Negotiating lease renewal terms | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a housing office discussion, a tenant asks which lease renewal terms may be negotiable for a longer and more stable commitment..

EN → FR / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Negotiating lease renewal terms to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

J’ai reçu l’avis de renouvellement et j’aimerais discuter des conditions.

zhay ruh-SOO lah-VEE duh ruh-noo-vəl-MAHN ay zhem-uh-RAY dee-skew-TAY day kohn-dee-SYOHN. I received the renewal notice and would like to discuss terms.
B

Nous pouvons examiner ensemble le renouvellement et voir ce qui peut être ajusté.

noo poo-VOHN eg-zah-mee-NAY ahn-SAHMBL luh ruh-noo-vəl-MAHN ay vwar suh kee puh-ETR ah-zhoos-TAY. We can look at the renewal together and see where there is room to adjust.
A

Je suis un locataire fiable et j’entretiens soigneusement l’appartement.

zhuh swee uhn loh-kah-TAIR fee-AHBL ay zhahn-truh-TYAN swan-yuhz-MAHN lah-par-tuh-MAHN. I have been a reliable tenant and maintain the apartment carefully.
B

Cela me donne des informations utiles avant que je parle au propriétaire.

suh-LAH muh dawn day an-for-mah-SYOHN ew-TEEL ah-VAHN kuh zhuh parl oh proh-pree-ay-TAIR. That gives me helpful context before I speak with the owner.
A

J’espère obtenir un bail plus long avec des conditions plus stables.

zhay-SPAIR ohb-tuh-NEER uhn bye ploo lohn ah-VEK day kohn-dee-SYOHN ploo STAHBL. I am hoping for a longer lease with more stable terms.
B

Si vous pouvez vous engager sur un bail plus long, je peux demander des conditions plus prévisibles.

see voo poo-VAY voo zahn-gah-ZHAY syur uhn bye ploo lohn zhuh puh duh-mahn-DAY day kohn-dee-SYOHN ploo pray-vee-ZEEBL. If you can commit to a longer lease, I can ask about more predictable terms.
A

Pourriez-vous préciser quelles conditions sont réellement négociables ?

poo-ree-YAY voo pray-see-ZAY kel kohn-dee-SYOHN sohn ray-el-MAHN nay-goh-SYAHBL? Could you outline which terms are actually negotiable?
B

La politique générale est fixe, mais les conditions de renouvellement peuvent offrir une certaine souplesse.

lah poh-lee-TEEK zhay-nay-RAHL ay feeks, may lay kohn-dee-SYOHN duh ruh-noo-vəl-MAHN puhv oh-FREER yewn sair-TAHN soop-LESS. The general policy is fixed, but the renewal conditions may have some flexibility.

