On the Handling of Personal Information

● Basic approach to handling personal information

The Company shall comply with the laws related to the protection of personal information. The method of handling and protecting personal information are explained in accordance with the provisions of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information as follows:

1. Purpose of using personal information of our customers

(1) Personal information will be used to search for potential transaction counterparties. (2) Personal information will be used to place advertisements on the internet, flyers, and elsewhere. (3) Personal information may be registered with the property search system (REINS) run by the appointed real estate information network to search for potential transaction counterparties. In addition, if a deal has been closed, contractual information (information containing a summary of the property involved in a deal that has been closed, the closing date, closing price, but without containing the names of any individual) will be provided to the specified real estate information network (the organization appointed by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under the Building Lots and Buildings Transaction Business Act). The appointed real estate information network will be used to provide property information and contractual information to members of the real estate information network, consisting of building lots and building transaction operators and public housing complexes, in the form of electronic data and paper media, to carry out the operations of the appointed real estate information network provided in the Building Lots and Buildings Transaction Business Act. (4) Personal information will be used to search for potential transaction counterparties for the sale or lease of real estate, to conclude sales, leases, brokerage, management, and other contracts, and to provide services based on such contracts. (5) Where management is involved, personal information will be used to execute management operations conducted under contract with the management association of the condominium, etc. (6) Personal information will be used to inform customers of products and services of the Company and affiliated companies that are believed to be of interest, in association with the operations of (1) through (5), above, and to inform customers the dispatch of products, related after-sales services, and operations for maintenance, etc. related to management. (7) Personal information will be maintained for the ledgers and their information materials based on Article 49 of the Building Lots and Buildings Transaction Business Act. (8) Personal information will be used for value assessment related to the sale and lease of real estate. Contractual information used for value assessment may be provided to a brokerage client as the “Basis of opinion” defined in Article 34 paragraph 2 item 2 of the Building Lots and Buildings Transaction Business Act. (9) Personal information will be provided to third parties as described in 3., below.

2. Personal information retained by the Company and purpose of use

(1) The Company retains the personal information of persons involved in real estate transactions with the Company, of persons wishing to move into properties for lease, tenants, applicants of property sales, purchasers, owners of real estate who have entrusted management or brokerage of properties and applications received from rights holders, personal information listed in the contracts, etc., and other personal information obtained through appropriate methods. (2) The personal information will be used to execute a contract, for contract management in lease transactions, and to conduct management and after-sales services in the event of sales transactions. (3) The Company shall make use of the address, name, phone number, and mail address of its customers for the dispatch of direct mail to introduce other real estate services by the Company and to introduce the products and services of affiliated companies that the Company believes may be of interest to its customers. This usage may be halted at the request of the customer.

3. Providing personal information to third parties

Personal information retained by the Company shall be provided to third parties as listed in (1) though (11) indicated below, to execute a contract, for contract management in lease transactions, or to conduct management and after-sales services in the event of sales transactions. The information to be provided shall be the name, address, phone number, date of birth, real estate information, and contractual information and shall be provided in the form of documents, posted material, phone, internet, electronic mail, advertising media, or other formats, depending on the nature of the operations. The provision of personal information shall be suspended at the request of the customer.

(1) A counterpart or possible counterpart in contracts for matters being entrusted by the customer. (2) Other building lots and buildings transaction business operators. (3) Advertising operators and organizations for internet advertising and others. (4) Appointed real estate information networks (if an exclusive brokerage agreement or a non-exclusive brokerage agreement has been signed, registration with appointed real estate information networks and the notification of contractual information will be obligated to the building lots and building transaction business operators under the Building Lots and Buildings Transaction Business Act). (5) Judicial scrivener, real estate surveyor, and real estate appraiser involved in registration and appraisal. (6) Financial institution related to loans, etc. (7) Management contractors if a property requires management services. (8) Where management by the Company is necessary, the party entrusted with operations provided in the explanatory document of important matters in the management contract, the financial institution for debiting management fees, and the officers of the management association. (9) Credit rating agencies for credit checks of tenancy applicants (if necessary). (10) Debt servicers in the event that a tenant is in arrears in the payment of rent. (11) Company affiliates considered to be of interest to customers.

4. Personal information protection measures

(1) Employees of the Company shall receive regular training on the protection of personal information and the personal information of customers shall be strictly managed.

(2) Appropriate security measures will be taken to protect the integrity of the database, etc. of the Company.

5. Outsourcing of personal information processing

In the event, all or a part of the handling of personal data retained by the Company is to be outsourced, necessary contracts will be concluded and appropriate management and supervision shall be provided.

6. Joint use of personal information

In the event that personal information of our customers is to be used jointly, the necessary measures provided for in the Act for Protection of Personal Information shall be provided.

7. Requests for disclosure, corrections, or suspension of use concerning personal information, and complaints about handling

Inquiries from our customers concerning the handling of personal information should be addressed to the following:

Inquiries and consultations

Housing Japan K.K.

CR Kamiyacho Bldg.  7F, 1-11-9 Azabudai, Minato-ku Tokyo,   106-0041 Japan

TEL: 03-3588-8860      FAX: 03-3588-8864      EMAIL: info@housingjapan.com