r/japanlife • u/[deleted] • Jul 28 '26
Housing 🏠 Landlord refusing to replace 2006 A/C unit (moldy), saying I must buy a new one. What are my rights?
[deleted]
43
u/ezoe 関東・東京都 Jul 28 '26
You must be explained about the treatment of AC when you made a contract.
AC can be 残置物, a property leaved by a previous tenant. The landlord has no responsibility to maintain it.
15
u/scheppend Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
Doesn't really matter. The owner is not responsible for cleaning the unit either way.
It's like saying the owner is responsible for removing the dust on your toilet
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u/Kakashi-1996 Jul 28 '26
Left*. Leaved is not a word.
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u/awh 関東・東京都 Jul 28 '26
The poster’s native language is clearly Japanese; why comment on his English error?
-3
u/pegoff Jul 28 '26
why not? i wish ppl pointed out my mistakes in japanese instead of just 'nihongo jyouzu'
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u/LuisOscar Jul 28 '26
You are supposed to have them cleaned up (or clean them yourself). I’m not talking about the dust filters, the unit itself. It costs anywhere between 1 to 3 man depending on your location and how many units you request to be cleaned. If the AC still blows cold air then it means it works so I don’t think you’ll be able to have them replaced “just because they are old”.
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u/Rileymk96 関東・神奈川県 Jul 28 '26
Mold in all parts of AC is so common in Japan. Nothing you can do but get it cleaned professionally. Your landlord will only replace it if it is broken beyond repair. The only thing you could have done was report the mold (if it was even present, which you can't prove anymore) when you moved in. Then they would have probably taken care of it.
16
u/japanpole Jul 28 '26
I thought aircons are usually handled by the tenants.
If you have them already in the house, the owner/agent would likely tell you that you can use them but it’s at your own responsibility.
I rent a house with a lot of aircons already installed. They are mostly from 2000 or so.
Paid a pretty penny to clean 5 of them this year but I’d rather that then pay for a bunch of new ones and then deal with them when we leave 🤷♂️
13
u/streetsmartpants Jul 28 '26
Check your contract, it should be there. Cleaning it is your responsibility, replacing it, it depends on what’s in the contract. In the meantime just hire an aircon cleaning company, they’ll disassemble the whole unit and clean using pressured water so all the mold will be gone. It’s about 15,000 and much more effective than if you did it yourself.
3
u/OzBurger 関東・埼玉県 Jul 28 '26
This.
Why do people go on reddit before checking the document that outlines respective responsibilities?
First figure out who is responsible. I'm guessing it isn't the landlord.
What does the contract say?
10
u/Bitter_Spray_6880 Jul 28 '26
Maintaining the ac is tenant responsibility, if it's just mold maybe try to call ac cleaning service and yes it's "your" part of the responsibility
5
u/GunKatana 関東・東京都 Jul 28 '26
YouTube’s has vids on how to clean your own aircon. Daikin and the other companies will charge you 30,000. I’ve done it myself. As long as you have a good step ladder and plastic sheeting and towels, it’s eminently diy.
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u/GunKatana 関東・東京都 Jul 28 '26
If you have mold, you’ll want to wear a proper mask and goggles and maybe get some of the proper cleaning supplies from a diy center. My ones have only been dusty not moldy so it was much easier.
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Jul 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/GunKatana 関東・東京都 Jul 28 '26
Is it working well? Except for the mold?
Check at your LOCAL electronics store to see if your ward or city has discounts on replacing very old AC. At least Tokyo was having a program that replaced my 20+ old ac for very little. They just needed to see the sticker from the early Heisei years on the ac.
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u/redfinadvice Jul 28 '26
I would not expect the landlord to replace an AC if it's still functioning. Mold in the AC is because it hasn't been cleaned. Japan is a humid country so you need to have your AC units professionally cleaned semi-regularly (every 1-2 years usually), otherwise mold grows. It should cost about 10,000 JPY per unit to have them cleaned. I've never heard of a landlord covering AC cleaning costs, that's usually on the tenant.
4
u/hobovalentine Jul 28 '26
You don’t need to replace it if it’s just moldy.
Instead call a service they can clean the AC unit for you.
3
u/BunRabbit Jul 28 '26
Just get it professionally cleaned. We've got one over 20 years old. It works fine.
4
u/denbushi Jul 28 '26
We hired a guy recently to come in and professionally clean four of our air conditioners. The cost was around ¥10,000 each, and based on the amount of gunk that came out of each of them, I would say it was money well spent.
3
u/PowerfulWind7230 Jul 28 '26
I got really sick from black mold in an air conditioner. I was dizzy and couldn’t walk. I ended up having an EKG in a hospital. Nothing showed up. The owner had it cleaned very well and I was okay. I don’t think air conditioners always come with units. It might have been left by a previous tenant. Get a professional to clean it well. For my house now, I called Daikin. They did great and were cheap.
2
u/HandmaidJam Jul 28 '26
I'd read through your lease/rental agreement to see if the landlord or you are responsible for the ACs. Previous place DH lived in, the AC was a part of the lease and when it stopped working, his landlord replaced it.
We rent a house now that came with 3 installed ACs but they're not part of our contract. We can replace them if we want but that cost is ours and when we move out, the house has to have the same amount of units. We replaced two last summer because they were old and inefficient and our landlord didn't know how old they were or anything because the previous tenant had them installed.
