How to Remove Reviews and Negative Comments on Japanese 'Mansion Note

When considering moving to a condominium, the internal affairs of the condominium are of great concern.

If you know a resident, you can easily obtain internal information. However, if it is difficult to collect information, a commonly referred source is a website called “Condominium Note,” which collects reviews about condominiums nationwide.

While Condominium Note has many reviews and provides a wide range of raw information, there is also a possibility of reputational damage due to unexpected malicious reviews and slander being posted, which can be a concern for those managing and operating the condominium.

In this article, we will explain how to remove slanderous reviews and insults posted on Condominium Note.

What is Mansion Note?

Mansion Note[ja] is a website operated by Renga Co., Ltd., claiming to be “Japan’s largest condominium review site”.

Mansion Note features detailed reviews posted by residents of condominiums nationwide, with the number of reviews exceeding one million.

On Mansion Note, reviews and ratings out of five are posted for each detailed category such as building management, shared facilities, resident atmosphere, rooms, shopping situation around the condominium, child-rearing environment, hospitals, security, and natural environment.

Due to the wide range of evaluation items, the reviews posted on Mansion Note are very specific and reflect the raw voices of the residents.

Mansion Note provides a wealth of valuable raw information, and it can be said that it contains a lot of useful information for those considering moving into a condominium.

Mechanism from Review Posting to Publication and Viewing

In order to view the reviews posted on Mansion Note, you first need to post a review.

Furthermore, Mansion Note has limited reviews. For every 100 points you earn, one point per review personality, you can view non-public limited reviews related to the condominium or area you reviewed. This is the mechanism.

Due to the above mechanism, there is a possibility that reviews that are different from the facts may be posted based on speculation about condominiums that have never been lived in, just to view the reviews.

On the other hand, at Mansion Note, the operator visually checks each posted review before publishing it, so it is less likely to publish obvious slanderous reviews.

However, Mansion Note is based on the philosophy that “There is no perfect condominium in the world, nor is there a condominium with no appeal at all.” It is personalityized by always asking for posts of both “good points” and “points of concern” when reviewing.

Therefore, even with the above mechanism, it can be said that the possibility of reputational damage due to reviews is still high.

Criteria for Removing Reviews and Negative Comments on Mansion Note

As previously mentioned, it is difficult to remove reviews posted on Mansion Note because the operator checks each one visually.

However, it is possible to remove a review if it meets certain conditions. In this section, we will explain the criteria for removing reviews and negative comments on Mansion Note.

Violation of Terms of Use Regarding Prohibited Matters in Review Posting

When requesting the removal of a review from the operating company, one method is to argue that the review in question violates the site’s terms of use. Therefore, it is important to first check the terms of use of the Mansion Note.

In the terms of use of Mansion Note, prohibited matters regarding review posting are stipulated in Articles 15, Paragraphs 5 to 7 and 10.

5. Acts leading to illegal activities, criminal activities, serious dangerous activities, or promoting such activities
6. Acts that illegally infringe on the rights or interests of our company, other users, or third parties, or acts that may do so
7. Acts that discriminate against or defame others, including other users, or damage the honor or credit of others
…
10. Posting content in the Mansion Note reviews that is different from the purpose we consider, such as:
ⅰ. Content that can be considered for commercial purposes or similar purposes (however, some limited uses allowed in these terms of use are excluded)
ⅱ. Content that may allow personal identification
ⅲ. Content that goes against public order and morals
ⅳ. Content that may be considered of low value, such as “nothing in particular”
ⅴ. Content that may be considered worthless, such as a string of meaningless personalitys
ⅵ. Content intended for shills
ⅶ. Other content that we deem inappropriate

Mansion Note Terms of Use [ja]

In Mansion Note, the Review Posting Guidelines are established as a concrete representation of the prohibited matters in the terms of use. The items in the guidelines are as follows:

