Survey Finds 76.0% Are Concerned Their Family Home May Become Vacant, with Costs and Building Deterioration the Top Worries

Philia Corporation, operated by CEO Naoyuki Koshikawa and based in Itabashi, Tokyo, conducted a survey of 500 men and women across Japan through its support website for revitalizing problematic real estate. The survey focused on concerns that respondents’ family homes may become vacant in the future. Details are available in the company’s column: https://philia-co.com/media/other/questionnaire-akiya/ Have you ever thought about what will happen to your family home after your parents no longer live there? As Japan’s vacant house problem becomes increasingly serious nationwide, many people are worried about the future of their family homes. This survey asked 500 respondents across Japan about their concerns regarding family homes potentially becoming vacant. Survey overview: respondents were men and women across Japan; the survey period was April 15-16, 2026; the survey was conducted in-house; responses were collected voluntarily online; and the number of valid responses was 500, consisting of 343 women and 157 men. The key findings show that 61.0% of respondents are concerned that their family home may become vacant in the future. The largest concerns are financial burdens and building deterioration, while many respondents also cited fears of structural collapse and security-related problems. When asked whether they were concerned about their family home becoming vacant, 61.0% answered “concerned” and 15.0% answered “somewhat concerned,” meaning a total of 76.0% expressed concern. Only 12.0% said they were not concerned. Philia Corporation stated that these figures align with the intensity of inquiries it receives on a daily basis. Recently, its vacant house consultation service was also featured in the industry newspaper Housing Shimpo, indicating a sharp rise in public interest. Among the 380 respondents who answered “concerned” or “somewhat concerned,” the top reasons were as follows. First, 64.5% cited concerns about maintenance costs and taxes. The company notes that beyond ordinary maintenance costs, owners should be especially aware of the risk of a property being designated as a poorly managed vacant house. If a property is judged to be inadequately managed, it may lose preferential fixed-asset tax treatment, causing the tax amount to rise by up to six times. The longer a property is left unattended, the greater the potential financial loss. Second, 55.8% were worried about security and collapse. Older buildings, particularly properties that cannot be rebuilt or row-house-style connected buildings, can deteriorate and collapse, potentially damaging neighboring homes. If this leads to compensation claims, a family home that should have been an asset can become a major liability. Third, 48.2% felt that sorting through belongings and estate items would be difficult. The company says many people mistakenly believe a property cannot be sold until it has been fully cleared out. Philia Corporation states that it can purchase properties as-is, even with large amounts of remaining belongings, allowing owners to reduce emotional and physical burdens by leaving the process to professionals. Fourth, 42.1% were worried about disputes among relatives. If a family home is inherited under shared ownership, all owners must agree before it can be sold. If even one person objects, the property can remain unresolved for a long period, making pre-inheritance planning essential. Even if the property has already become jointly owned, specialist solutions exist, such as selling only one’s own ownership share. Fifth, 31.3% were concerned about whether the property could be sold. Even if major real estate companies reject a property because of narrow road access or because it is connected to a neighboring building, that does not mean the property has no value. Philia Corporation says it has in-house expertise in revitalizing non-rebuildable properties and connected housing, enabling it to directly purchase difficult properties avoided by other companies at appropriate prices. The survey concludes that 61.0% of respondents feel concerned about their family home becoming vacant, highlighting that many people see the future of their family home as a serious issue. Concerns are especially strong around maintenance costs, taxes, and neighborhood problems caused by building deterioration. The psychological burden of estate cleanouts and forming consensus among relatives also shows how deeply rooted and complex the issue is. Philia Corporation says it will continue conducting surveys from various perspectives and hopes the findings will serve as a useful reference. The company specializes in purchasing and reselling vacant houses and problematic real estate that are generally considered difficult to sell, including non-rebuildable properties, shared ownership interests, row houses, and connected buildings, mainly in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa. With more than 1,000 consultation cases and a representative certified as a vacant house consultant, the company works through complex rights issues and legal restrictions to identify new value in properties rejected by other firms. Company overview: Representative Director Naoyuki Koshikawa; business activities include real estate sales, purchases, and revitalization; address: Maison NOWROAD 1F, 1-25-17 Akatsuka-shinmachi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 175-0093; URL: https://philia-co.com/. Media contact: Katsuno, Public Relations, press@philia-co.com.