Word by Word

J’ai J’ai means “I have” in the expression J’ai reçu l’avis de renouvellement, which conveys “I received the renewal notice.” It is commonly used before a past participle, as in J’ai reçu un message. You can use it when reporting something you have received or done.
reçu Reçu means “received” in J’ai reçu l’avis de renouvellement. Together with J’ai, it describes receiving the notice. A reusable pattern is J’ai reçu + an object, such as J’ai reçu un message.
l’avis L’avis means “the notice” in l’avis de renouvellement. The form l’ appears before a vowel sound, and the expression identifies an official notice. You can use l’avis de + a noun to specify the subject of a notice.
de De links l’avis to renouvellement and means “of” here: the notice of renewal. It commonly connects a noun with the subject or type that specifies it, as in un message de confirmation.
renouvellement Renouvellement means “renewal” in l’avis de renouvellement. Here it refers specifically to renewing the lease. It can be reused after de to identify what is being renewed or extended.
et Et means “and” and joins the two actions in J’ai reçu l’avis de renouvellement et j’aimerais discuter des conditions. It is used to connect related words, phrases, or clauses. Here it moves from reporting the notice to stating the speaker’s request.
j’aimerais J’aimerais means “I would like” in j’aimerais discuter des conditions. This form makes the request polite and less direct than a simple statement of intention. A reusable pattern is j’aimerais + an infinitive, such as j’aimerais obtenir des précisions.
discuter Discuter means “to discuss” in j’aimerais discuter des conditions. The infinitive follows j’aimerais and names the requested action. You can use discuter de + a topic, as in discuter de la durée du bail.
des Des means “the” in discuter des conditions, referring to the terms under discussion. In this expression, it combines de with les before the plural noun conditions. A reusable pattern is discuter des + plural topic.
conditions Conditions means “terms” or “conditions” in discuter des conditions. In this dialogue it refers to the clauses or arrangements of the lease renewal. It can be used for conditions attached to an agreement, request, or offer.
Nous Nous means “we” in Nous pouvons examiner ensemble le renouvellement. It identifies the speaker and the other person as the people who can review the renewal. It is commonly placed before the verb in a statement about a shared action.
pouvons Pouvons means “can” in Nous pouvons examiner ensemble le renouvellement. It expresses that the two people are able or permitted to review the renewal. A reusable pattern is Nous pouvons + an infinitive, such as Nous pouvons vérifier les conditions.
examiner Examiner means “to examine” or “to review” in examiner ensemble le renouvellement. It describes looking at the renewal carefully in order to identify possible adjustments. It can be followed directly by the thing being reviewed, as in examiner un contrat.
ensemble Ensemble means “together” in examiner ensemble le renouvellement. It shows that the review will be done jointly by the two speakers. It is commonly placed after the verb or near the action it describes.
le Le means “the” before renouvellement in le renouvellement. It points to the specific renewal already being discussed. It is used before a singular noun in a phrase such as examiner le contrat.
voir Voir means “to see” in voir ce qui peut être ajusté. Here it introduces the idea of finding out which elements can be adjusted, rather than simply looking at something. A reusable pattern is voir ce qui + a verb, meaning “see what …”.
ce Ce means “what” in ce qui peut être ajusté, referring to the elements that may be adjusted. Together with qui, it introduces what is possible in the situation. The pattern ce qui + a verb is commonly used for “what …” when the referenced thing is the subject.
qui Qui helps form ce qui peut être ajusté, meaning “what can be adjusted.” It introduces the element that performs the role connected with peut être ajusté. A reusable pattern is ce qui + a verb when identifying what has a certain possibility or effect.
peut Peut means “can” or “may” in ce qui peut être ajusté. It expresses possibility concerning the terms that may be changed. A reusable pattern is peut + infinitive, as in peut changer.
être Être means “to be” in peut être ajusté. Together with ajusté, it forms the expression “can be adjusted,” focusing on what may happen to the terms. It commonly follows a form of pouvoir before a past participle in this kind of passive construction.
ajusté Ajusté means “adjusted” in peut être ajusté. It describes a term that may be changed to fit the discussion. The pattern être ajusté can be used for an arrangement, amount, or condition that is modified.
Je Je means “I” in Je suis un locataire fiable and j’entretiens soigneusement l’appartement. It identifies the speaker as the person making the statement or carrying out the action. It normally comes before the verb in a simple statement.
suis Suis means “am” in Je suis un locataire fiable. It links the speaker with the description un locataire fiable. A reusable pattern is Je suis + a description or role, such as Je suis responsable du dossier.
un Un means “a” in un locataire fiable, identifying the speaker as one tenant with the stated qualities. It introduces a singular noun. The pattern un + noun is used when describing someone’s role or category.
locataire Locataire means “tenant” in un locataire fiable. It identifies the person who rents the apartment and is discussing the lease. You can use it with a description or with a phrase about a lease, such as locataire d’un appartement.
fiable Fiable means “reliable” in un locataire fiable. It describes a tenant whom the housing office can consider dependable. It can be reused after être to describe a person, service, or arrangement as dependable.
j’entretiens J’entretiens means “I maintain” in j’entretiens soigneusement l’appartement. It describes the speaker’s regular care of the apartment. A reusable pattern is j’entretiens + an object, such as j’entretiens le logement.
soigneusement Soigneusement means “carefully” in j’entretiens soigneusement l’appartement. It explains how the speaker maintains the apartment. It can be placed near a verb to describe careful performance of an action.
l’appartement L’appartement means “the apartment” in j’entretiens soigneusement l’appartement. The form l’ appears before the vowel at the beginning of appartement. It refers to the specific home occupied by the tenant.
Cela Cela means “that” in Cela me donne des informations utiles. It refers to the speaker’s reliability and care mentioned in the previous line. It is commonly used at the beginning of a sentence to refer back to a fact or situation.
me Me means “me” in Cela me donne des informations utiles, showing who receives the information. It is placed before the verb in this sentence. A reusable pattern is quelque chose me donne + an object, meaning “something gives me …”.
donne Donne means “gives” in Cela me donne des informations utiles. Together with me, it expresses that the previous information provides useful context to the speaker. A reusable pattern is donner quelque chose à quelqu’un, with the recipient identified by me, vous, or another object.
informations Informations means “information” in des informations utiles. Here it refers to useful details that can be passed on to the owner. It can be modified by an adjective, as in des informations importantes.
utiles Utiles means “useful” in des informations utiles. It describes the information as relevant for the upcoming conversation with the owner. It can be placed after a noun to describe information, advice, or details that help with a task.
avant Avant means “before” in avant que je parle au propriétaire. It introduces the time relation between receiving the context and speaking with the owner. The pattern avant que + a clause is used to say that one event happens before another.
