B2 · Unit 4 · 42 words, 3 texts with translation
Go through a rental contract clause by clause
Read and discuss an apartment rental contract: how long it lasts, what you pay, who is responsible for what. Write a polite formal letter to your landlord.
Texts in this unit
Grammar in this unit
Que with a preposition: el piso en el que vivo
You already know que (who, which, that): la chica que vive aquí — the girl who lives here (A2, unit 17). For places and people there are also donde and quien (B1, unit 15). What's new is que with a preposition: "the clause in which the price is given", "the person I talked to". You need it to read a contract and to write a letter to your landlord.
How it's built: preposition + article + que. The article matches the gender and number of the noun you're talking about: el, la, los, las.
| The noun | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| el piso | en el que | el piso en el que vivo — the apartment I live in |
| la persona | con la que | la persona con la que hablé — the person I talked to |
| los muebles | con los que | los muebles con los que se alquila — the furniture it's rented with |
| las razones | por las que | las razones por las que me gusta — the reasons why I like it |
English usually puts the preposition at the end ("the apartment I live in") or leaves out "which" altogether. Spanish can't do either: the preposition always comes first, right before the article and que.
The preposition is the one the verb needs: vivir en → en el que, hablar con → con la que, hablar de → del que (de + el = del), llamar a → al que, a la que. For example, la agente a la que llamé — the agent I called.
- No encuentro el correo del que me hablas. — I can't find the email you're talking about.
With time words (día, año, momento), the article is usually dropped: el día en que firmamos — the day we sign.
Which verb form comes next. The normal form (indicative) if the thing exists and you know which one it is: el piso en el que vivo. The subjunctive if you're still looking for it (unit 3): busco un piso en el que pueda tener gato — I'm looking for an apartment where I can have a cat.
Common mistakes. Dropping the preposition: ✗ el piso que vivo; the correct form is el piso en el que vivo. Leaving the preposition at the end, as in English: ✗ la persona que hablé con; the correct form is la persona con la que hablé.
A formal letter: how to start, ask and close
You've already written a complaint to a store (B1, unit 10), and you know the polite ¿podría…? (B1, unit 4) and le ruego que — I kindly ask you to… (followed by the subjunctive, B1, unit 18). Now let's put them together into a letter to one person: a landlord, an agent, a manager.
This kind of letter has four steps.
| Step | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Estimado señor Navarro: / Estimada señora Gil: | Dear Mr. Navarro: / Dear Ms. Gil: |
| Why you're writing | Me dirijo a usted para… / por… | I'm writing to you to… / about… |
| Request | Le ruego que me envíe… / ¿Podría enviarme…? | I kindly ask you to send me… / Could you send me…? |
| Closing | Quedo a la espera de su respuesta. Then Un cordial saludo, or Le saluda atentamente, | I look forward to your reply. Best regards, / Sincerely, |
Three small things:
- after the greeting comes a colon, not a comma and not an exclamation mark (just like "Dear Mr. Navarro:" in an American business letter);
señorandseñorago with the surname: Estimado señor Navarro, never with a first name (✗ Estimado señor Esteban);- Le saluda atentamente — word for word "respectfully greets you": your signature finishes the sentence. Un cordial saludo sounds a little warmer; plain Atentamente is drier.
Which form comes after the request. After le ruego que, the subjunctive; after ¿podría…?, the infinitive, with the pronoun attached to it:
- Le ruego que añada este punto al contrato. — I kindly ask you to add this point to the contract (formal).
- ¿Podría decirme cuándo vence el contrato? — Could you tell me when the contract expires? (formal)
- Me dirijo a usted para pedirle una aclaración. — I'm writing to you to ask for a clarification (formal).
Both requests are polite; le ruego que is more formal, and you'll see it almost only in letters.
A common mistake is to start the way you'd write to a friend: ¡Hola, Esteban! in a letter to your landlord sounds like a note to a buddy.