[1] Strive to provide information that is beneficial to those looking for a home

[2] Strive to use moderate expressions and polite language

[3] Please be sure to mention both the good points and the points of concern

[4] Please refrain from posting reviews that include falsehoods, defamation, and infringement of rights

[5] Please refrain from posting reviews that may allow personal identification

[6] Please refrain from posting reviews that may promote crime

[7] If you are a mansion owner, a real estate agent, or other real estate-related person posting a review, please be sure to clarify your position

[8] Please refrain from the following inappropriate expressions

Review Posting Guidelines [ja]

Therefore, when requesting the removal of a review on the grounds of a violation of the terms of use, it is necessary to first consider whether the review violates the Review Posting Guidelines.

Understanding the Reputational Damage Caused by Malicious Reviews on Mansion Note: A Guide Based on Actual Reviews

Let’s discuss what kind of reviews violate the guidelines, using actual reviews as examples.

Review Claiming Poor Waste Disposal Manners Due to a High Number of Foreign Residents

If a review is posted stating, “Mansion A has many foreign residents, so the manners regarding waste disposal seem to be poor,” even though there are no foreign residents, the apartment owner could argue that this falls under the category of “false” reviews in the Review Posting Guidelines [4] and request its removal.

However, it is difficult for the operators of Mansion Note to verify the truthfulness of the attributes of the apartment’s residents. Therefore, it is necessary not only to claim that the review on Mansion Note is false, but also to consider whether it violates other items and request its removal.

Regarding the above review, it can be said that it is based on an unfounded discriminatory belief that foreigners have poor manners. Therefore, it is necessary to argue that it falls under the category of “defamation” in the Review Posting Guidelines [4] of Mansion Note and request its removal.

Review Questioning Safety Due to Anyone Being Able to Enter from the Parking Lot

If there is a review on Mansion Note about the vulnerability of security, it could provide an opportunity for a malicious third party to intrude into the building.

Building intrusion itself is a crime, but there is also a risk of leading to serious crimes such as theft after the intrusion. Therefore, you can argue that it falls under the category of “reviews that encourage crime” in the Review Posting Guidelines [6] and request its removal.

Request for Removal of Reviews on Mansion Note via Contact Form

There are two methods to remove reviews on Mansion Note: requesting the operating company to remove them, or hiring a lawyer to do so. First, we will introduce the method of requesting the operating company to remove them.

To directly request the operator to remove a review, you need to specifically describe the review you want to remove and the reasons for it in the contact form on Mansion Note, and then send it.

It’s Difficult to Remove Reviews That Have Passed the Operator’s Screening

Reviews That Have Passed the Operator’s Screening

While we have described the method of removing reviews on Mansion Note, not all reviews can be removed.

Reviews on Mansion Note are screened by the administrative staff through visual inspection.

Because they post reviews that have no issues, it can be difficult to remove reviews that have passed such strict screening.

There’s a High Chance That You Can’t Remove Even If You Request the Poster

Also, Mansion Note has the following terms regarding the removal of reviews:

At Mansion Note, we conduct a visual inspection based on guidelines for all reviews posted, and we operate to prevent the posting of “defamatory reviews” and “reviews that violate public order and morals”. Therefore, please note that all reviews posted on the site basically meet the posting standards of Mansion Note, and even if there is a request for deletion, we may not be able to comply with the request in principle.

Mansion Note: I want to delete the review I posted[ja]

As such, since the operators of Mansion Note have stated that they will not comply with deletion requests in principle, it is highly likely that the poster will not voluntarily comply with the deletion.

There’s a High Chance That You Can’t Remove Mansion Information Either

Furthermore, there are also terms regarding the removal of mansion information:

Please note that we do not delete the mansion information posted on Mansion Note in principle, even if there is a request for deletion. However, if it is clearly confirmed that the information about the mansion is different from the facts, there is a possibility that we will correct it. If there is such a case, please contact us from the inquiry form with documents that can objectively prove the facts.

