Can I find abandoned houses for free 2022? This question seems doesn’t make any sense. Who would give their property for free to someone else? However, you can get a house for free, without paying for anything. And, you can only find this kind of thing in Japan.
The Akiya
This free abandoned house is called akiya. It is the Japanese for an unoccupied house. These abandoned houses mostly are located in suburban areas. However, you also can find many of them in the big city, like Tokyo. In fact, in Tokyo, one of every ten houses is unoccupied or abandoned.
According to a survey in 2018, there are 62.4 million houses in Japan. 8.49 million of them are unoccupied houses. That survey was the five years survey. And, that number could increase significantly for the next survey result.
According to the Nomura Research Institute, this situation is going to get worse in the future. They predict that by 2030, one-third of all houses in Japan will be abandoned. Moreover, in 2040, because of this worsened condition, 900 small towns in Japan will disappear. That means there will be more unoccupied houses in the future.
Why Are There Many Abandoned Houses in Japan?
Many of these houses were left by its owner because they move to other areas with a better job opportunities. And, many promising job opportunities are only available in the big cities. As we mentioned above, many abandoned houses for free 2022 are located far from big cities.
The other reason is the decline of the population because of the low birthrate. Moreover, the aging population also contributes to the increase of abandoned houses in Japan. So, why we can get those houses for free?
Get the Abandoned House in Japan for Free
People can get abandoned houses for free because of the government program, the Special Measures Act on Promotion of Measures on Vacant Houses. The government tries to prevent the low population and occupancy problems in the future through this program.
You should fulfill the specific requirement to get this free abandoned house. One of them is you must live in that house permanently. Therefore, if you plan to use that house for investment and sell it later, you can’t receive free ownership of that house.
Fortunately, you can also get a house even if you are a foreigner. However, you should check whether the requirement to own that house doesn’t break the contract on your Visa or not. Plus, you also must live in that house permanently, which means you have to be a resident of Japan first before you get the house.
Conclusion
You know where you should go to get abandoned houses for free 2022 now. Yes, it is Japan. However, as we explained above, there will be requirements and considerations that you should think about carefully before you decide to enter the program. So, are you ready to move to a new country and get a free house where you can live comfortably?
