Developers can become applicants from April 2027
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued ministerial rules and a notification on July 31 to implement an expanded condominium management-plan certification system from April 1, 2027. Reforms adopted in 2025 introduced a framework under which a developer can prepare a management plan at the time of condominium development, apply for certification and later transfer the plan to the condominium association. The new rules establish criteria for developer applications and also revise criteria applying to management associations of existing buildings.
Management is becoming part of the purchase decision from the beginning
Buyers of new Japanese condominiums have traditionally focused heavily on location, price, equipment and developer brand, while long-term repair planning may receive more attention only after occupation. The expanded system moves toward making management plans visible from the initial sales stage and creating continuity as responsibility passes to the owners' association. Condominium value depends not only on the private unit but also on common-area repairs, reserve funding, association governance and overall building maintenance.
International buyers should not assume a new building eliminates management risk
Foreign and overseas owners may find it more difficult to participate regularly in association meetings, making management information particularly important. Certification can improve transparency, but it does not guarantee future repair costs or asset values. Buyers should still examine the long-term repair plan, reserve contributions, building rules, management company and association procedures. After the April 2027 start, the extent to which developers use the system may also become a new point of comparison between new developments and existing resale properties.