Mansion Note: I want to delete the mansion posted[ja]

Therefore, just like the removal of reviews, there is also a high possibility that they will not comply with the removal of mansion information.

As mentioned above, there is a method of directly requesting the operating company to remove the review, but in reality, it is often difficult. However, even if you cannot remove the review by directly requesting the operating company, there may be cases where it is possible to remove it if you are a lawyer.

How to Remove Reviews and Slander from Mansion Note by Hiring a Lawyer

When a lawyer makes an inquiry, the operator is likely to consider it important and may be more inclined to remove the content.

Here, we will explain how to remove reviews and other content with the help of a lawyer.

Consideration of Defamation

The typical case where a defamatory post becomes illegal is defamation.

Defamation occurs when a fact that lowers a person’s social evaluation is posted. However, defamation does not occur if the posted fact is true or if there is a legitimate reason or basis to believe it is true. The requirements for defamation are explained in detail in the following article.

Reference Article: What are the conditions for suing for defamation? Explaining the requirements and average compensation[ja]

For example, consider a case where a review is posted on Mansion Note saying, “I witnessed resident B of room XX taking other residents’ mail.”

Taking someone else’s mail without permission is theft, so this review can be said to contain a fact that lowers resident B’s social evaluation. Therefore, if the content of the review is different from the truth, defamation against resident B is established.

If the review is illegal, you can also request a transmission prevention measure from the site operator or hosting provider based on the Provider Liability Limitation Act, and you can achieve the same result as if the review was deleted.

However, since this is done at the discretion of the site operator, the result may not change from when you request deletion directly from the inquiry form.

Removal of Reviews by Provisional Disposition

In such cases, you will apply for a provisional disposition procedure through the court. A provisional disposition is a simplified court procedure, and a conclusion is usually reached in about 1 to 2 months. If the conclusion is that it should be removed by provisional disposition, the operator will remove the review.

For more details on the provisional disposition to request the removal of a post, please refer to the following article.

Reference Article: What is the “removal provisional disposition” that is important in defamation measures?[ja]

Identification of the Poster by Provisional Disposition

Not only can you remove the review, but you can also make a claim for damages against the poster. In order to make a claim for damages, you need a procedure called a sender information disclosure request to identify the poster.

In the sender information disclosure request, you first get the IP address and timestamp to identify the problematic review from the site operator, and use this information to identify the Internet service provider used for the post.

Then, you request the Internet service provider to disclose the personal information of the poster. Since sender information disclosure requests involve highly confidential personal information, they are usually only disclosed through court procedures.

Also, because the logs held by the provider have a short retention period, if you want to identify the poster, you need to start the procedure as soon as possible after confirming the problematic review. For more details on sender information disclosure requests, please refer to the following article.

Reference Article: What is a sender information disclosure request? A lawyer explains how to do it and what to watch out for[ja]

Summary: Eliminate Reviews on Mansion Note and Stop Reputational Damage

Mansion Note contains detailed internal information for those considering moving into a condominium. Therefore, it can be said that the reviews on Mansion Note play a very important role in the selection of a condominium.

Especially for condominium owners, as it can directly affect the occupancy rate of rental condominiums, it is necessary to consult with professionals such as lawyers quickly and have problematic posts removed when found.

In particular, dealing with online defamation and reputational damage requires specialized knowledge in IT. Therefore, we recommend consulting with a lawyer experienced in this field and having the posts removed.

Introduction to Our Firm’s Measures

Monolith Law Office is a legal office with high expertise in IT, particularly in the intersection of the internet and law. In recent years, information related to reputational damage and defamation spread on the internet has caused serious harm to listed companies and the like. As specialists in both IT and law, we understand the position of companies and can support their reputational risk management. For more detailed information, please refer to the article below.

Areas of practice at Monolith Law Office: Reputational Damage Measures for Listed Companies and the Like[ja]