I can read an apartment rental ad and find the price, terms, and date in it: what the rent includes, what you pay on top, and from what date you can move in.
How to read a housing ad
Read an ad for answers to questions, not from start to finish
How to read. Read the questions first, then the text — that way you look for specific things: the price, the date, what's included. Don't translate an unknown word; guess it from the words around it. Read twice: first for what the ad is about, then for the details.
The language of ads. Ads are short, often with no verb: “Habitación amplia y luminosa” instead of “La habitación es amplia y luminosa”. The heading: Se alquila piso.
What the apartment is like. exterior — windows onto the street, interior — onto the courtyard; luminoso — bright; amplio — spacious; reformado — renovated.
Money. la comunidad — shared building costs (elevator, entrance hall, cleaning); los gastos — electricity, water, internet; la fianza — security deposit. Some things are included in the price, some aren't: La comunidad está incluida. · El wifi no está incluido.
From what date. disponible desde el uno de marzo — available from March 1.
Word in the ad → what it means
Six words you'll find in almost every rental ad.
| In the ad | What it means |
|---|---|
| exterior | windows face the street |
| interior | windows face the courtyard |
| luminoso | bright apartment |
| amplio | spacious |
| reformado | renovated |
| disponible | available, ready to move in |
What the price includes and what it doesn't
An ad says this in one line — that's the line to find.
| Cost | Usually |
|---|---|
| la comunidad | included: elevator, entrance hall, cleaning |
| la luz, el agua | paid separately |
| la fianza | deposit, paid once at the start |
Lesson notes
Read an ad for answers to questions, not from start to finish
How to read. Read the questions first, then the text — that way you look for specific things: the price, the date, what's included. Don't translate an unknown word; guess it from the words around it. Read twice: first for what the ad is about, then for the details.
The language of ads. Ads are short, often with no verb: “Habitación amplia y luminosa” instead of “La habitación es amplia y luminosa”. The heading: Se alquila piso.
What the apartment is like. exterior — windows onto the street, interior — onto the courtyard; luminoso — bright; amplio — spacious; reformado — renovated.
Money. la comunidad — shared building costs (elevator, entrance hall, cleaning); los gastos — electricity, water, internet; la fianza — security deposit. Some things are included in the price, some aren't: La comunidad está incluida. · El wifi no está incluido.
From what date. disponible desde el uno de marzo — available from March 1.