Renting an Apartment

Start with the lead-in questions about housing preferences and the process mapping activity. The questions about historical versus modern spaces and unconventional housing get students thinking beyond typical apartments. Have students work in pairs to map out the rental process in their city. The process varies wildly by country, so students get genuinely interested comparing how different it is back home.

Pre-teach the vocabulary before the article. Words like dual citizen and waterfront property are straightforward for B2 learners, but idioms like cross the pond and look out for each other need context and examples. The article about Maisy and Harrison renting a houseboat in London works perfectly for apartment hunting discussions because it shows the actual stress of searching while living abroad. Students who’ve moved countries really connect with the part about losing apartments overnight.

After reading, do the comprehension questions and move into the speaking activity where students pitch unconventional properties. Give them time to prepare descriptions for campers, houseboats, yurts, or water towers. You’ll hear some ridiculous sales pitches. Last time I taught this, someone tried to rent out a converted bus as “mobile luxury living with ever-changing views.” The vocabulary practice with word pairs helps students catch subtle meaning differences they might otherwise miss.

Wrap up with the debate topics about renting versus buying, living abroad, and remote work eliminating permanent housing. Pick one or two debates depending on time. These topics get heated because many B2 learners are at life stages where they’re actively making these decisions. The extra phrases activity with words like expat community and sublet extends the lesson if you have a faster group.