Words in this unit
la cláusula — clause (in a contract)
En el contrato hay una cláusula sobre los animales. — There's a clause about animals in the contract.
la renta — rent, income
La renta del piso es de ochocientos euros. — The rent for the apartment is eight hundred euros.
la duración — duration, length
¿Cuál es la duración del contrato? — What's the length of the contract?
la propiedad — property, ownership
Esta casa es propiedad de mi tío. — This house is my uncle's property.
la mensualidad — monthly payment, monthly fee
La mensualidad del piso es de setecientos euros. — The monthly payment for the apartment is seven hundred euros.
el suministro — utilities, supply (of water, electricity, gas)
Los suministros son el agua, la luz y el gas. — The utilities are water, electricity and gas.
la obligación — obligation, duty
Pagar a tiempo es tu obligación. — Paying on time is your obligation.
la cuota — fee, regular payment
La cuota de la comunidad es de cuarenta euros al mes. — The residents' association fee is forty euros a month.
establecer — to establish, to set, to state
El contrato establece que el inquilino paga la luz. — The contract states that the tenant pays for electricity.
indicar — to state, to indicate, to show
El contrato indica la fecha de entrada. — The contract states the move-in date.
corresponder — to be up to (someone), to be someone's job, to correspond
Me corresponde pagar la luz. — It's up to me to pay for electricity.
comprometerse — to commit (to), to promise, to get engaged
Me comprometo a pagar el día uno de cada mes. — I commit to paying on the first of every month.
consultar — to check, to look up, to consult
Voy a consultar el contrato antes de llamar. — I'm going to check the contract before I call.
actual — current, present
Mi piso actual es muy pequeño. — My current apartment is very small.
anterior — previous, former
El inquilino anterior dejó una mesa. — The previous tenant left a table.
legal — legal
Este contrato es legal. — This contract is legal.
anual — annual, yearly
En mi contrato, la subida anual es del dos por ciento. — In my contract, the annual increase is two percent.
válido — valid
El contrato no es válido sin tu firma. — The contract isn't valid without your signature.
máximo — maximum
El máximo son tres personas en el piso. — The maximum is three people in the apartment.
mínimo — minimum
Este contrato dura un mínimo de seis meses. — This contract lasts a minimum of six months.
respecto — regarding, with respect to
Tengo una duda respecto al contrato. — I have a question regarding the contract.
comunidad de vecinos — residents' association
La comunidad de vecinos se reúne dos veces al año. — The residents' association meets twice a year.
negociar — to negotiate
Quiero negociar la renta con el dueño. — I want to negotiate the rent with the owner.
vencer — to expire, to end (of a deadline), to win
El contrato vence el treinta de junio. — The contract expires on June thirtieth.
la prórroga — extension (of a contract)
En mi contrato hay una prórroga automática de un año. — My contract has an automatic one-year extension.
el preaviso — notice, notice period
En mi contrato el preaviso es de un mes. — In my contract, the notice period is one month.
el inventario — inventory, list
En el inventario hay una cama, una mesa y cuatro sillas. — The inventory lists a bed, a table and four chairs.
el desperfecto — damage, defect
Hay un pequeño desperfecto en la pared. — There's some minor damage on the wall.
dirigirse — to address, to contact, to head (for)
Me dirijo a usted para pedir información. — I'm writing to you to ask for information (formal).
constar — to be stated, to appear (in a document), to consist (of)
En el contrato consta el nombre del dueño. — The owner's name appears in the contract.
la aclaración — clarification
Necesito una aclaración sobre esta cláusula. — I need a clarification about this clause.
el apartado — section (of a document)
Lee el apartado cinco del contrato. — Read section five of the contract.
obligar — to force, to make (someone do), to oblige
Nadie me obliga a firmar. — Nobody's forcing me to sign.
rescindir — to terminate, to cancel (a contract)
Quiero rescindir el contrato en mayo. — I want to terminate the contract in May.
incumplir — to break, to breach, to fail to keep
Si incumples el contrato, puedes perder la fianza. — If you break the contract, you can lose the deposit.
por adelantado — in advance, up front (of payment)
Pagamos dos meses por adelantado. — We paid two months in advance.
con antelación — in advance, ahead of time
Avisa con antelación si quieres irte. — Give notice ahead of time if you want to leave.
hacerse cargo — to take care of, to take charge of, to understand
En este piso, el inquilino se hace cargo de la luz y del agua. — In this apartment, the tenant takes care of electricity and water.
entrar en vigor — to come into force, to take effect
El nuevo contrato entra en vigor el lunes. — The new contract comes into force on Monday.
un cordial saludo — best regards, kind regards
Un cordial saludo, Marta Gil. — Best regards, Marta Gil.
el/la arrendador — landlord, lessor
El arrendador es el dueño del piso. — The landlord is the owner of the apartment.
el/la arrendatario — tenant, lessee
El arrendatario paga la renta cada mes. — The tenant pays the rent every month.
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