Beginner · 8-10 min

Confirm the Rent and Sign the Contract
确认租金、押金和租期并签合同

After this scene, you can confirm the rent, deposit, payment schedule, lease term, agency fee, and early-termination clause, then review, sign, pay, and keep your contract copy.

Learning

Scene setup

You have decided to rent the apartment and now sit down with the real estate agent to confirm the rent, deposit, lease term, and agency fee before signing. The contract states a rent of 2,600 yuan a month, one month's deposit, three months' rent paid at a time, and no deposit refund for early termination. Utility arrangements vary: many water, electricity, and gas bills are paid by metered usage through WeChat, Alipay, or provider apps using an account number, while some prepaid cards support phone NFC top-ups.

Core dialogue

中介

The rent is 2,600 yuan a month, with one month's deposit, three months' rent paid at a time, and a one-year lease. Is that all okay?

No problem. How is the agency fee calculated?

中介

Half a month's rent, which is 1,300 yuan.

If I end the lease early, will the deposit be returned?

中介

It is written in the contract that the deposit is not returned if you end the lease early.

Okay. Do I sign here?

中介

Yes. There are two identical copies of the contract. Read it carefully before signing.

I've read it. There is no problem, so I've signed it.

中介

The landlord has already signed. Once the payments are made, the process will be complete.

One month's deposit, three months' rent, plus a 1,300-yuan agency fee, right?

中介

Correct. The property management fee is paid separately to the property management office each month.

Okay, I have made all the payments.

中介

The payments have been received. Please keep this copy of the contract safe.

Key phrases

Pick a phrase and see what it means here, and how to reuse it.

Phrase Card

Phrase 1 of 6

nián

a one-year lease term

From the dialogue

中介:房租每月两千六,押一付三,租期一年,没问题吧?

The rent is 2,600 yuan a month, with one month's deposit, three months' rent paid at a time, and a one-year lease. Is that all okay?

Use it here

Use 租期 to identify how long the rental contract will remain in effect.

Say it another way

  • nián

    a one-year lease term

  • bànnián

    a six-month lease term

  • liǎngnián

    a two-year lease term

Patterns

Pick a pattern and see how it helps you say new things in the same scene.

Pattern Card

Pattern 1 of 3

租期 + Duration

State how long a rental contract lasts.

租期时长

时长 = six months, one year, two years, and so on

From dialogue

  • nián

    The lease term is one year.

Try also

  • bànnián

    The lease term is six months.

  • liǎngnián

    The lease term is two years.

Common mistakes

Small fixes that make your Chinese sound natural.

1. Do not use 个 before 年

Not natural

租期一个年。

Natural

租期一年。

Why

年 follows the number directly; do not add the general measure word 个.

2. Use the fixed contract expression 一式两份

Not natural

合同一共两式。

Natural

合同一式两份。

Why

一式两份 means one matching version prepared in two copies.

3. Do not combine 写 and 签字

Not natural

我在这里写签字吗?

Natural

我在这里签字吗?

Why

签字 already expresses the action of signing, so do not place 写 before it.

Connected learning path

Practice this scene as part of a Chinese learning pack