How do I report a broken water heater in Japan if I don't speak Japanese?

Call the management company number from your move-in documents, state the appliance, the room, and the address in plain Japanese, and offer two weekday visit windows. A short administrative call in Japanese that produces a confirmed visit window and contractor contact is the most useful first step.

Who do I call for a water leak or a gas smell in my Japanese apartment?

Use the 緊急連絡先 (emergency contact) line on your lease or the management company's emergency page. Describe the problem as 緊急 (kinkyū) at the start of the call so it is routed to the on-call staff, and follow the on-call instructions about turning off the breaker or the gas valve.

Can my property manager refuse to fix something in my apartment?

Most management companies will dispatch a contractor for normal wear and tear (appliance failure, leak, lock) but may pass the cost to the tenant for damage caused by the tenant. Ask the management company to confirm in writing who is paying for the visit and the repair, and keep that answer with your lease.

How long does it usually take for a Japanese property manager to arrange a repair?

Routine repairs are usually scheduled within a few business days. Urgent repairs (active leak, gas, electrical) are often handled the same day or the next business day. If the first call produces a 'will check and call back' answer, follow up the same day with the management company.

Do I have to be home for the contractor visit?

Yes, in most cases the contractor needs the tenant to be present. Confirm the visit window, the contractor's name, and the contact number, and let the management company know if you cannot make the window so they can reschedule.

Can MORISTACK negotiate a rent reduction or push back on a repair cost with my property manager?

No. MORISTACK only makes administrative calls to report a problem, confirm a visit, and pass on the management company's answer. Negotiation, complaints, and demands are not part of the service.

LIVING IN JAPAN

How to Report an Apartment Problem to Your Japanese Property Manager

If the water heater has stopped, the tap is leaking, the lock is broken, or the air-conditioning has failed, you usually need to reach the management company or landlord by phone. They almost never answer in English, the front desk often operates during a narrow weekday window, and the visit needs to be coordinated between their staff, the contractor, and your availability. A short call that describes the problem, asks for a visit window, and confirms the contact number for the repair crew is the most useful first step.

Written by Satoshi Morinaga · Updated August 21, 2026

Answer at a glance

A useful first call states the problem in one sentence, the address, the day you can be home, and the contact number you can be reached on. The management company will not dispatch a contractor based on an email alone — they need to confirm receipt, set a visit window, and sometimes verify the tenant's name on the lease. A call in Japanese that produces a confirmed visit date, a contractor name, and a phone number to call back on is the end of step one.

WRITE IT IN ONE LINE

State the problem, address, and contact in plain Japanese

Use the appliance name, the room or location, and a one-line description. The management company routes by problem type, so naming the appliance speeds up the dispatch.

HAVE TWO DAYS READY

Offer two visit windows on different days

Visit windows in Japan are usually weekday daytime slots. Two options lets the property manager pick the one that matches their contractor's schedule.

KEEP THE CONTACT CHANNEL OPEN

Stay reachable for the contractor

Property managers and contractors call the number on file rather than emailing. Have a phone that can receive calls, or share a clear voicemail and a backup number.

Match the problem to who needs to know

In a Japanese rental, the property management company sits between you and the contractor for almost every repair. Some problems route through the building manager (管理会社 / kanri-gaisha), some through the building superintendent (管理人 / kanrinin) for shared facilities, and some directly to the landlord (大家 / ōya) when the lease says so. A small miss here — calling the building manager about a problem the landlord handles — is the most common reason a repair sits for a week. Identify which one covers the problem before picking up the phone.

Water heater, air-conditioning, in-unit appliance

Who to call: Property management company (管理会社)
What a caller can arrange: Receive the report, dispatch the contracted repair company, confirm visit window and tenant-side contact number

Leak, broken lock, gas, electrical safety

Who to call: Property management company (緊急連絡先)
What a caller can arrange: Same-day or next-day dispatch if safety, plus a temporary workaround if the visit cannot happen immediately

Shared facility (hallway light, elevator, garbage area)

Who to call: Building superintendent (管理人) or management company
What a caller can arrange: Report to the building-level contact, confirm who follows up, and ask for the visit window if a contractor is needed

Structural or lease-level issue (mold, balcony, contract-related)

Who to call: Landlord (大家) via the management company
What a caller can arrange: Confirm the landlord's intent and the management company's role; a contractor visit is still arranged by the management company

Problem	Who to call	What a caller can arrange
Water heater, air-conditioning, in-unit appliance	Property management company (管理会社)	Receive the report, dispatch the contracted repair company, confirm visit window and tenant-side contact number
Leak, broken lock, gas, electrical safety	Property management company (緊急連絡先)	Same-day or next-day dispatch if safety, plus a temporary workaround if the visit cannot happen immediately
Shared facility (hallway light, elevator, garbage area)	Building superintendent (管理人) or management company	Report to the building-level contact, confirm who follows up, and ask for the visit window if a contractor is needed
Structural or lease-level issue (mold, balcony, contract-related)	Landlord (大家) via the management company	Confirm the landlord's intent and the management company's role; a contractor visit is still arranged by the management company

Check your lease and move-in documents first

The lease, the move-in guide, and the welcome packet from the management company usually list the emergency contact, the weekday-only hours, and the procedure for repair requests. Read those documents before calling: many require you to submit the problem in writing first and only call for an urgent or follow-up matter. The same documents also include the management company's name in Japanese, the on-site contact's hours, and any cost-sharing rules that affect whether the landlord or the tenant pays for the visit.

