Talking About My Apartment Rental
Marcus: So, I heard, uh, you got an apartment.
Tom: Yeah, I just signed a lease last week.
Marcus: Oh, that’s great! Um, so was it a smooth process or were there speed bumps?
Tom: You know, it’s always a little bit, uh, a little bit fraught looking for a new place here in the city.
Tom: Um, it’s a nice place. I would say it’s a better location than it is, uh, an actual property. Like, it’s not really newly renovated, but the living room is spacious enough and it’s really close to Central Park.
Marcus: Yeah, and … that’s, uh, it’s a give and take, I think. You know, you have to be willing to let some things go and, um …
Marcus: But also I think a good idea is always to check the- the comparable units, like, in the neighborhood because I think, at least in this city, they don’t really …
Tom: Yeah, it’s actually pretty far under market value so I think I’m pretty lucky, and the landlord seemed really friendly and hopefully they’ll be responsive, um.
Tom: Yeah, and I- I didn’t have to pay a broker’s fee, so it was just the deposit and the first month’s rent. So, I think all in all it was a pretty good deal.
Marcus: Oh, OK, yeah. Is heat and hot water included, or …?
Tom: Uh, yeah, heat, hot water, uh, are included, and there’s laundry in the building.
Marcus: Ah, OK, yeah.
Vocabulary:
signed a lease – signed a legal paper to rent a home or apartment for a fixed amount of time, “We signed a lease for a year and got the keys to our new home.”
smooth process – a task or activity that happens easily without any trouble or mistakes, “Buying the movie tickets online was a very smooth process.”
speed bumps – small problems or delays that slow down progress, “We ran into a few speed bumps with the computer system today, but everything is fixed now.”
fraught – full of stress, worry, or anxiety, “The long drive through the heavy snowstorm was fraught with danger.”
newly renovated – recently repaired and fixed up so that it looks brand new, “The kitchen looks amazing because it is newly renovated.”
spacious enough – having plenty of open room or space for what you need, “This car is spacious enough to hold all our luggage for the trip.”
give and take – a compromise where people help each other by accepting less of one thing to get another, “In any good friendship, there has to be some give and take.”
comparable units – similar apartments in the same area used to compare prices or features, “Before buying the condo, we looked at three comparable units down the street.”
under market value – cheaper than the normal price for similar things in the same area, “He bought the car under market value because the owner needed cash quickly.”
responsive – answering quickly and helpfully when someone sends a message or calls, “The customer service team was very responsive and solved my problem in minutes.”
broker’s fee – an extra amount of money paid to a middleman who helps you find or buy something, “We had to pay a broker’s fee to the agent who helped us get the apartment.”
all in all – when considering everything; in conclusion, “The weather was a bit rainy, but all in all, it was a great vacation.”