Telling landlord hot water is broken: Explaining the problem

💬 [すみません] is the万能 (all‑purpose) phrase: it can mean “excuse me,” “sorry,” or even “thanks (for the trouble).” In a landlord call, it’s a polite opener.

🇯🇵 In Japan, starting with [すみません] softens the request and shows consideration—very normal before asking for repairs.

💬 [大家さん] is “the landlord” with the friendly/polite [さん]. It’s common in conversation, but in writing you may see [大家].

🇯🇵 Depending on the building, you might contact the management company instead of the actual landlord. Still, people often say [大家さん] casually.

💬 [お湯] means hot water (not just “warm”). The [お] is a polite prefix often used in daily life words.

🇯🇵 Many homes use a gas water heater ([給湯器])—if [お湯] stops, it can affect bath and kitchen.

💬 [出ません] is the polite negative of [出る]. It’s used for things that “come out/run,” like water, gas, even the train “departing.”

🇯🇵 Japanese troubleshooting talk often centers on whether something [出る]/[出ない] (runs/doesn’t run). Simple and useful for repairs.

💬 Pattern: [Noun] + [が] + [出ません]. You can swap the noun: [水が出ません] (No water), [ガスが出ません] (No gas).

🇯🇵 This is a very “repair-call standard” sentence—clear, polite, and to the point.

💬 [あら] is a mild surprised reaction, often heard from older speakers. Think “Oh!” or “Oh dear.”

🇯🇵 Japanese reactions can be short interjections like [あら], [えっ], [まあ]. They’re common and not overly dramatic.

💬 [大変] literally means “very difficult/serious.” Alone, it’s like “That’s bad!” It can also mean “busy” ([大変です]).

🇯🇵 You’ll hear [大変] a lot in service situations to show empathy—sometimes it’s also a polite “we acknowledge the problem.”

💬 [いつ] is “when.” It often pairs with [から] (since) or [まで] (until).

🇯🇵 In Japan, people will often ask time details early for troubleshooting: when it started, which room, which tap, etc.

💬 [から] marks a starting point in time: [きのうから] (since yesterday). It can also mean “because,” but context tells you which.

🇯🇵 For repairs, “since when” ([いつから]) is a common first diagnostic question.