Renting a Home
6 lessons to help you communicate with confidence
Overview
Understand how to search for apartments, communicate with landlords, sign lease agreements, and handle common rental situations in Canada.
Key Vocabulary
Lease / Rental agreement
Security deposit
Utilities included
Month-to-month
Notice period
Tenant / Landlord
Maintenance request
Rent increase
Useful Phrases
“I am interested in the apartment listed on [website]. Is it still available?”
Responding to a listing
“Are utilities included in the rent?”
Asking about costs
“The faucet in the kitchen is leaking. Could someone come to fix it?”
Reporting a maintenance issue
“I would like to give my 30-day notice.”
Moving out
Tips
- 1Always get a written lease agreement, never rent on a verbal agreement alone.
- 2In BC, landlords can only increase rent once per year by the amount set by the province.
- 3Take photos of the unit when you move in to document its condition.
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Practice exercises and vocabulary lists for this topic.
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