Landlord and Rental Issues

Обаждам се за апартамента.

Obazhdam se za apartamenta.

I'm calling about the apartment.

Your opening line when the landlord picks up — says why you're calling before anything else.

Имам проблем с парното.

Imam problem s parnoto.

I have a problem with the heating.

The all-purpose way to flag a fault — swap the heating for whatever has stopped working.

Бойлерът не работи.

Boylerat ne raboti.

The water heater isn't working.

When there's no hot water and the boiler is the culprit — a very common first-month call.

Тече вода в банята.

Teche voda v banyata.

Water is leaking in the bathroom.

Say this the moment you spot a leak — landlords want to know before it damages the flat.

Няма топла вода.

Nyama topla voda.

There's no hot water.

The short version when you just want the problem fixed, not diagnosed.

Кога можете да дойдете?

Koga mozhete da doydete?

When can you come?

After you've described the fault — pins the landlord down to an actual visit.

Кога ще ми върнете депозита?

Koga shte mi varnete depozita?

When will you return my deposit?

For when you're moving out — polite but direct about getting your money back.

Може ли да видя договора?

Mozhe li da vidya dogovora?

Can I see the contract?

When a dispute comes down to what the lease actually says — ask to check it together.

Може ли да го напишете?

Mozhe li da go napishete?

Can you write it down?

Ask for it in writing — a text message you can translate later beats mishearing an address or price.

По-бавно, моля.

Po-bavno, molya.

Slower, please.

When the landlord rattles off details — slow them down instead of losing the thread.

Не разбирам.

Ne razbiram.

I don't understand.

The honest reset when the explanation has fully lost you.

Благодаря за разбирането.

Blagodarya za razbiraneto.

Thanks for understanding.

Closes the call warmly and keeps the landlord on your side for the next problem.

Наемът включва ли консумативите?

Naemat vklyuchva li konsumativite?

Does the rent include the bills?

At the viewing, before anything else. 'Консумативи' means the utilities, and whether they sit inside the rent or on top changes the real monthly cost a lot. Вие throughout — you have just met the owner.

Наемът е без консумативите.

Naemat e bez konsumativite.

The rent doesn't include the bills.

Something you hear at almost every viewing, and it is the usual arrangement. It means electricity, water and heating come on top, so ask what they run to in winter.

Апартаментът напълно обзаведен ли е?

Apartamentat napalno obzaveden li e?

Is the flat fully furnished?

Most Sofia rentals come furnished, but 'обзаведен' stretches from a fitted kitchen to a bed and a table. Ask before you picture bringing your own sofa.

Кога искате да се нанесете?

Koga iskate da se nanesete?

When do you want to move in?

Something you hear the moment the owner decides you are a serious candidate. A date, even an approximate one, is the answer that keeps you in the running.

Ще подпишем ли договор за наем?

Shte podpishem li dogovor za naem?

Will we sign a rental contract?

Ask it plainly and early. Renting on a handshake is still common in Bulgaria, and it is the tenant, not the owner, who is left with nothing to show later.

Договорът е за една година.

Dogovorat e za edna godina.

The contract is for one year.

Something you hear — one year is the standard term, normally with a one-month notice clause written inside it.

Може ли да получа един екземпляр от договора?

Mozhe li da polucha edin ekzemplyar ot dogovora?

Can I have a copy of the contract?

Two copies get signed, one for each side, and 'екземпляр' is the word for your signed counterpart. Do not leave the table without it.

Може и без договор, на доверие.

Mozhe i bez dogovor, na doverie.

We can do it without a contract, on trust.

Something you hear, and it is usually meant kindly — but it normally means the owner does not want the rent on paper. With no contract you have no deposit claim and no address registration.

Колко е наемът на месец?

Kolko e naemat na mesets?

How much is the rent per month?

The first money question at a viewing. Ask it before you fall in love with the balcony.

Как да плащам наема — в брой или по банков път?

Kak da plashtam naema — v broy ili po bankov pat?

How should I pay the rent — in cash or by bank transfer?

Both are completely normal here. Asking makes you sound like someone who has rented before, and it opens the door to choosing the one that leaves a record.

