If you ever decide to move to an English-speaking country, you may be looking for an apartment or house to rent. Let's take a look today at some of the basic English terminology related to renting a place of your own! Note that in some countries like the UK, an apartment is often informally called a "flat."

Are you still looking for an apartment?

Caption 3, Side by Side: Beginners Looking for an apartment

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The first step in finding an apartment is to look for one! Sometimes people also say they are "apartment-hunting."

Hi, I'm calling about an apartment that I saw listed on craigslist?

Caption 33, Jessica and Liz: How Much and How Many

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How much does it cost? -A thousand a month.

Caption 36, Jessica and Liz How Much and How Many

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Looking on the internet is one of the best ways to find listings for rental apartments. Some people still use a website called craigslist, but in the United States, one of the most popular current websites is Zillow. Once you have found an available apartment that meets your requirements for size, price, and neighborhood etc., you can make an appointment to see the apartment.

Many employers don't check references at this stage of the application process.

Caption 4, Business Life: Curriculum Vitae

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The video above is about a job application, but when you find an apartment you like, you will then need to fill out an apartment application. In your application, you state things like job and landlord references. Sometimes potential landlords will ask your permission to run a credit check on you, which in some cases requires you to pay a fee. You may have to pay this fee whether you get the apartment or not, so be careful in these situations!

And how soon can you send us the contract to finalize the deal?

Caption 48, The Company: Difficulties with Coworkers and Contracts

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Once your rental application and credit check are approved, the next step is for you to sign a rental contract. This is often referred to as a "lease."

And if you're interested you can put down a deposit. How much money do you want for the deposit? 200 for the deposit and I'd like the first month's rent up front.

Captions 49-51, Jessica and Liz: How Much and How Many

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In most cases, you will be required to pay a rental deposit, either directly to the landlord, or into a shared escrow account. The amount is usually the equivalent of two or three months' rent.

Where are my keys?

Caption 50, Parts of Speech: Question Words

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Once you have signed the rental contract, it is standard for the landlord to give you the keys to the apartment.

I'm so excited to show her our new apartment.

Caption 3, The Apartment: Maggie's Visit

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Congratulations on getting your new place, at least in theory! A good English vocabulary will help you in your quest, but you'll need a little bit of luck too!

Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the entire Looking for an Apartment video, then practice any new words that you've learned. Happy holidays from Yabla!

Making a phone call in a language that is not your mother tongue can be quite nerve-racking! For this month's newsletter, we'll look some phrases that are commonly used in both formal and informal phone conversations.

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People generally answer the phone “Hello?” on their private line, with “[Last name] residence” on a family home phone number, or more formally by using the word “speaking.”

Hi, this is the Irish Press, Daniel speaking.

Caption 44, Business English - Starting on a new job - Part 2

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When you make a call, you will first need to introduce yourself. 

Hello, this is Daniel. -Hi Daniel, this is Julia from Phonez and More.

Caption 10, Business English - Difficulties with coworkers and contracts - Part 2

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Uh, hi, Jonathan. It's Julia Smith for the marketing department interview.

Caption 7, Business English - The job interview - Part 2

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You might then need to ask if the person you want to speak to is available. The informal version is “Is [name] there?”, but for formal calls it’s better to use the following:

May I please speak to Daniel in advertising sales?

Caption 9, Business English - Difficulties with coworkers and contracts - Part 2

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Sometimes you might want to state the purpose of your call right away, so that the person answering can re-direct your call to someone who can help you.

Hi, I'm calling about an apartment that I saw listed on Craig's List?

Caption 33, Jessica and Liz - how much and how many

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The formal way to conclude a phone conversation might involve thanking the person or setting up a next time to talk. 

Have a good day and I'll talk to you soon. 'Bye. -Goodbye.

Caption 56, Business English - Difficulties with coworkers and contracts - Part 2

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Of course, between friends, even if they are cartoon characters, much more informal goodbyes are possible: 

I'll talk to ya later, Mick. I gotta go.

Caption 32, A Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Goofy's Grandma

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Further Learning
Watch the business English videos linked above on Yabla English to hear the sentences in the full context of a formal conversation. This helpful webpage provides additional telephone conversations with both audio and a transcription available.