The blacklist for rental scofflaws that was planned by a number of rental guarantee companies and reported below has apparently been scrapped–for the time being. According to a front page article in today’s Asahi Shimbun, the group of 15 that came up with the blacklist have decided not to go through with it after “thinking more seriously about it.” Also, other guarantee companies who aren’t in the group apparently complained and the land ministry expressed its “concern.” But the main problem seems internal–some of the companies actually want the blacklist to be more draconian while others are caving to outside pressure to just chuck the whole thing. Anyway, the group will continue its discussion of the matter in the fall. In a way, that makes sense. The rental market isn’t very good right now, and such tactics, which are meant to appeal to landlords, seem self-defeating in what is essentially a buyers market.