que Que introduces the clause que je parle au propriétaire after avant. It connects avant with the event of speaking to the owner. In the reusable pattern avant que + a clause, que begins the following action or situation.
parle Parle means “speak” in que je parle au propriétaire. It describes the conversation with the owner that will take place after the speaker receives the context. A reusable pattern is parler à + a person, as in parler au responsable.
au Au means “to the” in parler au propriétaire. It combines à with le before the singular noun propriétaire. The pattern parler au + person is used when saying whom someone speaks to.
propriétaire Propriétaire means “owner” or “landlord” in parler au propriétaire. In this housing context, it refers to the person who owns or controls the apartment. It can be used after parler à or parler au when identifying the person being contacted.
J’espère J’espère means “I hope” in J’espère obtenir un bail plus long. It introduces the speaker’s desired outcome. A reusable pattern is J’espère + an infinitive when expressing hope about an action or result.
obtenir Obtenir means “to obtain” or “to get” in J’espère obtenir un bail plus long. It names the result the tenant hopes to receive. It can be followed directly by the thing obtained, such as obtenir un accord.
bail Bail means “lease” in obtenir un bail plus long. It refers to the rental agreement whose duration and terms are being discussed. It can be used with an adjective or a phrase specifying the lease, such as un bail de longue durée.
plus Plus means “more” and contributes the meaning “longer” in un bail plus long. It marks a comparison between the desired lease and a shorter one. The reusable pattern plus + adjective expresses a greater degree of a quality.
long Long means “long” in un bail plus long, describing the desired duration of the lease. With plus before it, the phrase means “longer lease.” It can be used after a noun to describe duration or physical length.
avec Avec means “with” in avec des conditions plus stables. It links the longer lease to the terms that should accompany it. It commonly introduces something included with, associated with, or characterizing another thing.
stables Stables means “stable” in des conditions plus stables. It describes the terms as more consistent or dependable over time. It can be used after conditions to describe the desired quality of an agreement.
Si Si means “if” in Si vous pouvez vous engager sur un bail plus long. It introduces a condition under which the housing-office representative can ask about different terms. A reusable pattern is Si + a clause, followed by the possible result.
vous Vous means “you” in vous pouvez vous engager sur un bail plus long. It addresses the tenant formally or addresses more than one person. It can appear before the verb and also as the reflexive pronoun in vous engager.
engager Engager appears in vous engager sur un bail plus long, meaning “commit to a longer lease.” With vous, the expression vous engager describes making a commitment. A reusable pattern is s’engager sur + an agreement or planned commitment.
sur Sur means “on” or “to” in vous engager sur un bail plus long, linking the commitment to the lease. Here it identifies what the commitment concerns. It can be reused in the pattern s’engager sur + an agreement or arrangement.
peux Peux means “can” in je peux demander des conditions plus prévisibles. It expresses the speaker’s ability or permission to ask about those terms. A reusable pattern is je peux + an infinitive, such as je peux vérifier le dossier.
demander Demander means “to ask” in je peux demander des conditions plus prévisibles. It describes making an inquiry about possible terms. A reusable pattern is demander + an object, or demander des informations when requesting details.
prévisibles Prévisibles means “predictable” in des conditions plus prévisibles. It describes terms whose outcome or application would be easier to anticipate. It can be used after conditions to describe how consistent an agreement is likely to be.
Pourriez Pourriez means “could” in Pourriez-vous préciser quelles conditions sont réellement négociables ? It makes the request polite and formal. A reusable pattern is Pourriez-vous + an infinitive when asking someone courteously to provide information or perform an action.
préciser Préciser means “to specify” or “to clarify” in Pourriez-vous préciser quelles conditions sont réellement négociables ? It asks the other person to make the details more explicit. It can be followed by a question or by the point that needs clarification.
quelles Quelles means “which” in quelles conditions sont réellement négociables ? It asks the listener to identify specific conditions from a group. It modifies the plural noun conditions and is useful in questions about selected options.
sont Sont means “are” in quelles conditions sont réellement négociables ? It links the conditions with the description négociables. A reusable pattern is noun + sont + description when asking or stating what several things are like.
réellement Réellement means “actually” or “really” in réellement négociables. It emphasizes the practical question of which conditions can in fact be negotiated. It can be placed before an adjective or participle to add this emphasis.
négociables Négociables means “negotiable” in conditions sont réellement négociables. It describes terms that may be discussed and changed by agreement. It can be used after conditions, prix, or other agreement-related nouns when asking what can be negotiated.
La La means “the” before politique in La politique générale est fixe. It points to the specific general policy being discussed. It is used before a singular noun in a phrase such as la règle générale.
politique Politique means “policy” in La politique générale. Here it refers to the general rule or framework used by the housing office. It can be followed by an adjective that specifies the scope of the policy.
générale Générale means “general” in La politique générale. It describes the policy as applying broadly rather than to one individual renewal term. It can be placed after politique to specify the scope of a policy.
est Est means “is” in La politique générale est fixe. It links the general policy with the description fixe. A reusable pattern is a singular noun + est + description.
fixe Fixe means “fixed” in La politique générale est fixe. It describes the general policy as not open to adjustment in this discussion. It can be used after être to describe a rule, amount, or condition that does not change.
mais Mais means “but” in La politique générale est fixe, mais les conditions de renouvellement peuvent offrir une certaine souplesse. It contrasts the fixed general policy with possible flexibility in the renewal conditions. It is commonly used to connect two contrasting statements.
les Les means “the” before conditions in les conditions de renouvellement. It refers to the specific plural set of renewal conditions under discussion. It is used before a plural noun when the listener can identify the things being referred to.
offrir Offrir means “to offer” in peuvent offrir une certaine souplesse. It describes the renewal conditions as potentially providing some flexibility. A reusable pattern is offrir + an object, such as offrir une possibilité.
une Une means “a” or “some” before certaine in une certaine souplesse. It introduces a feminine singular noun phrase and presents the flexibility as a certain amount rather than an unlimited amount. It is commonly used before a singular feminine noun.
certaine Certaine means “certain” or “some” in une certaine souplesse. Together with une, it indicates a limited or particular degree of flexibility. The pattern une certaine + noun can describe an identifiable but not fully specified amount or quality.
souplesse Souplesse means “flexibility” in offrir une certaine souplesse. It refers to the possibility of adjusting renewal conditions within the policy framework. It can be used with offrir or avoir to describe room for adaptation in an arrangement.