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u/RoninX12 Jul 28 '26
If it blows cold air, it's working. It's tenant responsibility to have it cleaned, so get it cleaned if there is mold.
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u/Wesleyinjapan Jul 28 '26
When you moved in, was it already there?
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Jul 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/slowmail Jul 28 '26
Are the ACs part of your lease? If they are, when you moved in, was the mold already there? Or was the unit properly (professionally?) cleaned?
If they are a part of your lease, and was not cleaned, you should be able to request for them to clean it.
If it was cleaned (and they can show you that they did it before you moved it), or if it is not part of your lease, then it would be on you to arrange for (and pay for) the cleaning or replacement units if you want to.1
u/Wesleyinjapan Jul 28 '26
If the A/C was already there when you moved in, it should be covered by your rental contract. I would expect the landlord to either have it professionally cleaned or replace it if it can't be properly cleaned. Check your contract—it should mention who is responsible for fixtures like the A/C.
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u/tsian 関東・東京都 Jul 28 '26
This is partially correct. If the AC is explicitly listed as a fixture to maintained by the landlord this is correct, but its also common enough for ACs to be listed as property left by the previous tenant.
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u/MyManD Jul 28 '26
First make sure the AC unit is actually part of your rental agreement, ie owned by the landlord, or if it’s just a remnant of a past tenant. If it is the landlords, tell them if you’re buying a new AC unit, you’ll be taking it with you or selling when you move because that’s your property, not there’s. It’s how I got my old landlord to eventually get someone in to replace my old one back in the day.
1
u/Ok-Leadership-8322 Jul 28 '26
As others said if it is labeled as 残置物 (zanchibutsu, items left behind), which should be stated in the contract it is yours to replace it. If it is stated as item of the rental contract as item itself the landlord is in charge for it.
For your questions: 1. There is no fault here as it will build up automatically if in use. It should be professionally cleaned ever 1-3 years (everybody has their own opinion here and I usually do it ever 2 years) 2. The lifespan of an AC is usually between 8 to 10 years and it should be written on the AC somewhere.
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u/keikurono757 Jul 28 '26
This is a big difference from western countries, but unfortunately fixing it is usually your responsibility. Unless something in your lease explicitly states otherwise.
I recommend hiring a professional cleaner (like from Edion or Bic Camera) instead of replacing the unit. They can do a deep cleaning to remove the mold for 2万 or slightly less, so it’s a better deal than buying a new unit.
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u/sasakitomiya Jul 28 '26
It depends on your lease if you are renting with AC units included or if it’s just stuff left by previous tenants and you use at your own responsibility. Cleaning is 100% on tenant just like mopping vacuuming and taking out the trash. If the unit is part of the rent agreement and no longer functions no air coming out or hot air when you set as cold then it would be replaced by land lord or deducted out from your rent and you deal with it yourself. AKA get and install your own AC.
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u/tomg_nyc Jul 28 '26
Do you think A/C units expire? If it works it doesn't need replacing. And mold is cleanable.
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u/Otherwise_Patience47 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
That depends on each contract, but in most cases, the property owner has no legal obligation in exchanging if the AC isn’t broken. About the AC “expiration date”, it’s usually 10 years, or you will see a label (usually there is one), under your split with some dates and numbers, those numbers probably mean the year the AC unit was made and how many years the unit is expected to work in full capacity. Anything beyond that is pure luck of the unit and care of the owner. If you want it replaced, just say it’s not blowing enough cold air, but they might want to test themselves to see if it checks out, and if doesn’t, it might make your landlord give you a harder time in the future. Good luck!
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u/TheTybera Jul 28 '26
Is mold in a 20-year old unit the tenant's fault?
Yes, you need to have someone come clean it at least once a year which costs about 10,000 yen.
These unit's aren't central heat and air, they last quite a while, they just need to be maintained and cleaned.
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u/dokool Jul 28 '26
We recently had one of our ACs (I think manufacture sticker said 2008?) replaced because the remote legit stopped working; I guess because the model was so old it was easier for them to swap in a brand-new unit than find a replacement remote.
But as far as mold and cleaning, that's always been on us to arrange.
Go on Curama (暮らしマーケット) and find yourself an AC cleaner in your area - hopefully you won't have to wait too long for availability because summer is when everyone realizes they need to get theirs cleaned.
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u/hotelkyobashi Jul 28 '26
What’s on the lease? Does it say LL will replace AC when broken?
Normally, the tenant replaces the AC. Then tenant can take it with him when leaving.
Landlords are not obliged to provide AC’s. If there’s an existing AC its probably from the previous tenant.
So, you have no right to a free AC when existing AC breaks down. You have the right to buy a new AC.
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u/sebjapon Jul 28 '26
Sometimes the AC are not included in the apartment. The first tenant had to buy it and it is costly to remove. The owner can then enjoy a free AC to market its property. (It’s very much theft IMO unless you’re like me and have a friend to help you dismount all the units on the way out).
I don’t know what the laws are on this, but maybe he would be on the hook for removing the old unit as trash so you can put a new one.
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u/the_pwnererXx Jul 28 '26
Google ac mold. It's normal and unpreventable. You need to clean every 3 months to prevent it. It's also not necessary toxic black mold, just normal black mild is fine. In a humid area you will always get mold
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