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Regulators raid Airbnb office in Japan over suspected antitrust practices

Regulators raid Airbnb office in Japan over suspected antitrust practices

The home rental company allegedly forced users to sign contracts promising not to list on rival sites

Airbnb said today its offices in Japan were raided by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) last month over suspected violations of antitrust laws, says a Reuters report. The regulator seized some documents on suspicion that the online home rental company asked users not to list their properties on rival platforms.

As per a Nikkei Asian Review report, Airbnb forced some users to sign contracts promising not to list on other sites.

Also Read: Japan legalisation of Airbnb is an embarrassment for Singapore

But the company has denied the charges, and said it is co-operating with the investigation. A company spokesperson said all hosts and partners, who have listed properties on Airbnb, are free to list on other platforms as well.

Japan, where there is a scarcity of hotel rooms in metropolitan areas, is one of the popular markets for Airbnb in Asia, and the company is banking on the record numbers of tourists flowing to the country ahead of the 2020 Olympics.

Airbnb said 5 million people had used its service in Japan in past one year.

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