Плащате в брой, до пето число.

Plashtate v broy, do peto chislo.

You pay in cash, by the fifth of the month.

Something you hear very often. Cash handed over on a fixed day of the month is the default; 'до пето число' means by the fifth.

Предпочитам да плащам с банков превод.

Predpochitam da plashtam s bankov prevod.

I'd rather pay by bank transfer.

A polite counter-offer, not a demand. A transfer leaves a dated record with your name on it, which is exactly what you want if the deposit is ever argued over.

Разписки не давам, досега никой не е искал.

Razpiski ne davam, dosega nikoy ne e iskal.

I don't give receipts, nobody has ever asked before.

Something you hear when you ask for paperwork. It is rarely dishonest, but it leaves you with no proof of payment — a bank transfer solves it without turning into an argument.

До кое число трябва да платя наема?

Do koe chislo tryabva da platya naema?

By which day of the month do I have to pay the rent?

Bulgarian rent is talked about by the date of the month, not by 'the first week'. Get the число straight at signing.

Кога ще плащате?

Koga shte plashtate?

When are you going to pay?

Something you hear, and it is blunter than the English looks. A landlord ringing on the sixth is being direct, not rude. Answer with a date, not with an apology.

Ще платя най-късно в петък.

Shte platya nay-kasno v petak.

I'll pay by Friday at the latest.

Give a day you can actually keep. Naming the date is what settles a Bulgarian landlord; vague reassurance does not.

Добре, но ме предупреждавайте предварително.

Dobre, no me preduprezhdavayte predvaritelno.

Fine, but let me know in advance.

Something you hear when a late payment is accepted. What is being asked for is the phone call before the date, not the money itself.

Колко е депозитът?

Kolko e depozitat?

How much is the deposit?

Ask at the viewing, together with the rent — the two together are what you actually need on the day you move in.

Депозитът е един наем.

Depozitat e edin naem.

The deposit is one month's rent.

Something you hear. One month is standard; two is common for a well-furnished flat, or if you have a pet.

Депозитът покрива щетите.

Depozitat pokriva shtetite.

The deposit covers any damage.

Something you hear at signing, and it is the sentence the whole moving-out argument later hangs on. Agree now what counts as a щета and what is ordinary wear.

Депозитът може ли да покрие последния наем?

Depozitat mozhe li da pokrie posledniya naem?

Can the deposit cover the last month's rent?

A very common ask at the end of a tenancy. Many owners refuse, because then nothing is left to cover damage — better raised early than announced in your final month.

Може ли да запишем депозита в договора?

Mozhe li da zapishem depozita v dogovora?

Can we put the deposit in the contract?

Say it while the pen is still on the table. A deposit that exists only in a conversation is very hard to get back.

Може ли да направим опис на обзавеждането?

Mozhe li da napravim opis na obzavezhdaneto?

Can we make an inventory of the furnishings?

Standard practice and nobody is offended by it. The опис — often written as a приемо-предавателен протокол — lists what is in the flat and what state it is in.

Това беше повредено, преди да се нанеса.

Tova beshe povredeno, predi da se nanesa.

This was already damaged before I moved in.

Say it on day one, not on the day you leave. No gendered ending anywhere in the sentence, so it sounds the same from any speaker.

Ще го запишем в протокола.

Shte go zapishem v protokola.

We'll note it in the handover record.

Something you hear, and it is the answer you want. The протокол is the handover sheet you both sign — make sure you leave with a copy of it too.

Всичко в апартамента работи.

Vsichko v apartamenta raboti.

Everything in the flat works.

Something you hear at the handover. Run the taps, the boiler and the hob before you nod — once you have signed, it is your word against theirs.

Ще пратя майстор.

Shte pratya maystor.

I'll send a repairman.

Something you hear, and it is the best answer you can get. Майстор covers plumber, electrician and general handyman alike. Ask when — otherwise it can drift for weeks.

Това е за ваша сметка.

Tova e za vasha smetka.

That's at your expense.

Something you hear when the landlord has decided the breakage is yours. Do not argue reflexively — ask what makes it yours, then answer from the contract.

Кой плаща тази поправка?

