Hometown & Housing

20 words

1. 1

   housing crisiscollocation/ˈhaʊzɪŋ ˈkraɪsɪs/

   A serious situation where many people cannot find adequate or affordable housing; a widespread problem in the housing sector.

   “The city is experiencing a housing crisis as rents soar.”

2. 2

   housing supplycollocation/ˈhaʊzɪŋ səˈplaɪ/

   The total amount of housing available on the market to meet demand; how many homes exist or are being built.

   “An increase in housing supply could stabilise prices.”

3. 3

   rent increasecollocation/rɛnt ˈɪŋkriːs/

   A rise in the amount of money charged for renting a property; when landlords raise the rent.

   “The landlord announced a rent increase starting next month.”

4. 4

   tenant rightscollocation/ˈtɛnənt raɪts/

   The legal protections and entitlements that people who rent a home have, such as safety and protection from unfair eviction.

   “Many students are unaware of their tenant rights when they sign a lease.”

5. 5

   social housingnoun phrase/ˈsəʊʃəl ˈhaʊzɪŋ/

   housing provided by the government or non-profit organisations for people on low incomes or in need

   “The council increased funding for social housing to help low-income families.”

6. 6

   utility billsnoun phrase/juːˈtɪləti bɪlz/

   regular bills for services such as electricity, water, gas and sometimes internet

   “My monthly utility bills include electricity, water and gas.”

7. 7

   tenancy agreementcollocation/ˈtɛnənsi əˈɡriːmənt/

   A formal contract between a landlord and a tenant that sets out the terms of renting, such as rent, length of stay and responsibilities.

   “Read the tenancy agreement carefully before you sign it.”

8. 8

   move houseverb/muːv ˈhaʊs/

   to change your home by moving to a different house or flat

   “We're going to move house in August.”

9. 9

   take out a mortgagephrasal verb phrase/teɪk aʊt ə ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ/

   to borrow a large sum from a bank specifically to buy a house, and agree to pay it back over time

   “They took out a mortgage to buy their first home.”

10. 10

    estate agentnoun phrase/ɪˈsteɪt ˈeɪdʒənt/

    a person or company whose job is to sell, buy or rent property for people

    “We found the property through a local estate agent.”

11. 11

    overcrowded housingcollocation/ˌəʊvəˈkraʊdɪd ˈhaʊzɪŋ/

    Housing where too many people live in too small a space; more residents than is safe or comfortable.

    “Overcrowded housing increases the risk of disease spreading quickly.”

12. 12

    pay upfrontverb phrase/peɪ ʌpˈfrʌnt/

    to pay in advance before receiving goods or services

    “Landlords often ask new tenants to pay upfront for the first month's rent.”

13. 13

    landlord and tenantnoun phrase/ˈlændlɔːd ənd ˈtɛnənt/

    the owner of a property (landlord) and the person who rents it (tenant)

    “The landlord and tenant signed a six-month agreement.”

14. 14

    security depositnoun phrase/sɪˈkjʊərəti dɪˈpɒzɪt/

    a sum of money paid by a tenant to a landlord at the start of a tenancy as security against damage or unpaid rent

    “The landlord held the security deposit until the flat was inspected.”

15. 15

    fully furnished flatnoun phrase/ˈfʊli ˈfɜːnɪʃt flæt/

    an apartment rented with all the main furniture already provided

    “We moved into a fully furnished flat so we didn't have to buy furniture.”

16. 16

    get on the property ladderverb phrase

    to buy your first home and start owning property

    “Many young people find it hard to get on the property ladder.”

17. 17

    home renovationnoun phrase/həʊm ˌrɛnəˈveɪʃən/

    the process of improving or repairing a house to update or increase its value

    “They spent the summer doing a major home renovation.”

18. 18

    do up a housephrasal verb/duː ʌp ə haʊs/

    to repair or decorate a house to improve it

    “They bought an old cottage and plan to do it up over the summer.”

19. 19

    urban sprawlcollocation/ˈɜːbən sprɔːl/

    the uncontrolled spreading of a city into surrounding areas, often low-density and car-dependent

    “Urban sprawl has consumed large areas of farmland around the city.”

20. 20

    rental marketcollocation/ˈrɛntəl ˈmɑːkɪt/

    the market for renting homes or apartments; supply and demand for rental properties

    “The rental market in big cities is becoming more competitive every year.”