Conversation Practice
A: Hello!
B: Hi! My name is Sophia. I'm a student at Brandy's University and I want to rent an apartment. I saw your listing for an apartment on Oak Street.
A: Hi Sophia. I'm Cynthia, the landlord. Did you want to schedule a viewing?
B: Yes, that's right.
A: The earliest appointment to view the apartment is 1 p.m. tomorrow.
B: Great. I'll take that appointment. Thank you.
A: I'll see you then.
A: Hi Sophia! Nice to meet you. Come in.
B: Hi! Nice to meet you, too. Thank you. Wow this is very nice and clean
A: Yes. I always have it cleaned when a tenant moves out. Besides, the apartment was recently renovated. Let me show you around.
B: That would be great, thank you.
A: Like the listing said, it's a one-bedroom one-bathroom apartment. This is the bedroom. It is fully furnished with a bed, wardrobe, and two bedside tables. There is also a desk for study and a bookshelf, an lcd tv, and wi-fi connection.
A: I love this room it looks really cozy and stylish.
B: Is there air conditioning?
A: No there isn't. But this building stays pretty cool when it's hot outside
B: Is it okay if I hang some things on the walls?
A: Yes, but please don't leave any holes in the walls. I don't want you to make any major
changes to the apartment.
B: What if something in the apartment stops working or breaks?
A: You can call me immediately and I will come over to look at it. I live right down the street. I will pay for any ongoing repairs
B: Well, all of that sounds perfect.
A: The bathroom is attached to the bedroom it's over here. The toilet and shower are a little older
but they are in excellent condition.
B: Yes, they look almost new. Is there a washer and dryer?
A: There's no washing machine or dryer in the apartment but there's a laundromat in the basement.
You will have to get a laundry card from a machine down there. You can load some money onto it to do your laundry.
B: I see. It's perfectly fine.
A: Let me show you now the kitchen. It is a fully equipped kitchen it has a stove top and oven microwave and refrigerator the oven and stovetop use gas.
B: Will I be responsible for paying the gas bill?
A: Yes, but it won't be very much. If you cook one meal a day, it should be about 30 dollars a month
B: What about the heat? Is that gas too?
A: No. The heat runs on electricity.
B: Will I need to pay that bill?
A: No. The heat is included in the rent, so as the water and the trash and snow removal.
B: That sounds like a good deal.
B: Is there a dishwasher in the kitchen too?
A: There is. It's right here.
B: Awesome! Could I have guests stay overnight?
A: You can have one guest stay overnight. But they cannot stay multiple nights.
B: What about parties? Can I have small parties once in a while?
A: Yes, you can. But please do not drink alcohol at the party. A student who stayed here caused damage to the apartment after drinking with some friends.
B: I'm only 18 so I don't drink yet. That shouldn't be a problem
A: I'm glad to hear that.
B: How much is the rent for this place?
A: Eight hundred dollars a month.
B: And how can I pay the rent?
A: You can write me a check at the beginning of each month. I'll ask you to pay a deposit for the
first and last month's rent, which would be sixteen hundred dollars. Any damages to the apartment will come out of the deposit. If there aren't any damages, then you won't be charged and the deposit will go towards paying your last month's rent.
B: How long is the lease?
A: One year. After that you can sign a lease for another year.
B: Is the apartment close to public transportation?
A: Yes. The bus stop is just 150 feet away. it's a five-minute walk from this building. You can also get easily to the grocery store from here.
B: Perfect. What are the neighbors like? I hope they're not noisy because I need to study a lot.
A: No, they're not. So, you shouldn't worry about that. They are very friendly and sociable and this street is pretty quiet. There's not much noise. Would you like to rent the apartment? I have the lease right here. If you don't sign now there are other students who might take this apartment by tomorrow. Places in this area get snapped up fast.
B: Yes. I will sign right now. When can I move in?
A: If you want you could move in tomorrow.
B: Perfect, thank you. Who should I make the checkout to?
A: Cynthia Bowers. Welcome to the building! I'm sure you'll
love it here.
References: [1]
After reading the conversation, take the quiz here...