When you need this
After the first year, many students move off campus and rent an apartment with friends. It's often cheaper than a dorm, and you get your own room. It also comes with new words and new jobs: a landlord, a lease, bills, and a kitchen that somebody has to clean.
The lease is the contract with the landlord, often for twelve months. Before you sign, you usually pay a security deposit, money the landlord keeps until you move out. Utilities are electricity, water, gas and sometimes internet. Always ask if they're included in the rent. British speakers say "flat" for apartment and "flatmate" for roommate, so you'll hear both at an international school.
Money talk between roommates works best when it's clear. Agree on how you split each bill and who pays it, and write it down.
Phrases
the money you pay each month to live there
asks if bills are part of the rent
the contract with the landlord
money you pay first and get back later
the person who owns the apartment and rents it out
with furniture already inside
share the costs equally
asks who is officially responsible
a list of cleaning jobs and who does them
leave the apartment for good
rent your room to someone else for a while
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Practice · 3 min
Say the line that fits.
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Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.