ESL Podcast 655 - Staying in a Vacation Rental

vacation rental - a home that one can pay to stay in for a short period of time, usually during one's vacation

They bought a second home on the beach so they can stay there in the summer and use it as a vacation rental during the rest of the year.

to book - to make a reservation; to make arrangements to use or have something at a particular time in the future

Please book one nonsmoking room with a queen-sized bed for next Thursday.

pet-friendly - willing to accommodate people who live or travel with animals, normally dogs and cats

This is such a pet-friendly hotel where dogs can swim in the pool and there is dog food in each room!

kid-friendly - willing to accommodate people who live or travel with children, offering special features and services that children need and like

Do you know of any good kid-friendly restaurants in town that have toys for kids to play with, small silverware, and cups that don't spill?

to sleep - to have places for a certain number of people to sleep

With one queen bed and two twin beds, this house sleeps four people comfortably.

amenity - a characteristic that makes something more comfortable, enjoyable, and attractive

This retirement center has many nice amenities, including an entertainment room, a swimming pool, and exercise equipment.

to have the run of the place - to be able to do whatever one wants in a particular place without being supervised, controlled, or observed

When Tanya's parents went away for the weekend, she was really happy to have the run of the place, until she realized she would have to clean up the mess before they came back home.

adjoining - adjacent; next to something else, sharing a wall

In this hotel suite, each bedroom has an adjoining bathroom.

proximity - nearness; closeness; a short distance to something

I really like this apartment because of its proximity to work, but the other apartment has a better view and a bigger kitchen.

last-minute - without advance notice; happening immediately before something else happens

There has been a last-minute change in the schedule, so we're meeting at 4:00 instead of 2:30.

low season - the time of year when there are few customers, low demand, and few sales

Our company sells swimsuits and beach balls, so the winter months are our low season.

home away from home - a place other than one's home where one feels very comfortable and relaxed

Jackie is a workaholic who treats her office as a home away from home.

scarce - not common; rare; difficult to find or obtain

Large wild animals are becoming scarcer as we continue cutting down forests.

affordable - inexpensive; with a low price that one can pay easily

Trent dreams of owning a sports car, but for now he has to drive a more affordable car.

cleaning fee - money paid to cover the cost of cleaning an apartment or home, especially when one moves in or moves out

Everyone who moves into this apartment building has to pay a $300 cleaning fee that covers the cost of cleaning the rooms, washing the carpets, and painting all the walls.

refundable deposit - a large amount of money that one pays when moving into an apartment or home with the expectation of getting that money back unless one damages the building, in which case the money needed to make repairs is subtracted from the amount paid back

They paid a $500 security deposit when they moved in, but their dog caused $200 of damage to the wood floors, so they only got $300 back when they moved out.

too good to be true - something that appears to be very good and favorable, but actually has problems or disadvantages

If anyone says you can become a millionaire by working just five hours per week, the offer is probably too good to be true.

fine print - the very small type at the end of a legal agreement that is difficult to read and often filled with important pieces of information that make the agreement less attractive or less fair

Getting this credit card sounds like a great opportunity, but if you read the fine print, you'll see that you have to pay $100 per year just to have the card, and 20% interest on the balance.