Job Discussion Forums

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

I'm in a bit of a bind right now. None of the air conditioners in my house are working (there are 3). We have lived in this house for 4 years, one of the a/c has never worked and the other 2 broke down this year. I talked to my landlord about it and she says we are responsible for fixing them. The a/c came with the house so I think it is her responsibility. What do you think? I don't think it is right to fix or replace someone else's a/c (but this Japan). We are talking up to 50-60,000 for each a/c unit, if it requires some major work.

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

If you're just renting, try to come up with a couple of agreed-upon percentages which you and the landlord will pay based on the amount of time already spent in the house plus the estimated amount of time that you plan to spend remaining in the house. It is summer and if the laws don't favor you, your landlord has got you by the you-know-whats.

madeira · Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Oppama

Gordon, unless you signed some crazy contract... the owner should pay. I rent out our house, and I pay if stuff breaks down. That includes the w/d, fridge, stove, heaters... and all the a/c units. My tenants are told not to change some of the lightbulbs themselves, nevermind anything like the a/c units.

Is it possible that the landlord doesn't know that the units were supplied with your house? Or... was the house supposed to be stripped, but someone's old units were left there? I'd check your contract and the initial inventory.

If you DO have to pay... I hope you can find something decent for 50/60,000. I just paid over 100,000 for a new unit with the installation fees.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Agreed. The landlord is responsible for repairing what's considered normal wear & tear. This sounds to me like normal wear & tear, unless you've been inviting people over for some craaaaaazy aircon parties lately...

Go back to your landlord and tell them that. If they insist that it's not their problem, a quick phone call to legal aid should be able to clarify it and get the exact word of the law for you.

If indeed the LAW does say that the landlord is responsible (and I'm fairly confident it does), as a worst case scenario, fix or replace the aircon units, send a bill to the landlord and if they refuse to pay, take it to small claims court.

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

I rent my place and all it took was a call to the landlord. He was there the next weekend with a nice new unit at no cost to myself. He even installed it himself. He installed it during a world cup match and when he was finished , he sat down, we shared a few beers and we watched the game together. Coolest landlord ever. Wink

JonnyB61 · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 216 Location: Japan

G,
We had exactly this problem in Saudi Arabia. Our A/C needed an entirely new unit as the old one was knackered. The landlord's attitude was: tough luck, either repair it yourselves or roast! We felt aggrieved and cheated like anyone would.

Eventually, we found a dealer in reconditioned A/C units who came round and fitted a replacement. He also agreed that when we left he would come back, remove the unit which we had payed for, and refit the broken one. In this way the landlord got his broken A/C unit back and we got some of our money refunded. That's the closest we could get to justice.

Just an idea if all other avenues fail. Good luck.

ironopolis · Joined: 01 Apr 2004 Posts: 379

J. · Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 327

Probably the air conditioners were put in and left by a previous tenant who couldn't be bothered to remove them. For some reason in Japan there is usually little supplied with rented houses or apartments, and air conditioners are one of the things that people usually have to put in themselves. You may have some wiggle room if you signed a lease saying they were included, maybe under a general "contents" category but I think you would need a lawyer to figure that out, which could be pricey.

My advice is to buy one new unit on sale and have it put in the room that you use the most. Maybe that would be a "living/sleeping room. If you have to re-arrange your sleeping room for the summer then do it. Put fans in all the other rooms and retreat to the air conditioned room whenever you have to, or go out to the air conditioned shopping complex nearest to you for a break.

You can shop around for air conditioner units on sale and the store will install it for you at a reduced price, or maybe included, price. Be sure to check that the area it will need to cool is the correct one for the size of the air conditioner and just buy as big a one as you need. You don't need the commercial-size ones for a smallish room. Also check for a power-saver switch; it will save lots of energy. During the rainy season if you put the setting on "dry" during especially humid days it will make your living space much more comfortable. Alternatively, you could buy a de-humidifier.

Good luck!

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

I feel for you. We had to buy a new one for our office and I tagged along with the boss, those suckers are expensive brand new!

I would check out the details at your local ward office to be sure because I'm pretty sure it's the law, where I am, that the landlord is responsible for the maintenence of the aircon unit. If you were single you could have my place as I'm leaving soon hehe, but I dont think its suitable for such a large family. Wink

I hope you stick to your guns and check it out because I can't imagine that its the law ONLY in my area and no one else's.

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:28 am Post subject:

I think you may as well play a bit of brinkmanship with your landlord if your landlord is telling you to pay for a new one. Tell your landlord that when you move out the new air conditioners, being your property, are coming with you. How does your landlord expect to rent out the property to new tenants when there aren't any air conditioners?

fluffyhamster · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:40 am Post subject:

Well, the landlord might chance upon a tough SOB like me, able to sweat it out with just fans and natural breezes (mostly the latter are just my blasts of "tummy gas" rebounding from the walls, though).

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Yeah, something about a steam bath being the whole house doesn't do it for me either Cool

!

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

I had a small 4000 yen repair on mine and the landlord made me pay claiming that in Japan it is the tenant that pays. I never got to the bottom of it but did remember feeling like I had very little choice either way.

I seem to be getting used to the summers though. It's 31 degrees in my apartment right now. Got the fan on and I can honestly say it almost feels a little nippy.