01 · How you open the call
Vi su anuncio del apartamento.
I saw your apartment listing.
This is the actual opener landlords expect — a message or call referencing the listing, not a cold knock on the door.
andbefluent.com/spanish/rogue-renter
Rogue Renter
Ask about rent, deposits, and rules, then lock in a viewing — confidently, in Spanish, out loud.
Stay polite and use usted with a landlord you've just met, and get the money questions out early. The one people forget is ¿los servicios están incluidos? (are utilities included?) — always check what sits on top of the rent. Know your region's words: rent is la renta in Mexico and el alquiler in Argentina and Spain; the apartment is el depa in Mexico, el depto in Argentina, el piso in Spain; and in Spain the deposit is la fianza. When you like the place, say so: me interesa mucho el piso.
Below: the phrases for a full viewing from first call to signing, the regional words that shift country to country, and a way to walk the whole visit out loud before you meet the landlord.
The warm-up pack
The questions that protect you at a real viewing — and how to ask them before you sign anything.
01 · How you open the call
Vi su anuncio del apartamento.
I saw your apartment listing.
This is the actual opener landlords expect — a message or call referencing the listing, not a cold knock on the door.
02 · Check it's not already gone
¿Todavía está disponible?
Is it still available?
Ask this first. Listings move fast, and it saves you booking a viewing for a place that's already gone.
03 · Lock in a time
¿Cuándo puedo visitarlo?
When can I visit it?
A specific question gets a specific answer — landlords respond to this faster than a vague "sometime this week."
04 · The money question
¿Cuánto es el alquiler mensual?
How much is the monthly rent? (alquiler in Argentina and Spain — la renta in Mexico.)
Ask it plainly, out loud, at the viewing — don't rely on guessing from a listing you half-read.
05 · The one people forget
¿Los servicios están incluidos?
Are utilities included?
The badge's own most common slip: skip this and you find out what's on top of rent only after you've signed.
06 · Before you fall for the place
¿Se permiten mascotas?
Are pets allowed?
Ask this before you get attached — it's exactly the kind of dealbreaker that's easy to forget in the moment.
07 · Read the fine print out loud
¿Cuánto tiempo es el contrato mínimo?
How long is the minimum lease?
A minimum term isn't always mentioned upfront. Asking directly means no surprise at month two.
08 · The question that saves you later
¿Quién paga las reparaciones?
Who pays for repairs?
It sounds like a small detail during a viewing. It stops being small the first time something breaks.
09 · Say it plainly
Me interesa mucho el piso.
I'm very interested in the apartment.
No need to play it cool — this is the direct, expected way to signal you want the place.
10 · Move-in logistics
¿Cuándo puedo mudarme?
When can I move in?
Once you've said yes, this is the next natural line — practical, not pushy.
11 · Sealing the deal
¿Dónde firmo el contrato?
Where do I sign the lease?
The close. Say this and the apartment hunt is over.
FLUENT
Finally, someone to talk to in Spanish.
Ten-minute spoken lessons. A teacher who answers back — and gently fixes what you got wrong.
First 10 lessons freeandbefluent.com/spanish/rogue-renterRegional Spanish
Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.
| English | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| apartment | el depa | el depto |
| bedroom | la recámara | el dormitorio |
| rent | la renta | el alquiler |
| I love this place | me late el depa | me copa |
Watch out
The part no phrase list can do
Isabella
Your conversation teacher for this pack
In the Rogue Renter pack, the final lesson drops you inside a one-bedroom apartment you found online, on a Saturday late morning, with a 30-minute viewing slot. Isabella plays the owner-landlord: practical, no-nonsense, usted, opening with mire... and honestly pointing out both the good features and one small drawback. She wants to know who you are and whether you're serious; you want the rent, the deposit, what's included, and the rules — before you decide. You walk it room by room. Out loud. And she screens you right back:
Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.
Finish the 5 lessons and Rogue Renter is yours — earned, not given.
First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you
Quick answers
Ask ¿cuánto es el alquiler mensual? (how much is the monthly rent?). In Mexico you'll more often say la renta — ¿cuánto es la renta al mes? — while Argentina and Spain use el alquiler.
Ask ¿los servicios están incluidos? (are utilities included?), and get specific with ¿incluye agua y electricidad?. Don't forget the extras — ¿hay gastos de comunidad? (are there community fees?), called expensas in Argentina.
They all mean apartment, split by region. Spain: el piso. Mexico: el depa. Argentina: el depto (short for departamento). Colombia and the Caribbean: el apartamento. Note that in Spain piso can also mean floor.
Ask ¿cuánto es el depósito? (how much is the deposit?). In Spain the deposit is la fianza — ¿la fianza son dos meses?. It's worth confirming the conditions for getting it back before you sign.
Signal interest clearly: me interesa mucho el piso (I'm very interested in the apartment). Then handle logistics: ¿cuándo puedo mudarme? (when can I move in?), ¿qué documentos necesito para firmar?, and ¿cuándo se paga el primer mes?.