Vocabulary Basics
This is a written agreement between a landlord and tenant.
What is a lease?
This word describes the extra costs for things like water, heat, or electricity.
What are utilities?
This person fixes things when something breaks in the apartment.
Who is the maintenance worker?
You find a great apartment but need to sign a paper agreeing to the rules and rent amount. What is that paper?
What is a lease?
This term means the total number of rooms or the overall design of the apartment — like “one-bedroom” or “studio.”
What is the floor plan?
This word means the person who rents the apartment.
Who is the tenant?
This utility keeps us connected, but may not always be provided by a landlord and is often paid for separately.
What is internet?
The landlord expects the tenant to keep the apartment clean and follow these.
What are rules or lease terms?
The landlord says rent is due on the 1st of every month. What happens if you pay late?
What is a late fee or penalty?
This feature can affect how easy it is for someone with a visual impairment to navigate safely, such as lighting, contrast, or layout.
What is accessibility?
This is the money paid each month to live in the apartment.
What is rent?
This type of apartment comes with furniture already inside.
What is furnished?
If something breaks, you should contact these two people.
Who are the landlord and maintenance worker.
You want to bring your dog to your new apartment. What might you need to check first?
These parts of an apartment complex are shared by all tenants, such as hallways, mailrooms, or outdoor courtyards, and are not part of any individual apartment.
What are common areas?
This is another word for the person who owns or manages the building.
Who is the landlord?
The opposite of “furnished.”
What is unfurnished?
This is the process of asking to live in an apartment by filling out forms.
What is applying / the application process?
You decide to move out before your lease ends. What might happen?
What is pay a fee or break your lease?
When an apartment comes with extra features like a pool, on-site laundry, or parking, these are called this.
What are amenities?
This is the money you pay before moving in that may be returned if nothing is damaged.
What is a deposit?
This type of payment is usually due at the beginning of each month.
What is rent.
Before you can rent, the landlord may check your payment record, also called this.
What is credit history?
You move into an apartment and later discover that repairs you requested haven’t been made and the heat doesn’t work. What steps could you take to handle the situation appropriately?
What is contact the landlord in writing, keep a record of the issue, and if not fixed, contact local housing authorities or tenant services?
This feature refers to where the apartment is located in the building — for example, ground floor or top floor — and can affect noise, accessibility, and safety.
What is unit level or floor?