Day 141: A Rent Rise Over the Roof
In the stairwell of an old building in Halle, Bettina Pohl (A), a tenant, catches her landlord, Helmut Lindemann (B), about a letter he has sent her.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a German word to see what it means.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native German, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning
-
A
Herr Lindemann, gut, dass ich Sie treffe. Es geht um Ihren Brief wegen der Mieterhöhung.
Mr Lindemann, good to catch you. It's about your letter on the rent increase.
-
B
Sie wissen ja, die Handwerker waren den ganzen Sommer auf dem Dach. Das kostete mich ein Vermögen.
Well, you know the builders were up on the roof all summer. It cost me a fortune.
-
A
Das glaube ich Ihnen. Aber eine Reparatur ist doch kein Grund, die Miete zu erhöhen.
I believe you. But a repair is no reason to put the rent up.
-
B
Sie hatten sich doch als Erste über den Wasserfleck an der Decke beschwert!
But you were the first to complain about the damp patch on the ceiling!
-
A
Weil das Dach undicht war, ja. Und die neuen Küchenfenster hatte ich damals selbst bezahlt, weil sie Ihnen zu teuer waren.
Because the roof was leaking, yes. And I paid for the new kitchen windows myself back then, because they were too expensive for you.
-
B
Die Fenster wollten Sie unbedingt, nicht ich. Na gut, dann begründe ich die Erhöhung eben mit dem Mietspiegel.
You were the one who insisted on the windows, not me. All right, then I'll base the increase on the local rent index instead.
-
A
Versuchen Sie's ruhig. Ich habe nämlich nachgesehen: Meine Miete liegt schon jetzt über dem Mietspiegel.
Go ahead and try. I've checked, you see: my rent is already above the index.
Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 142: Mum Posted the Bath Photos
If this free course has helped you in your German journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.