Koy plashta tazi popravka?

Who pays for this repair?

The neutral question that keeps the call from becoming a quarrel. It puts the decision on the contract rather than on either of your tempers.

Не е от нас — просто спря да работи.

Ne e ot nas — prosto sprya da raboti.

It wasn't us — it just stopped working.

The firm middle register: a plain statement of fact, no apology and no accusation. Deliberately avoids a gendered past participle.

По договор ремонтите са за сметка на наемодателя.

Po dogovor remontite sa za smetka na naemodatelya.

Under the contract, repairs are the landlord's responsibility.

Escalating a step, calmly. Say it only if the contract really does say so — using 'наемодател', the legal word for landlord, signals that you have read the paper.

Обаждах се два пъти миналата седмица.

Obazhdah se dva pati minalata sedmitsa.

I called twice last week.

Facts rather than complaints. 'Обаждах се' carries no gendered ending, so it works for any learner, and stating the record is firmer than asking a third time.

Още нямам отговор за бойлера.

Oshte nyamam otgovor za boylera.

I still haven't had an answer about the water heater.

The second chase. Naming the thing and the silence in one sentence moves things along far better than repeating the original question.

Ще ви звънна утре.

Shte vi zvanna utre.

I'll ring you tomorrow.

Something you hear a lot, and quite often it means 'not today'. Accept it, then confirm it in a message so that tomorrow has a record.

В момента не съм в София.

V momenta ne sam v Sofiya.

I'm not in Sofia at the moment.

Something you hear very often — plenty of owners live abroad or in another town and run the flat by phone. It is a reason to agree who lets the майстор in, not a reason to give up.

Кога ще дойде майсторът?

Koga shte doyde maystorat?

When will the repairman come?

The follow-up to 'ще пратя майстор'. Without it, the visit stays an intention.

Утре сутринта бъдете вкъщи.

Utre sutrinta badete vkashti.

Be at home tomorrow morning.

Something you hear, and it arrives as an instruction rather than a proposal. A half-day window is normal here; an exact hour usually is not.

До шест съм на работа, може ли след това?

Do shest sam na rabota, mozhe li sled tova?

I'm at work until six, could it be after that?

Offer the alternative in the same breath as the problem — that is what turns a refusal into a new appointment.

Ще оставя ключ на съседа.

Shte ostavya klyuch na saseda.

I'll leave a key with the neighbour.

A normal solution here and it saves you a day off work. Name the neighbour when you say it — leaving a key with an unnamed stranger is not normal.

Може ли да ми покажете за какво е тази сума?

Mozhe li da mi pokazhete za kakvo e tazi suma?

Can you show me what this amount is for?

The de-escalating first move: ask for the reason before you refuse anything. Often the answer settles it on the spot.

Не приемам тази сума.

Ne priemam tazi suma.

I don't accept this amount.

Escalating, and deliberately so. Short, unapologetic and still polite — this is the middle register beginners never find, sitting between 'съжалявам' and shouting.

В договора няма такава клауза.

V dogovora nyama takava klauza.

There's no such clause in the contract.

The strongest thing you can say without raising your voice. Only say it if you have actually read the contract, because it invites the paper to be fetched.

Така се разбрахме в началото.

Taka se razbrahme v nachaloto.

That's what we agreed at the start.

Something you hear when the paperwork does not back the claim. Memory against memory goes nowhere — steer it back to what is written.

Ще го приспадна от депозита.

Shte go prispadna ot depozita.

I'll deduct it from the deposit.

Something you hear, and it is the moment to ask for the amount and the reason in writing — before the money is gone, not after.

Ще мина да видя апартамента днес.

Shte mina da vidya apartamenta dnes.

I'll drop by to look at the flat today.

Something you hear, sometimes with an hour's warning. The flat is theirs but the home is yours, and the timing is negotiable.

Моля, предупредете ме поне един ден по-рано.

Molya, predupredete me pone edin den po-rano.

Please let me know at least a day in advance.

Polite but firm, and completely normal to ask for. Starting with 'моля' keeps it a request rather than a rule you are imposing.

Днес не ми е удобно, може ли в събота?