Find the management company's full Japanese name and the contract/tenant number on the lease first page.
Look for the 緊急連絡先 (emergency contact) line — it is the number for water, gas, lock, and electrical safety issues.
Confirm whether the management company is open weekdays only, and note their stated response window.
Check whether the lease requires a written repair request form before a phone call, and use that form when you can.

What to ask on the first call

Can you take a repair report for [appliance] at [address], tenant [your name]?
Is there a contracted repair company you usually send, or do I need to choose one?
What visit windows are available on [day A] and [day B]?
What is the contact number for the contractor if the visit time changes?
Is there anything I should do before the visit (turn off the breaker, isolate the leak, clear the area)?
Will I be charged for the visit, and who pays for the repair?

Copy-and-send message to the property manager

Use the management company's official contact form or the email listed in your move-in packet. For a phone call, the same content becomes what you tell the operator at the start of the call — do not include card details, passport images, or your full lease. Replace the brackets, keep the message to one screen, and add or remove lines to match the actual problem.

EMAIL / FORM TEMPLATE

Subject: Repair request — [appliance or problem] at [address]

Hello, Tenant name: [your name] Address: [building name, room number, address] Contract number: [if known] I would like to report the following problem: [appliance] in [room or location] has [one-sentence description of the problem]. I am available for a visit on [day A] between [time window] and on [day B] between [time window]. Please let me know the contractor's name and the contact number I can be reached on during the visit. Thank you.

If the property manager cannot help right away

Ask whether there is a same-day or next-day slot, who to call if the problem gets worse, and what to do until the visit. Many management companies will only commit to a 'will check and call back' on the first call; a second call later in the day, or a follow-up email with the contractor's name, often produces a confirmed visit window. If the problem affects safety (gas smell, electrical short, active leak), use the 緊急連絡先 (emergency contact) line instead of the general number, and describe it as 緊急 (kinkyū, emergency) at the start of the call so the call is routed to the on-call staff.

No visit window today: ask for the earliest available day and a call-back time.
Management says it is the landlord's call: ask the management company to relay the request, and follow up with the landlord separately only if no response comes within their stated window.
Contractor cannot reach you: confirm the contact number on the visit, the building entrance procedure, and any daytime phone number you can take a call on.
Cost is unclear: ask the management company to confirm in writing whether the repair is the tenant's, the landlord's, or the building's responsibility, and keep that written answer.

What a call can and cannot do

A Japanese phone call can report the problem, confirm a visit window, and provide the contact number for the contractor. It cannot approve a contractor the management company has not approved, accept a rent negotiation, or replace a written notice your lease requires. Keep the call focused on a visit window and a contact number; raise the cost question only if the lease does not already cover it, and never make complaints or demands on the call — those are not part of this service and are likely to be ignored by the management company on the phone.

Useful phrases if you call yourself

If you'd rather try the call yourself first, these phrases can help.

I would like to report a repair.: 修理しゅうりの連絡れんらくをしたいのですが。
The [appliance] in [room] has stopped working.: [部屋へや]の[機械きかい}が、壊こわれてしまいました。
My address is [address].: 住所じゅうしょは、[住所じゅうしょ]です。
The tenant name is [name].: 契約者名けいやくしゃめいは、[名前なまえ]です。
I am available on [day] between [time] and [time].: [日付ひづけ]の[時間じかん}から[時間じかん}まで、空あいています。
Could you tell me the contractor's contact number?: 業者ぎょうしゃの連絡先れんらくさきを、教おしえていただけますか？
Is this an emergency contact line?: こちらは、緊急きんきゅうの連絡れんらく先さきですか？

Common questions

How do I report a broken water heater in Japan if I don't speak Japanese?: Call the management company number from your move-in documents, state the appliance, the room, and the address in plain Japanese, and offer two weekday visit windows. A short administrative call in Japanese that produces a confirmed visit window and contractor contact is the most useful first step.
Who do I call for a water leak or a gas smell in my Japanese apartment?: Use the 緊急連絡先 (emergency contact) line on your lease or the management company's emergency page. Describe the problem as 緊急 (kinkyū) at the start of the call so it is routed to the on-call staff, and follow the on-call instructions about turning off the breaker or the gas valve.
Can my property manager refuse to fix something in my apartment?: Most management companies will dispatch a contractor for normal wear and tear (appliance failure, leak, lock) but may pass the cost to the tenant for damage caused by the tenant. Ask the management company to confirm in writing who is paying for the visit and the repair, and keep that answer with your lease.
How long does it usually take for a Japanese property manager to arrange a repair?: Routine repairs are usually scheduled within a few business days. Urgent repairs (active leak, gas, electrical) are often handled the same day or the next business day. If the first call produces a 'will check and call back' answer, follow up the same day with the management company.
Do I have to be home for the contractor visit?: Yes, in most cases the contractor needs the tenant to be present. Confirm the visit window, the contractor's name, and the contact number, and let the management company know if you cannot make the window so they can reschedule.
Can MORISTACK negotiate a rent reduction or push back on a repair cost with my property manager?: No. MORISTACK only makes administrative calls to report a problem, confirm a visit, and pass on the management company's answer. Negotiation, complaints, and demands are not part of the service.

Need help with the Japanese call?

Need to report a problem to a Japanese-only management company? Request an administrative call for $15, charged only after the call is completed.

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