Japan’s largest real estate listing site has announced it will begin catering to the country’s LGBT+ community who are searching for rental accommodation.
Suumo has launched a search function that will mean LGBT+ house hunters will only be shown properties that have been registered by landlords as gay friendly.
A spokesperson for the website’s parent company - Sumai - says they hope the function will make the rental market more accessible for the LGBT+ community.
“There are present conditions where LGBT people are struggling to find property, feeling restricted on living together with their partner in rental houses or refusing to move in themselves.
"I would like to introduce the owner’s property and support the search for properties.”
The move comes as Japan edges closer to marriage equality, with cities such as Iga and Sapporo officially recognising same-sex partnerships.
While Suumo is not the first website in Japan to offer the function, it is the country’s largest property database to make this important step in changing social attitudes.
