Reporting a Repair to Your Landlord

Scene: The lobby of an apartment building. Kyung walks into the office with photos on his phone and a small towel in his hand.

Conversation

Scene: Evening in Maria's apartment. The kitchen is dark — the power just went out while she was cooking. Maria picks up her phone and calls her landlord.

MR. CHEN: Hello, this is Mr. Chen.

MARIA: Hi, Mr. Chen, this is Maria in apartment 3B. Do you have a minute?

MR. CHEN: Of course, Maria. What's going on?

MARIA: I need to report a repair problem. I was cooking dinner when the electricity went out in the kitchen.

MR. CHEN: Oh no. Is the power out in the whole apartment, or just the kitchen?

MARIA: Just the kitchen, I think. The living room lights are still on.

MR. CHEN: Okay. Can you state the problem for me one more time, slowly? I want to write it down.

MARIA: Sure. I was cooking dinner. Then the electricity went out. Only in the kitchen.

MR. CHEN: Got it. Did anything else stop working?

MARIA: Well, the faucet in the bathroom was already dripping this morning. Drip, drip, drip — all night.

MR. CHEN: A dripping faucet, too. All right, I'll send someone this week. Do you prefer morning or afternoon?

MARIA: Morning is better. I work in the afternoon.

MR. CHEN: Noted. Now, about the kitchen power — was anything unusual happening before it went out?

MARIA: Hmm. I was using the microwave and the toaster at the same time. Maybe that was too much?

MR. CHEN: That could be it. It sounds like a simple electrical problem. I'll ask our electrician to check it.

MARIA: Great. Will there be a charge for the visit?

MR. CHEN: No charge. As your landlord, it's my job to make repairs like these.

MARIA: Thank you. Oh — one more thing. I saw a mouse in the kitchen yesterday.

MR. CHEN: A mouse? Thanks for telling me. I'll call an exterminator, too.

MARIA: That would be wonderful. Should I do anything before they come?

MR. CHEN: Just please be home on Thursday morning, and keep the kitchen floor clear.

MARIA: I will. By the way, my neighbor tried a do-it-yourself fix on his sink and made it worse!

MR. CHEN: Ha! Yes — please leave the repairs to the professionals.

MARIA: Absolutely. Thanks so much, Mr. Chen. Have a good evening!

MR. CHEN: You too, Maria. Goodbye!

— THE END —

Vocabulary List

tenant /ˈtɛnənt/ (n.) a person who rents an apartment or house. Example: Maria is a tenant in apartment 3B.
landlord /ˈlændlɔːrd/ (n.) a person who owns apartments or houses and rents them to others. Example: Mr. Chen is Maria's landlord.
dripping faucet /ˈdrɪpɪŋ ˈfɔːsɪt/ (n. phrase) a faucet with water falling in small drops again and again. Example: The dripping faucet kept Maria awake all night.
plumber /ˈplʌmər/ (n.) a worker who fixes pipes, toilets, and water problems. Example: The plumber will fix the bathroom sink on Thursday.
state the problem /steɪt ðə ˈprɑːbləm/ (v. phrase) to say clearly what is wrong. Example: Mr. Chen asked Maria to state the problem slowly.
make repairs /meɪk rɪˈpɛrz/ (v. phrase) to fix things that are broken. Example: The landlord will make repairs in the kitchen this week.
handyman /ˈhændimæn/ (n.) a worker who does many kinds of small repairs. Example: A handyman can fix the door and paint the wall.
electricity went out /ɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪti wɛnt aʊt/ (phrase) the electric power stopped working. Example: The electricity went out while Maria was cooking.
exterminator /ɪkˈstɜːrmɪneɪtər/ (n.) a worker who removes insects, mice, and other pests. Example: The exterminator will come for the mouse in the kitchen.
do-it-yourself /ˌduːɪt jɔːrˈsɛlf/ (adj. phrase) fixing or building things on your own, without a professional. Example: Her neighbor's do-it-yourself repair made the sink worse.

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Vocabulary List