Renting a Flat

Renting a Flat - Describing What You Are Looking For

Melanie: Lee, this place looks great! You know that I am looking for a flat but I have never visited such a nice one. 

Lee: Yes, I know, I’m very happy here, it’s so bright and comfortable and the rent is reasonable too. 

Melanie: Isn’t it too far from where you work? I mean, you work downtown, don’t you? 

Lee: Well, it’s all right, it’s only about half an hour from the town centre, and I prefer living in the suburbs, anyway. It is still in town, but it is quieter, and closer to the country. 

Melanie: Yes, you are quite right, and I suppose it’s easier to find parking spaces here than it is downtown. Oh, this place is exactly what I need. How did you get it? Did you find it through an advert? 

Lee: No, I was very lucky, actually; a friend of mine was moving out and needed someone to replace him very quickly 

Melanie: Couldn’t he just leave, and let the landlord find a new tenant? 

Lee: Oh no, he had a 3-year lease and he had only just moved in when he learnt he had to go abroad for his job.

Exercise:

1. Where are Melanie and Lee?
• In a flat where Melanie wants to rent
• In a flat that Lee is renting 
• In a flat that Melanie and Lee want to rent
2. What are they doing?
• They are visiting a flat that is for rent
• They are talking about the advantages of this flat and how Lee found it
• They are deciding where Melanie should live
3. Why is Melanie asking these questions?
• Because she is looking for a tenant for her flat
• Because she wants to move into the same building as Lee
• Because she is looking to rent a flat
4. Melanie has never seen ...
• such a beautiful flat
• parking spaces available downtown
• the city center where Lee lives
5. The rent that Lee pays is ...
• comfortable
• nice
• reasonable
6. Lee's flat is located ... where he works.
• downtown
• about half an hour from
• in the suburbs
7. Lee likes the location of his flat because ...
• he works downtown
• it is easier to find parking
• it is closer to the country
8. ... helped Lee find the flat.
• The landlord
• A former tenant
• A friend
9. The former tenant moved out because ...
• of his job
• he only had a three-year lease
• he needed someone to replace him quickly
10. The have signed a ... for two years.
• flat
• rent
• lease
11. The rent is very ..., especially for the location. We should sign right away
• bright
• reasonable
• convenient
12. It can be very difficult to park ... where there are lots of cars, especially during the working weeks.
• downtown
• in the suburbs
• in the country
13. To find a flat, you should first look in the ... section of the newspaper.
• flat
• tenant
• advert
14. I'm starting a new job in another country. I have to ... of this place soon.
• move in
• lease
• move out
15. We ... to this place just two days ago. That's why everything is still in the boxes.
• looked for
• moved in
• moved out
16. Her ..landlord.. increased the ..rent.. by 50 euros per month.
• rent 
• lease
• landlord
• tenant
17. You are looking for a flat to rent. What are your selection criteria?
• Where you work and how much the rent is.
• The location, the advert and how long the lease is.
• The size of the flat, the location, and the cost of the rent.
18. You explain to a friend that you prefer living in the suburbs. What are your arguments?
• It's in the heart of the countryside and the center is really far away.
• There isn't as much peace and quiet, and you can park easily.
• You can enjoy the calm while being close to the city.
19. Find the vocabulary words and phrases from this lesson that mean the opposite of the following:
• in the city >< in the country
• tenant >< landlord
• move in >< move out
• dark >< bright
• rent that is expensive >< rent that is reasonable
• find >< look for

Vocabulary:

