How to rent an apartment in Chinese
You are in a rental agency office in Shanghai. You want to rent a small apartment. The agent shows you photos on a tablet. You discuss size, price, and lease term.
How the conversation starts
王小姐 (Ms. Wang) · rental agent
Rent an apartment
What you do
- Say what kind of apartment you want
- Ask about the monthly rent
- Say how long you want to rent
What to say
- 我想租一室一厅。Wǒ xiǎng zū yí shì yì tīng.I'd like to rent a one-bedroom apartment.
- 一个月多少钱？Yí ge yuè duōshao qián?How much is it per month?
- 我想租___个月。Wǒ xiǎng zū ___ ge yuè.I'd like to rent for ___ months.
- 可以便宜一点吗？Kěyǐ piányi yìdiǎn ma?Can it be a little cheaper?
Rent an apartment
You visit a rental agency in Beijing to find an apartment. The agent shows you a place. You need to discuss size, ask about the rent, and find out how to pay the deposit.
What you do
- Say which size apartment you want
- Ask how much the monthly rent is
- Ask how to pay the deposit
What to say
- 我想要一个___的公寓。Wǒ xiǎng yào yí gè ___ de gōngyù.I want a ___ apartment.
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Renting: the agency fee and moving out early
You're viewing a one-bedroom apartment in Beijing with a rental agent. Rent here is usually paid 押一付三 (one month's deposit plus three months' rent up front), and agencies charge a fee. You may need to move out after six months for work.
What you do
- Ask the rent and how much you pay up front
- Ask whether the agency fee can come down
- Ask what happens if you need to move out early
What to say
- 这套房子月租多少？要先付多少钱？Zhè tào fángzi yuèzū duōshao? Yào xiān fù duōshao qián?How much is the rent, and how much do I pay up front?
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Now say it out loud
In Kaiko, 王小姐 (Ms. Wang) answers you out loud in Chinese, and a coach corrects you as you go.