Rental apartment operator Leopalace21 Corp. said Friday that it is moving 14,443 residents out of their homes to repair defects found in 1,324 units stretching across 32 prefectures.
The move follows an earlier wave of 7,782 residents evacuated from 641 of its apartments in which a fire-resistant material in the ceilings had been incorrectly installed, after the buildings were judged to be particularly unsafe to live in.
The company said Thursday it also discovered cases where external walls did not meet fire-protection requirements, and where interior walls did not meet sound insulation standards because of substandard materials.