Rakuten LIFULL STAY to Begin Accepting Registrations of Properties on New Vacation Rental Platform

Tokyo, January 17, 2018 - Rakuten LIFULL STAY, Inc., a Rakuten Group company providing vacation rental services, today announced it will begin accepting registrations of domestic vacation rental properties on “Vacation STAY,” its tentatively titled vacation rental website, from March 15, 2018, ahead of the enactment of the Private Lodgings Business Law on June 25, 2018.^* From the same day, property owners will be able to register as vacation rental operators under the law.

Rakuten LIFULL STAY also announced that from September 2018, domestic vacation rental properties listed on the Vacation STAY site will be made available for booking through Rakuten Travel, the Rakuten, Inc.-run travel booking service that is one of the largest in Japan. This will make it possible for domestic users to compare vacation rental properties with the hotels, inns, business hotels and hostels listed on Rakuten Travel, and select the accommodation that best suits their needs. By providing a highly convenient service meeting the increasingly diverse needs of travelers, Rakuten Travel aims to make Japan a more attractive tourist destination.

Since its founding in March 2017, Rakuten LIFULL STAY has entered into partnerships with operators of vacation rental and accommodation booking websites around the world, including Booking.com, HomeAway, Tujia and AsiaYo.com. After the launch of the Vacation STAY service, which is scheduled to take place after the Private Lodgings Business Law is enacted, the service’s inventory system will be linked with those services, allowing their users to book Vacation STAY properties.

In addition, by only offering properties that have been registered as vacation rentals under the Private Lodgings Business Law, as National Strategic Special Zone vacation rentals or as shared accommodation, Rakuten LIFULL STAY aims to promote the growth of a legal and safe vacation rental market in Japan. 

Going forward, Rakuten LIFULL STAY and Rakuten will continue to propose options for a variety of accommodation styles aimed at both domestic and international travelers, and provide services that meet their diverse accommodation needs.

* Details of the registration process are scheduled to be announced on the Rakuten LIFULL STAY website

( https://www.rakuten-lifull-stay.co.jp/vacationstay.html ).