Grammar Points

J’aimerais + infinitif

J’aimerais examiner les conditions du bail.

zhem-uh-RAY eg-zah-mee-NAY lay kohn-dee-SYOHN dew bye.

I would like to examine the lease terms.

« J’aimerais » est le conditionnel de « aimer » ; il sert à formuler une demande polie.

Nom pluriel + adjectif au pluriel

Des conditions prévisibles et négociables.

day kohn-dee-SYOHN pray-vee-ZEEBL ay nay-goh-SYAHBL.

Predictable and negotiable terms.

Les adjectifs s’accordent avec le nom en nombre : « conditions » entraîne « prévisibles » et « négociables ».

French Vocabulary

ajusté verb
ah-zhoos-TAY adjusted
avis de renouvellement phrase
ah-VEE duh ruh-noo-vəl-MAHN renewal notice

J’ai reçu l’avis de renouvellement.

conditions noun
kohn-dee-SYOHN terms; conditions
entretiens verb
ahn-truh-TYAN I maintain
examiner verb
eg-zah-mee-NAY to examine; to look at
fiable adj
fee-AHBL reliable
informations utiles phrase
an-for-mah-SYOHN ew-TEEL helpful information
j’aimerais verb
zhem-uh-RAY I would like
locataire noun
loh-kah-TAIR tenant
propriétaire noun
proh-pree-ay-TAIR owner; landlord
renouvellement noun
ruh-noo-vəl-MAHN renewal
soigneusement adv
swan-yuhz-MAHN carefully

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

tenant

Show Answerlocataire

I maintain

Show Answerentretiens

to examine; to look at

Show Answerexaminer

terms; conditions

Show Answerconditions