Rental Appraisal Requests from Homeowners Nearly Double from 2023 as More Consider Leasing Instead of Selling

The rental management appraisal service “Iza Kasu,” operated by AIMPLACE.inc, conducted its “2025 Survey on Homeowners Renting Out Their Homes” among 15,627 men and women in their 20s to 60s and older who used the service to request rental appraisals for homes they own. The survey analyzed why the number of people considering renting out their homes nearly doubled between 2023 and 2025, as well as trends by age group, area, and building age. According to the survey, the number of appraisal requests from homeowners wanting to rent out their properties roughly doubled compared with 2023. More people are considering not only selling their homes but also using them as rental assets, prompted by job transfers, inheritance, relocation, and other life events. The most common reason was “I want to know how much I can rent it for,” showing that many owners are first trying to understand market rent before deciding whether to sell, rent out, or retain the property. There was also strong demand from people who want to rent out their homes temporarily due to relocation, job transfers, or overseas assignments. Because they may return to the same home in the future, many prefer leasing it for a fixed period rather than selling it. Actual appraisal requests included comments such as: “My transfer has been decided, and I will be away for one to three years, so I want to rent it out during that time,” “The possibility of an overseas assignment has increased, so I want to know in advance whether I can rent it out,” and “I may return in a few years, so I want to consider renting rather than selling.” Even homes with remaining mortgages may be convertible to rental use in unavoidable cases such as job transfers or overseas assignments after consultation with financial institutions, so owners should confirm the conditions rather than assume they cannot rent the property out. Inheritance, vacant homes, and changes in family structure were also major triggers. Many inquiries involved inherited family homes, houses parents no longer live in, homes that feel too large after children move out, or properties left unused due to caregiving, retirement relocation, or other life-stage changes. Among people in their 50s and older, there is a growing tendency to research in advance how to use properties they may inherit or their parents’ homes. Since inherited real estate involves ongoing costs such as property taxes, management fees, and repair expenses, the importance of considering early whether to sell, rent, or retain such properties is expected to increase. Among the 15,627 appraisal requests analyzed, condominium units accounted for 62.7% of properties being considered for rental, while detached houses accounted for 37.3%. Condominium inquiries were often driven by job transfers, overseas assignments, and relocation, while detached-house inquiries were more frequently linked to inheritance, parental care, children moving out, or partial use of two-family homes. In terms of layouts, many properties were suited to couples and families, such as 1LDK, 2LDK, 3LDK, and 4LDK units. By age group, people in their 20s to early 30s mainly inquired because of job transfers, career changes, relocation, or on behalf of parents regarding family homes. In the late 30s group, temporary rental needs increased due to overseas assignments and family-accompanied transfers. People in their 40s often consulted about two-family homes, relocation, or changes in household composition. Those in their 50s frequently researched future use of inherited real estate in advance. People aged 60 and older commonly considered renting out their current homes to generate rental income after moving into senior facilities, living with children, or relocating for later life. The building age of homes being considered for rental ranged widely, from newly built and relatively new properties to homes over 20 years old. Older properties are not necessarily impossible to rent out; depending on area, layout, condition, and management approach, they may still be viable rental assets. The company says it is important to first check the potential rent rather than assume a home is too old to lease. By area, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Osaka, and Aichi ranked highly, with demand concentrated in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Japan’s three major urban regions. These areas have large populations and many properties, leading to a wide range of appraisal requests for both condominiums and detached houses. In regional areas, many inquiries involved inherited family homes or detached houses, with comments such as “I inherited the property but do not live nearby” and “Maintenance costs continue even though it remains vacant.” Iza Kasu noted that while homes no longer lived in were traditionally sold or left vacant, this survey shows rising demand from owners who first want to check whether they can generate rental income before letting go of the property. The service connects homeowners who want to rent out their homes with real estate companies that provide rental management, allowing users to request appraisals and management consultations from up to six companies at once based on property type, area, and rental purpose. The survey period was January 1 to December 31, 2025, and the data was compiled and analyzed from rental appraisal registrations on Iza Kasu. Of 17,929 appraisal registrations, the company excluded whole apartment buildings and condominium buildings, as well as some entries related to investment or management review purposes, to extract users considering renting out residential owner-occupied homes for asset utilization. The 15,627 respondents also include some people with investment purposes, such as detached-house investment.