The Heater, the Lease, and “周末再说”
You rent a room for 3,200 yuan per month in a shared apartment. The lease says the landlord pays for repairs over 200 yuan; you pay minor repairs. The heater fails on Tuesday; indoor temperature is 12°C. You have a speaking exam in two days and cannot afford to be sick. The landlord replies by voice message: “再等等吧，我这两天忙，周末再说。” Forecast: cold through the weekend. A repair shop quotes 450 yuan for a visit tomorrow, or 300 yuan if you wait until Friday. The landlord has not agreed to either. Your deposit is two months’ rent, and you have always paid on time.
1. What should you say in your first spoken response to the landlord? Give a short script and explain the negotiation logic.
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Script (polite but specific): “王先生，我知道您这两天忙，不好意思打扰。现在屋里只有12°C，我后天有口语考试，怕感冒影响考试。合同里写200元以上的维修由您承担，维修店说明天上门450元、周五300元。您看能不能今天18:00前确认明天上门？费用我先垫，收据给您，按合同处理。若您不方便，请告诉我一个替代方案。”
Logic: acknowledge his constraint, state concrete harm (12°C, exam in two days), anchor on the lease term rather than emotion, give two priced options, and set a clear decision deadline. Asking him to “confirm” is easier than demanding payment. Offering to pay first and keep the receipt protects the relationship while preserving reimbursement. Do not threaten to withhold all rent; that would escalate and may breach the lease.
2. If the landlord repeats “周末再说”, what is your fallback, and what should you avoid saying?
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Fallback: send a written summary-temperature, exam date, lease clause, repair quotes, and the requested approval deadline-then book the 450-yuan repair only if you can afford to pay and keep a proper receipt. Ask the building manager or a neighbors’ group for a loan heater in the meantime. After the repair, request reimbursement of the amount above 200 yuan under the lease, attaching the receipt and the landlord’s non-response. Avoid saying “I will deduct the whole rent” or “this is illegal” unless a qualified adviser confirms it; avoid sarcasm, threats, and unrecorded voice calls. Keep the tone factual: “Since I did not hear back by 18:00, I arranged the repair to protect my health and the property. Here is the receipt.”
3. How would you adapt your register if the landlord switches to a friendly, informal tone but still delays?
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Match the warmth lightly but keep the substance formal: use “您” or a friendly “哥/姐” only if that is already your shared style, add a brief personal line (“知道您忙，谢谢您理解”), then restate the date, temperature, lease clause, and decision deadline in one short paragraph. Do not let a friendly tone convert a clear request into a vague one. Confirm agreements in writing: “那我按您说的，明天18:00前等您确认维修时间。” Warmth is not consent; a smiley emoji does not authorize a Friday repair or a rent deduction. If he jokes about the cold, respond with the exam date and health risk, then return to the specific option.