Attitudes of parents and children toward housing inheritance in a Tokyo suburb

In detached housing estates in the suburbs of Tokyo, increasing vacancies in inherited houses have become a problem. This study aimed to assess the risk of vacant house generation and identify risk factors through analyses focusing on parent-child discussions. A questionnaire survey of parents in Koma-Musashidai, Saitama Prefecture, and their children who lived apart regarding their future intentions of inheritance of the parents' houses using cross and logistic regression analyses revealed that 66.5% of the parent-child pairs had had no discussion, 20.5% had different impressions of the results of the discussion, and 7.8% were at high risk of producing vacant houses. Furthermore, the analyses identified the factors associated with parents' intention to bequeath their houses: discussions with their children, old age, high age of the house, lack of proactive measures, anxiety about renting, and stronger community attachment; and the factors associated with children's intention to leave their parents' houses: inadequate discussions with their parents, home ownership, and lack of relationships with neighbors. These results suggest that it could be beneficial to encourage parents and children to participate together in seminars and consult with experts before parents become older to reduce the risk of vacant houses.