Practice a rental conversation: ask the minimum duration, understand six months, and check whether a shorter initial stay is possible. The answers describe this example, not a general rental rule. Use the recordings and answer models to rehearse both roles.
Asking the question in three ways
For an explicit duration question, use «¿Cuál es el plazo mínimo del contrato?» (What is the minimum contract term?) or «¿Cuánto tiempo mínimo hay que rentar?» (What is the minimum time you have to rent?). The shorter recorded question «¿Cuál es el mínimo de renta?» is less precise: renta can refer to the rent payment, so it can be understood as asking a minimum amount unless duration is already established. Use the questions with plazo or tiempo for this exercise.
Understanding the answer
A typical answer is «El mínimo es de seis meses.», which means 'The minimum is six months.' The phrase 'es de' comes before the number of months. In a longer exchange, one speaker asks «Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el plazo mínimo del contrato?», which means 'Good afternoon, what is the minimum lease term?' The other speaker answers «El mínimo es de seis meses.», which means 'The minimum is six months.' Then the first speaker asks «¿Se puede rentar por menos tiempo?», which means 'Can you rent for less time?' The answer is «No, pero después de seis meses puede seguir mes a mes.», which means 'No, but after six months you can continue month to month.' Listen for the number of months and for whether a shorter time is possible.
Roles and direction of the exchange
In the recorded dialogue, the first speaker is the person asking about the lease, and the second speaker is the person answering, likely a landlord or agent. When you practice, you can take either role. If you take the first role, you ask the questions. If you take the second role, you give the answers. Pay attention to who is asking and who is answering, because the same words can appear in different positions. This helps you respond correctly when someone asks you about a lease.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Cuál es el plazo mínimo del contrato?
What is the minimum lease term?
KWAL es el PLAH-so MEE-nee-mo del kon-TRAH-toh
¿Cuál es el mínimo de renta?
What's the minimum lease?
KWAL es el MEE-nee-mo de REN-tah
¿Cuánto tiempo mínimo hay que rentar?
What's the minimum time you have to rent?
KWAN-toh TYEM-poh MEE-nee-mo ay keh ren-TAR
El mínimo es de seis meses.
The minimum is six months.
el MEE-nee-mo es de says MEH-ses
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el plazo mínimo del contrato?
Good afternoon, what is the minimum lease term?El mínimo es de seis meses.
The minimum is six months.¿Se puede rentar por menos tiempo?
Can you rent for less time?No, pero después de seis meses puede seguir mes a mes.
No, but after six months you can continue month to month.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and answer
Imagine you are talking with a landlord about renting an apartment. You will play both roles. First, you are the person asking. Then you are the person answering.
Your task: Renter: «Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el plazo mínimo del contrato?». Landlord: «El mínimo es de seis meses.». Repeat question then answer. Switch which role you play, keeping the renter question before the landlord reply.
Reply comprehension: choose the correct response
The renter asks «¿Se puede rentar por menos tiempo?». Listen to the full reply and separate the initial term from the later continuation.
Your task: Listen to «No, pero después de seis meses puede seguir mes a mes.». Does the speaker allow an initial term shorter than six months? What continuation is described after six months? Answer in English, then repeat the complete Spanish line.
Recall and role switch
Now test your memory. You will recall the lines without looking at them first. Then you will switch roles.
Your task: Recall four turns: renter asks the minimum term, landlord says six months, renter asks for less time, landlord refuses and describes month-to-month continuation. Switch which role you play while preserving that question-answer order.
Common questions
Do I need to memorize all three ways to ask the question?
Start with «¿Cuál es el plazo mínimo del contrato?». It explicitly asks about duration. «¿Cuánto tiempo mínimo hay que rentar?» also asks about time. The shorter question involving renta can be ambiguous about amount versus duration.
What if the answer uses a different number of months?
The recording «El mínimo es de seis meses.» gives six months as an example. In a real conversation, the number may be different. Listen for the number and the word for months. The structure 'es de' before the number stays the same.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask about lease lengthChecked September 2026
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