Amended Condominium Laws in Force (April 1, 2026): Majority of Attendees, Excluding Missing Owners, Whole-Building Renovation ResolutionsNew rules make it easier to decide on repairs and rebuilding of old condominiums
The amendments to the Condominium Ownership Act and related laws under Act No. 47 of 2025 (promulgated May 30, 2025) came into force on April 1, 2026. Resolutions that do not involve disposal of unit ownership, such as repairs, can now be passed by a majority of those attending, and owners whose whereabouts are unknown, as certified by a court, are excluded from the count. Whole-building renovation and bulk sale can also be decided by the same kind of majority as rebuilding.
Key points
- Resolutions on matters not involving disposal of unit ownership (repairs, etc.) are decided by a majority of those attending the meeting, not of all owners. A system was created to exclude owners whose whereabouts are unknown, as certified by a court, from the count for all resolutions
- For changes to common areas, the standard 3/4 is kept, but it is lowered to 2/3 for certain grounds such as insufficient earthquake resistance, risk of exterior wall peeling, or barrier-free improvement
- For rebuilding resolutions, the standard 4/5 is kept, and 3/4 applies with objective grounds such as insufficient earthquake resistance. Whole-building renovation, bulk sale of the building and site, and demolition can also be decided by the same kind of majority as rebuilding (previously the consent of all owners was needed, which was practically difficult)
- When a management company also serves as the association's manager (representative) and receives or places orders for work, prior explanation to owners about self-dealing is now required because of conflict-of-interest concerns
- Under the Condominium Regeneration Act (formerly the Condominium Reconstruction Facilitation Act), rights over adjacent land or underlying land can be converted into unit ownership after rebuilding. The expansion of management plan certification will take effect within two years of promulgation
What to do in practice
- Check whether your management rules match how resolutions work under the amended law (MLIT has also revised the standard management rules)
- If you are considering major repairs, rebuilding or bulk sale, sort out the majority required (4/5 in principle, 3/4 with certain grounds, etc.)
In a condominium, the people who live there decide on repairs and rebuilding by talking together. But some owners do not come to meetings or cannot be found, so it became harder to decide. From April 1, 2026, new rules make it easier to decide.
Points
- Matters like repairs, which do not mean selling the property, can be decided by a majority of the people who come to the meeting
- Owners who cannot be found are not counted in the vote if a court approves
- Not only rebuilding but also big remodeling and selling everything can be decided with, for example, 4/5 approval
What the words mean
- Unit owner
- A person who owns one unit of a condominium as their own
- Management association
- A group the owners form to talk about managing the building
- Ministry of Justice / Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: Ministry of Justice: The Act partially amending the Act on Building Unit Ownership, etc. to facilitate the management and regeneration of aging condominiums
- Ministry of Justice / Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: MLIT: Cabinet approval of the cabinet orders for enforcing the amended condominium laws
- Ministry of Justice / Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: MLIT: Amended laws to facilitate condominium management and regeneration (October 2025)
- Ministry of Justice / Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: MLIT: Outline of the FY2026 (Reiwa 8) tax reform (estimate of condominiums aged 40 years or more)
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.