Initial Apartment Viewing & Questions
The prospective tenant is viewing the apartment for the first time and asks the landlord general questions about the property, neighborhood, and basic amenities.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
renovated
Means updated or improved by repairing and modernizing, like fixing an old apartment to make it look new. Useful when asking about the condition of a place.
neighborhood
The area around your home, including nearby houses, shops, and parks. It's important to ask about this when renting to know if it's safe and convenient.
quiet
Describes a place with little noise, peaceful and calm. People often want a quiet neighborhood to live comfortably.
family-friendly
Suitable for families with children, meaning safe, with parks and schools nearby. Use this to describe areas good for kids.
utilities
Basic services like electricity, water, gas, and internet that you pay for. In rentals, check if they're included in rent or extra.
assigned
Given specifically to one person or for one use, like an assigned parking spot that only you can use.
parking spot
A designated space to park your car. Essential to ask about in urban areas where parking can be limited.
underground garage
A parking area below the building's ground level, often secure and protected from weather.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
How old is the building, if you don't mind me asking?
This is a polite way to ask about age or details. 'If you don't mind me asking' softens the question to be courteous. Use it in interviews or when seeking information without seeming rude. Grammar: Present simple for facts.
The building itself is about 15 years old, but this unit was renovated just last year.
Gives specific details while contrasting old and new parts. 'About' means approximately; past passive 'was renovated' shows action done to the unit. Useful for describing property conditions in real estate talks.
What's the neighborhood like? Is it generally quiet?
Asks for a general description. 'Like' here means 'what kind of'; 'generally' means usually or in most cases. Great for inquiring about living areas; follow up with yes/no questions for clarity.
Utilities are separate. That includes electricity, gas, and internet.
Explains costs clearly. 'Separate' means not included in rent; 'that includes' lists examples. Use this structure to specify what's covered or extra in agreements. Present simple for general facts.
Is there any assigned parking or is it street parking only?
A choice question using 'or' to compare options. 'Any' asks if something exists; 'only' means exclusively. Practical for rentals in cities; helps clarify parking availability.
It comes with one assigned parking spot in the underground garage.
'Comes with' means included in the rental. This describes a benefit. Use in responses to show what's provided; present simple for features of the property.
Thanks for answering all my questions. I really appreciate it.
Polite closing after getting information. 'Appreciate it' expresses gratitude. Useful at the end of conversations like interviews; 'really' adds emphasis.
Let me know if you have any more after you've had a chance to think it over.
Invites future questions politely. 'Let me know' means inform me; 'think it over' means consider carefully. Perfect for open-ended offers; future conditional for possibilities.