Graded English DailyHome › A2 Elementary › Unit 1 › Episode 9
Renting an Apartment
Find the real price of an apartment.
In this lesson
- Find the real price of an apartment
- Ask about the move-in date and the lease
- Ask about the deposit
1 · Key words
2 · Listen and read
Transcript
RayHi, I'm Ray.
NinaAnd I'm Nina.
RayNina, you've rented three apartments here. Any advice?
NinaYes. Ask about money first. Not last.
RayWhy first?
NinaBecause the rent is not the real number.
RayWhat do you mean?
NinaThe first place I saw was nine hundred a month. Nice. But water and heat were not included.
RaySo what was the real number?
NinaAbout eleven hundred. Two hundred more, every month.
RaySo what do you ask?
NinaFour words. Is utilities included?
RayIs utilities included. That's it?
NinaThat's it. And then: what is not included?
RayThat's smart. The second question catches what the first one misses.
NinaYes. Sometimes internet is extra. Sometimes parking.
RayWhat else should people ask?
NinaWhen can I move in. Very important.
RayBecause you have to leave your old place.
NinaYes. One time the dates did not match. I paid two rents for three weeks.
RayOuch.
NinaSo ask early. And ask: how long is the lease?
RayOne year? Six months?
NinaUsually one year. But sometimes you can ask for six months. You have to ask.
RayAnd the deposit?
NinaAsk how much, and ask when you get it back.
RayPeople forget the second part.
NinaAlways. Let's practice. You are the landlord.
RaySure. So, this is the apartment. Nine hundred a month.
NinaIt's nice. Is utilities included?
RayWater is included. Heat and electricity are not.
NinaOkay. What else is not included?
RayInternet. And parking is fifty extra.
NinaGot it. When can I move in?
RayThe first of next month.
NinaAnd how long is the lease?
RayOne year.
NinaIs six months possible?
Ray…Maybe. Let me check.
NinaSee? You have to ask.
RaySo: is utilities included, what is not included, when can I move in, how long is the lease, and the deposit.
NinaThat's it for today. See you next time.
3 · Shadow
Say each sentence out loud, five times, a little faster each time.
- Are utilities included?
- What is not included?
- When can I move in?
- How long is the lease?
- When do I get the deposit back?
4 · Quiz
1. Why is the rent "not the real number"?
2. In Ray's apartment, what is included?
3. When can Nina move in?
4. What two things should you ask about the deposit?
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