1. rent (n.): A payment made by a tenant at intervals in order to occupy a property.
• This flat is great, but the rent is too high for me, I can't afford it. 
2. look for (v.) < to look for: To search; to seek.
• She is looking for a house near her work but can't find any. 
3. comfortable (adj.): Providing physical comfort and ease; agreeable.
• You must be tired after this long day of work, come and sit in this comfortable armchair, you will feel better. 
4. move out (v.) < to move out: To vacate/leave one's place of residence; to move one's possessions out of a residence. 
• When are you moving out of this ugly old house? 
5. in the country (phr.): A rural area; the countryside; a distance from a city/town. 
• I have lived in the country all my life, I will never be able to live in town! 
6. for sale (phr.): Being offered for purchase. 
• I would like to buy the flat I am living in, but sadly it's not for sale. 
7. suburbs (n.): Populated areas surrounding a city. 
• Oliver lives in the suburbs and takes the train everyday to go to his school downtown. 
8. tenant (n.): A person who rents accommodation/property owned by others. 
• My house in town is to let again, the former tenant left without paying the rent. 
9. landlord (n.): A person who owns and rents out land such as a house, apartment, flat, etc. 
• If you don't pay the rent, your landlord will throw you out of this flat! 
10. advert (n.): A printed notice that markets a particular product or service to the public. 
• When looking for a house, do not trust the adverts/ads/advertisements, you'll always be disappointed when you see the house. 
11. let (v.) < to let - let - let: To rent out; to hire out accommodation. 
• He's decided to let his house in the countryside because he never goes there, but he hasn't found any tenants yet. 
12. have a look (phr.) < to have a look (had - had): To examine, to observe. 
• Is your room here? Can I have a look? I would like to see how you have decorated it. 
13. reasonable (adj.): Not expensive; priced fairly; more affordable. 
• You should choose the smaller apartment, the rent is more reasonable. 
14. flat (n.): An apartment. 
• They live in a spacious five-room flat, in the middle of London. 
15. downtown (adv.): The business centre of a town or city. 
• She's a real country girl, she's completely lost when she goes downtown. 
16. look (v.) < to look: To appear; to give the appearance of. 
• You look great in that blue dress. That colour looks good on you. 
17. advertise (v.) < to advertise: Marketed; announced to the public as being for sale. 
• This house has been advertised for sale for the past ten years, but no one has bought it yet. 
18. move in (v.) < to move in: To move one's possessions into a new place of residence in order to live there. 
• I really like my new apartment but I can't move in yet, the previous tenant is still living in it. 
19. dark (adj.): No light or limited light. 
• Why are you sitting in the dark? Put the light on! 
20. bright (adj.): Having lots of light. 
• With its two big windows, this room is very nice and bright. 
21. lease (n.): A legal contract giving occupational use of a property, for a specific time period, in exchange for rent. 
• The three-year lease they have on the house expires in December. They will then have to find a new place. 
22. landlady (n.): Female landlord; the female person who owns accommodation that is for available for rental/hire. 
• This room is very nice, and you can ask the landlady to cook you breakfast, it is included in the rent. 

Summary Test

1. The three-year lease they have on the house expires in December. They will then have to find a new place. Hint: A legal contract giving occupational use of a property, for a specific time period, in exchange for rent.
2. This flat is great, but the rent is too high for me, I can't afford it. Hint: A payment made by a tenant at intervals in order to occupy a property.
3. This room is very nice, and you can ask the landlady to cook you breakfast, it is included in the rent. Hint: Female landlord; the female person who owns accommodation that is for available for rental/hire.
4. You must be tired after this long day of work, come and sit in this comfortable armchair, you will feel better. Hint: Providing physical comfort and ease; agreeable.
5. I have lived in the country all my life, I will never be able to live in town! Hint: A rural area; the countryside; a distance from a city/town.
6. She's a real country girl, she's completely lost when she goes downtown. Hint: The business center of a town or city.
7. I would like to buy the flat I am living in, but sadly it's not for sale. Hint: Being offered for purchase.
8. They live in a spacious five-room flat, in the middle of London. Hint: an apartment
9. I really like my new apartment but I can't move in yet, the previous tenant is still living in it. Hint: To move one's possessions into a new place of residence in order to live there.
10. This house has been advertised for sale for the past ten years, but no one has bought it yet. Hint: Marketed; announced to the public as being for sale.
11. When looking for a house, do not trust the adverts, you'll always be disappointed when you see the house. Hint: A printed notice that markets a particular product or service to the public.
12. If you don't pay the rent, your landlord will throw you out of this flat! Hint: A person who owns and rents out land such as a house, apartment, flat, etc.
13. You look great in that blue dress. That color looks good on you. Hint: To appear; to give the appearance of.
14. He's decided to let his house in the countryside because he never goes there, but he hasn't found any tenants yet. Hint: To rent out; to hire out accommodation.
15. Is your room here? Can I have a look? I would like to see how you have decorated it. Hint: To examine, to observe.
16. When are you moving out of this ugly old house? Hint: To vacate/leave one's place of residence; to move one's possessions out of a residence.
17. She is looking for a house near her work but can't find any. Hint: To search; to seek.
18. Why are you sitting in the dark? Put the light on! Hint: No light or limited light.
19. You should choose the smaller apartment, the rent is more reasonable. Hint: Not expensive; priced fairly; more affordable.
20. Oliver lives in the suburbs and takes the train everyday to go to his school downtown. Hint: Populated areas surrounding a city.