Everyday Echoes · Role Play · A2/B1 · 50 min

Renting a Flat

You want a new home. Today you look at a flat. Time to walk around, ask some questions, and talk about the rent — in simple, polite English.

This is the easier version. Want the harder one? → Full B2/C1 version →

The Scene 🎬

You want to rent a new flat. You looked at many photos online, and this one looks nice. It has one bedroom, a small kitchen, and a little balcony. It is above a bakery, so it smells like fresh bread!

Now you are here to see it. A person from the office — the agent — opens the door. You have some time to look around. You want to see if the flat is good, ask about the money, and check for any problems.

The rent is a little high for you. So, if you like the flat, you can ask a small question: "Can the rent be a little lower?" It is OK to ask. Many people ask. The worst answer is only "no".

Warm up — talk for one minute

  1. Do you rent your home, or does your family own it? What do you like about the place where you live?
  2. When you look for a new home, what is most important for you — the price, the rooms, or the area? Why?

Who's who

You
The Renter 🔑

Friendly and polite. You want a nice home. You look around, ask about the money, say what is wrong, and ask about the rent.

The other person
The Agent 🏠

Kind and busy. They show you the flat and answer your questions. If you are polite, they will help you — and maybe ask the owner about the rent.

Next: learn the phrases you need in the next tab. Then see them in a real conversation. Look at the polite words: please, thank you, can I, I would like. Small words, big help.

Useful Phrases 🧰

Here are the phrases for this conversation. Read each one and say it out loud once. Choose the ones you like. Keep this page open when you practise.

The shape of this conversation
1 · Look around2 · Ask about money3 · A problem4 · The rent
It's a map, not a script. Real talk can skip steps or go back.
Cover it later, when you want to test yourself.

When you're the renter

🚪 Look around
"Can I look around, please?"
"It's nice! I like it."
💷 Ask about money
"How much are the bills?"
"Is the internet included?"
🔧 A problem
"There is a problem with the window."
"Can you fix it before I move in?"
🤝 The rent
"I like the flat, but the rent is a little high for me."
"Can the rent be a little lower?"

When you're the agent

"Please come in."
"The rent is nine hundred pounds."
"Bills are not included."
"I can talk to the owner."

When something changes

"When do you want to move in?"
"Do you have a job?"
"Can you sign today?"

When you need help

"Sorry, can you say that again, please?"
"Can you speak more slowly, please?"
"Do you mean…?"
"How do you say … in English?"

Speed round 🎯

Draw a card. Say what you would say, out loud. Then look at one answer.

Press the button to start.

Try a few more rounds with the toolkit covered. When it feels easy, you are ready.

The Conversation 💬

Read it out loud, one person each, then change. Find the phrases from your toolkit. Listen for the polite words.

AgentHello! Come in, please. So, this is the flat. It has one bedroom, a kitchen, and a small balcony. What do you think?
YouIt's nice! I like it. It's bigger than the photos. Can I look around, please?
AgentOf course! Look everywhere. The kitchen is new, and the flat is warm in winter.
YouGood, thank you. Can I ask a question? How much are the bills? I want to know the real price every month.
AgentSure. The bills are about eighty pounds a month — that is gas, electric, and water.
YouOK, thank you. And is the internet included?
AgentNo, the internet is not included. You pay for that. It is about twenty-five pounds a month.
YouI see. Hmm, there is a problem with the window. It doesn't close well, and the room is a little cold.
AgentAh, yes. I'm sorry about that. The owner can fix the window next week. I will write it down.
YouThank you. Can you fix it before I move in? I would like that.
AgentYes, no problem. We can fix it first, before you move in.
YouThat's very kind. I like the flat a lot. But the rent is a little high for me. Can the rent be a little lower?
AgentHmm. The price is good for this area… but I can ask the owner. Maybe we can meet in the middle.
YouThank you so much. Can I take your number? I will think about it tonight and call you tomorrow.

From memory — don't look up!

1. The renter asks about two costs on top of the rent. What are they?

2. What is the problem in the flat? What does the agent say they will do about it?

3. The rent is a little high. What does the renter ask, and what does the agent say they will do?

1. The bills (gas, electric, and water — about eighty pounds a month), and the internet (not included — about twenty-five pounds a month).
2. The window doesn't close well, so the room is a little cold. The agent says the owner can fix it next week, and they will fix it before the renter moves in.
3. The renter asks if the rent can be a little lower. The agent says the price is good, but they will ask the owner, and maybe they can meet in the middle.

Your Turn 🎭

No script this time. You have a real talk with a real person. You have a goal.

1 · Warm up your voice 🎤

Say each sentence out loud. Use your own words in the gaps.

  1. Look around. Can I ___, please?
  2. Ask about money. Is the ___ included?
  3. A problem. There is a problem with ___.
  4. The rent. I like it, but ___.

2 · The scene 🎬

Pick a situation. Your partner plays the other person.

Your card
Where
The situation
You have
You want
Your ruleSay what you like first. Then ask.
Who you're talking to

🏆 Agree a fair rent and a repair.

⏱ 3:00
Twist deck

🎲 Something changes

Start the scene. After a minute, draw a card. What it says just happened.

Nothing has changed yet.

3 · Swap seats 🔁

Now you are the other person. Your partner takes your old part.

Your card
WhereIn the flat
Your goalShow the flat and agree a fair rent
Your partnerPlays the renter now

Draw another twist if you like.

4 · Afterwards ✅

Tick what you did, in either seat.

Phrases I want to use next time

Go again

⚡ Same situation, one more time

Do it again. Draw a twist before you start. Try to do it faster this time.

The Echo 🕰️

Your flat is above a bakery — a shop that makes bread. That is a nice thought. But bakeries have a long story in London, and not always a happy one.

In 1666, a small fire started in a baker's shop in London. The houses then were made of wood, and they were very close together. The fire grew and grew. In four days, it burned most of the old city — thousands of homes were gone.

After the fire, people built a new city. This time they used brick, not wood, and they made wider streets. When you stand in a flat and talk about the rent, you are part of a very old London story — of homes, owners, and people looking for a place to live.

🔥 Want the full story of the Great Fire of London? (Easy version)Open →

Two questions to talk about

  1. The Great Fire started small, in one shop, and grew very big. Have you ever seen a small problem grow into a big one? What happened?
  2. After the fire, London built a new and better city. When something old is gone, is it a chance to build something better? Or do we miss the old thing too much?