Dnes ne mi e udobno, mozhe li v sabota?

Today doesn't suit me, could we do Saturday?

Refuse and re-offer in one sentence. A bare 'не' tends to be treated as an obstacle rather than an answer.

Наемът се вдига от следващия месец.

Naemat se vdiga ot sledvashtiya mesets.

The rent goes up from next month.

Something you hear, usually by phone and rarely with much notice. Check the contract before you answer — a fixed term normally fixes the rent with it.

С колко се вдига наемът?

S kolko se vdiga naemat?

By how much is the rent going up?

Ask the number first. Reacting before you know the amount costs you the calm you are going to need.

В договора наемът е фиксиран до края на срока.

V dogovora naemat e fiksiran do kraya na sroka.

In the contract the rent is fixed until the end of the term.

Escalating politely — a fact off the paper, not an opinion. Where it is true, this usually ends the conversation in one line.

Може ли да го обсъдим — за мен това е много наведнъж.

Mozhe li da go obsadim — za men tova e mnogo navednazh.

Can we talk about it — that's a lot at once for me.

For when the increase is allowed but steep. Bulgarian landlords do negotiate, especially with a tenant who pays on time and rarely calls.

Ще подновим ли договора за още една година?

Shte podnovim li dogovora za oshte edna godina?

Shall we renew the contract for another year?

Raise it a month or two before the end. An owner who has not thought about it will often keep a good tenant at the same rent rather than look for a new one.

Ще подпишем анекс към договора.

Shte podpishem aneks kam dogovora.

We'll sign an addendum to the contract.

Something you hear — an анекс is a short addendum that extends the term or changes the rent without redrafting the whole contract.

Какъв е срокът на предизвестието?

Kakav e srokat na predizvestieto?

What is the notice period?

Ask at signing, not at leaving. One month is the usual предизвестие, and missing it is a classic way to lose a deposit.

Давам едномесечно предизвестие.

Davam ednomesechno predizvestie.

I'm giving one month's notice.

The formal sentence, and it does the whole job on its own. Follow it with the date you will hand over the keys, and send the same thing in writing.

Ще продавам апартамента.

Shte prodavam apartamenta.

I'm going to sell the flat.

Something you hear, and it usually means the tenancy is ending. Ask for the date, and ask for viewings to be arranged with you rather than sprung on you.

Кога ще огледаме апартамента заедно?

Koga shte ogledame apartamenta zaedno?

When shall we look over the flat together?

Push for a joint walk-through on the day you hand over the keys. A deposit argued about a week later is much harder to win.

Оставете апартамента, както сте го заварили.

Ostavete apartamenta, kakto ste go zavarili.

Leave the flat as you found it.

Something you hear before you move out. In practice it means cleaned, emptied, and with the furniture back where it started.

Апартаментът е почистен.

Apartamentat e pochisten.

The flat has been cleaned.

A finished-state sentence with no gendered ending, so it works for any speaker — and regardless of who actually did the cleaning.

Хладилникът е издраскан.

Hladilnikat e izdraskan.

The fridge is scratched.

Something you hear during the final walk-through. If that scratch was in the протокол on day one, this is the moment the record pays for itself.

До кога ще ми преведете депозита?

Do koga shte mi prevedete depozita?

By when will you transfer the deposit to me?

A deadline question rather than a hopeful one. 'До кога' asks for a date; plain 'кога' can be answered with 'скоро'.

Ще ви преведа депозита след последните сметки.

Shte vi preveda depozita sled poslednite smetki.

I'll transfer the deposit after the final bills.

Something you hear and it is a fair answer — the last electricity and water bills land after you have gone. Pin down roughly when that is.

Какво точно приспадате от депозита?

Kakvo tochno prispadate ot depozita?

What exactly are you deducting from the deposit?

'Точно' is the whole sentence. It asks for an itemised answer instead of a round number with no explanation.

Това е нормално износване, не е щета.

Tova e normalno iznosvane, ne e shteta.

That's normal wear and tear, not damage.

Escalating, calmly. Ordinary wear on furniture and paintwork is not a щета, and saying that distinction out loud often moves the number.

