL

Recently, one elderly couple consulted a real estate agency to complain, “We both have jobs but because we are in our 60s we can’t get an apartment.”

The R65 real estate agency in Tokyo, which specializes in real-estate brokerage for those aged 65 and older, said it receives 30 to 50 consultations every month from across the country.

The company conducted a survey of 500 people aged 65 or older who had searched for an accommodation.

It found that one in four had experienced refusal to move in due to age, regardless of their income level. The trend was the same for those with annual incomes of 2 million yen ($14,000) or more and those with annual incomes of less than 2 million yen.

Ten percent of respondents said they had been turned down five or more times.

“Many people are worried because they have never rented to the elderly before,” said Ryo Yamamoto, the head of the R65 agency.

A sense of urgency over the increasing number of elderly people without living relatives prompted the government to help secure housing for this rapidly rising demographic.

There were around 3.86 million single-person elderly households aged 65 and older in 2005, but the number climbed to about 6.72 million in 2020, according to a national census.

In a little more than a decade, the generation that could not find their first jobs during the economic recession of the 1990s will join the ranks of the elderly.

The number of elderly people without their own housing will increase rapidly and rising welfare payments will be unavoidable without any new measures.

“If we don’t secure inexpensive housing and establish a service to watch over the elderly, society will be in dire circumstances in 10 years,” said a senior health ministry official.

However, the existing support system has loopholes.

Only those requiring nursing care can utilize the public long-term care insurance service, and the system for supporting the self-reliance of those in need is intended for young people who are striving to live independently, in principle.

The challenge has been whether the government could secure housing for elderly people without relatives and support them after they move in.

Measures to secure housing for single parents, those in need and the growing number of foreign workers must also be addressed.

Satoshi Akiyama, the head of an organization providing support for single parents seeking to rent, said, “Inquiries have surged since the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Many of them are unemployed. If you don’t have a job, you can’t rent an apartment,” he said. “This creates a vicious cycle of not being able to find a day care center and subsequently not being able to find a job.”

A survey by the land ministry showed that 70 percent of landlords are unwilling to rent to the elderly and the disabled, 60 percent to foreign nationals and 20 percent to households raising children.

The main reasons cited were concerns regarding harmonious coexistence with other tenants, potential deaths in the premises and nonpayment of rent, according to the survey.

(This article was written by Sachiko Miwa and Shinichi Sekine.)