My apartment building has 4 units: three 1K units ranging between 18sqm and 35sqm, and one 2DK unit at 35sqm.
I currently live in the 2DK unit. My apartment is under my company’s name and they handle everything about it except the utilities.
Recently, my landlady has been suggesting that I move to the 1K unit besides mine. It’s 18sqm, with carpeted flooring and a toilet/bath combo. She says they’re raising the rent on my unit by next year, so she’s worried it would be too expensive for me (even if the company pays for the rent).
If I was a newcomer, I wouldn’t really mind moving to smaller space like that. But I’ve been here 4 years, and my household items has accumulated to fit my current space (35sqm). I told my landlady that everything related to the apartment needs to be communicated with my employer.
She says she is talking with them, but has continuously called and messaged me trying to sell the smaller unit. She even showed it to me on the one weekend I was home. And she gives me multiple suggestions on what I can do to the furniture and items that wouldn’t fit in the smaller unit – items that I used almost everyday.
I’ve been dodging her calls and ignoring her messages for the past few days, but it’s still stressing me out. I even dread going home whenever I see her car on the driveway – she visits almost everyday to clean the three empty units.
Before all this, it was nice to make friends with my elderly landlady (80ish). It felt like I had another grandma and it was comforting. Now, I break out in hives and have minor panic attacks whenever I see her name on my phone. I’m really stressed.
I don’t feel this is normal. But I’ve never rented an apartment on my own, so I’m not sure what’s the communication/relationship limit between landlady and tenant. I think I also just want to vent my frustrations somewhere. Sorry for the long rant, and thank you for reading.
ETA: my Japanese is still basic, and my landlady’s is very casual and short-cut. So I think many things are being lost in our translation. But I understand most of what she says by her gesture and tone. She also tries to simply her language whenever she talks to me. She’s a kind person, just sort of annoying right now.
11 comments
Just let your company handle it. Keep firm that you are not moving except to a different building with a new landlord.
It sounds like she has a prospective tenant who is willing to pay more than you are for your unit, and is desperately trying to get that cash. If you don’t want to move, just tell your landlady/your work that you have no intention of moving, and that’s the end of the story.
You know personally I am starting to see first hand experience of onset dementia and sometimes a lot of the things you mentioned kind of hint that she might be starting to forget things. Constantly cleaning empty apartments? Asking you the same questions every time you see her? She might just be starting to forget she even asked you. Just give her a firm response and see if she asks the next time you see her.
Never socialize with your landlord/lady. Keep the relationship purely platonic, in both your interests.
No, it is abnormal, normally.
Finding an apartment is easy, many company offers that service. Try Minimini or use Google Maps to search for real estate agent, they are everywhere. Try finding one without “reikin/礼金”, it’s kind of signing bonus, exept that it’s not for you it’s on you. The initial cost is high though, ranging from 12~20man yen depending on your choice. Ask your office lady if your company cover that or not.
No, it isn’t normal. And btw, it is very reasonable to have a 35 sqm place as a single. It’s not like it’s extravagant.
The explanation could be something personal – e.g. – maybe a family friend is looking to live there but needs the 2BR or she has other plans for it. Something like that.
If your lease is not a fixed term lease then it is very hard to raise your rent. They have to prove that your rent is below market value, and then they can only raise it a small amount.
They can’t raise the rent more than a certain percentage year on year (to the same tenant) so if it does go up it shouldn’t be too much.
She’s put the apartment on the market and found somebody who’s willing to pay double what you are so she’s trying to guilt trip you into moving out. You can refuse to move and actually not move, or you can refuse to move and see if she’s willing to stump up some money to get you out.
Just be firm, every time you see her “please don’t talk to me, talk to my company” and LEAVE. If she calls, same thing, “please don’t talk to me, talk to my company” and ignore her. If she happened to start ringing the bell or something “crazy”, record it, and call the cops.
My guess is she wants to move you out of there because you live alone so that she can rent that larger apartment to a family with screaming babies.
We had a somewhat similar problem a couple of years ago when our elderly neighbor passed away. My husband wanted to buy her property, knock her old house down, and use the land to expand our property so that we could have a bigger yard for the dogs and make a bigger carport for our cars.
Unfortunately, someone from the city office got involved with the real estate agent handling the property and blocked my husband from buying it. This city has a declining population, thus a declining tax base, so the city wanted the property to go to a young family with kids and not to a gay couple with no kids, so we lost out. Now we have a new family living next door with three lovely screaming brats who love to taunt our dogs.