As a landlord you can deduct the hard operating costs of your properties every ceiling or floor you repair, and each new plumbing fixture or electrical outlet your purchase.

FORBES: How Real Estate Investors Can Protect Themselves From The IRS

Fred Schmidt, property specialist at Morgan Stanley in Tokyo, says workers' demands for a better environment are transforming the way developers put up buildings: ceiling heights are rising, for instance, while currency traders want a Starbucks outlet on their floor.

ECONOMIST: Japan