I’m a native Japanese speaker, and I recently received a rent increase notice for my apartment renewal in Japan.
The notice sounded almost like a fixed decision, even though my contract says rent changes should be decided through discussion. So rather than rejecting it outright, I treated it as a negotiation.
The main points were to ask what the increase was based on, make it clear that I would not accept it without proper discussion, explain that it did not match the current situation (aging building, repairs already needed, and no similar increases that I know of nearby), and ask them to come back with supporting materials plus enough time to review them.
Some useful phrasing was:
・通知の内容は理解しましたが、何点か確認させていただきたいです。
“I understand the notice, but I would like to confirm a few points.”
・値上げについては、"協議の上で決まるもの"と契約書に記載されている認識です。
“My understanding is that any rent increase is to be decided through discussion, as stated in the contract.”
・値上げの根拠について、もう少し具体的にご説明いただけますでしょうか。
“Could you please explain the basis for the rent increase in a bit more detail?”
・値上げ通知の資料につき、資料と合わせて再度ご連絡いただけますでしょうか。
“Could you please contact me again together with the relevant supporting materials?”
・返送期限についても、もう少し猶予をいただけますと助かります。
“I would also appreciate it if you could allow a little more time before the response deadline.”
I’m not necessarily trying to reject the whole increase. I may accept part of it if needed; my main goal is to negotiate the renewal fee afterward.
I haven’t heard back since early March, but I expect there will be a second round.
If anyone wants to know what kind of Japanese sounds natural in this type of conversation, feel free to ask.
by shota_JP