A Tokyo-based condominium developer that sold seven apartment buildings in the Tokyo area with faked quake-resistance data from Aneha Architect Design Office said Tuesday it will pay hotel bills for residents who vacate the structures.
The land ministry said Monday the seven buildings could collapse if hit by an earthquake with an intensity of upper 5 on the Japanese scale to 7.
The firm will pay up to 7,000 yen a day per person starting Tuesday until it decides whether to tear the buildings down and start over again or conduct reinforcement work.
"The residents (and those living nearby) never know what will happen tomorrow (if hit by a strong quake) and are being exposed to the danger," Huser President Susumu Ojima told a news conference in Tokyo. "I apologize."
But he also stressed his firm was unaware of the frauds committed by Aneha, adding that Aneha and the entities tasked with checking the data are to blame.
The conditions of a contract for selling properties state that developers bear the defect liability, Ojima said, adding he is willing to completely rebuild all seven structures.
The condominium retailer said it will need about 5 billion yen to rebuild the seven apartment complexes, including expenses for house-moving and to provide temporary housing for the residents.
But Ojima said the company's financial situation will not allow it to pay the bills without the help of government loans.