Realtor to fix ‘LGBT not allowed’ labeling mishap on fliers

ASAHI
October 2, 2024

Rainbow flags are seen during the parade at last year's Kyushu Rainbow Pride, a Fukuoka festival that celebrates sexual minorities and others. The photo is not related to the content of this article. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
A real estate company in Fukuoka has come under criticism after materials for its rental properties included instances where “LGBT not allowed” is indicated in the terms of application for tenants.

There have been disappointment and confusion expressed, particularly from the parties involved, over the statement that appeared to indicate that a property rental could be denied based on applicants' gender identity or sexual orientation.

The real estate company said that “it was inappropriate” when providing an explanation and is taking corrective action.

In February 2023, a man in his 30s living in Fukuoka was speechless when he visited a real estate agency to look for a place to live and saw “LGBT not allowed” written on a document describing the rental property's floor plan, rent and other information.

The man had thought he could consult with the real estate company about living with his same-sex partner in the future because the real estate company's dedication to supporting the cause.

But when he saw the description, he thought, “I wanted the company to think about how the people involved would feel if they saw it.”

The real estate company told The Asahi Shimbun that it first became aware of the situation in September of this year. A representative of the company said that it was “inappropriate and misleading” that “LGBT not allowed” was written in the property documents.

The company said it had modified its property management system several years ago to accommodate the “LGBT-friendly” search criteria that a major real estate information website introduced around 2017.

When entering rental property information into the system, staffers input “LGBT allowed” if the property owner had given approval for LGBT couples to live together.

However, if the property owner did not approve or if it was unconfirmed, they may have entered “LGBT not allowed,” the company said.

Originally, the information entered this way was not supposed to be included in the materials provided to customers.

The company believes that this situation occurred because “the handling of the information was not sufficiently through within the company.”

The company said, “This was due to human error, and the company has no intention of discriminating against LGBT people.”

The company is now in the process of making changes to its internal system.