Ще задържа част от депозита.

Shte zadarzha chast ot depozita.

I'm going to keep part of the deposit.

Something you hear, and it is exactly where being firm matters. Ask for the amount and the reason before you accept anything at all.

Нека да погледнем какво пише в договора.

Neka da poglednem kakvo pishe v dogovora.

Let's look at what the contract says.

The de-escalation move, and the most useful sentence in this whole scenario. It makes the paper the authority instead of either of you.

Извинявайте, но не мога да се съглася.

Izvinyavayte, no ne moga da se saglasya.

I'm sorry, but I can't agree.

The middle register beginners most need: the apology softens the delivery, the refusal stays a refusal. No gendered ending, so it fits any speaker.

Държа въпросът да се реши тази седмица.

Darzha vaprosat da se reshi tazi sedmitsa.

I want this sorted out this week.

'Държа' means 'I insist' and is the plainest firm verb in the language. Polite, unmistakable, and a clear level above asking one more time.

Искам това да е написано, не само по телефона.

Iskam tova da e napisano, ne samo po telefona.

I want that in writing, not just over the phone.

Escalating one notch. Asking for something in writing is normal rather than hostile here, and it changes what can quietly be denied later.

Ако не се реши, ще извикам майстор и ще приспадна сумата от наема.

Ako ne se reshi, shte izvikam maystor i shte prispadna sumata ot naema.

If it isn't sorted, I'll call a repairman and deduct the cost from the rent.

The last step before a real dispute, so use it only after two clear warnings and only if your contract allows it. Saying it out loud is often enough on its own.

Трябва ми декларация от вас за адресна регистрация.

Tryabva mi deklaratsiya ot vas za adresna registratsiya.

I need a declaration from you for my address registration.

Registering your address at the district council needs the owner's signed declaration. Ask early — it is the commonest thing a tenant needs and cannot get alone.

Не искам да се регистрирате на този адрес.

Ne iskam da se registrirate na tozi adres.

I don't want you registering at this address.

Something you hear more often than you would expect, usually for tax reasons. It is a genuine problem, because without адресна регистрация much of your other paperwork stalls — settle it before you sign, not after.

Без адресна регистрация не мога да си извадя документите.

Bez adresna registratsiya ne moga da si izvadya dokumentite.

Without address registration I can't get my documents sorted.

State the consequence instead of arguing the principle. Older people sometimes still call this 'прописка', the old word for the same thing.

Донесете ми бланката да я подпиша.

Donesete mi blankata da ya podpisha.

Bring me the form and I'll sign it.

Something you hear when the answer is yes. The бланка is the council's declaration form, and some councils want the signature witnessed by a notary.

Може ли да ми го напишете на Вайбър?

Mozhe li da mi go napishete na Vaybar?

Could you write it to me on Viber?

Written 'Viber' — nearly every landlord in Bulgaria is on it, and it is spelt Вайбър here so the audio says it the Bulgarian way. A message you can translate at leisure beats a half-heard date.

Нека да потвърдим какво се разбрахме.

Neka da potvardim kakvo se razbrahme.

Let's confirm what we agreed.

Say it at the end of every call about money or dates. It sounds cooperative, and it is what produces the written record.

Може ли да повторите сумата?

Mozhe li da povtorite sumata?

Could you repeat the amount?

Money is the one thing you cannot afford to mishear. Asking for just the number back is quicker than asking for the whole sentence.

Кое число казахте?

Koe chislo kazahte?

Which date did you say?

Dates of the month go past fast on the phone, and this is the whole scenario's most common misunderstanding — the rent day, the visit day, the notice day.

Не разбрах добре — може ли пак, по-бавно?

Ne razbrah dobre — mozhe li pak, po-bavno?

I didn't quite catch that — could you say it again, more slowly?

The honest reset that keeps the call going. It admits the gap without apologising for existing, which is the tone you want with a landlord.

Значи майсторът идва в четвъртък, така ли?

Znachi maystorat idva v chetvartak, taka li?

So the repairman comes on Thursday, is that right?

Confirming back in your own words. It catches the mistake while you are both still on the phone, instead of on the morning nobody turns up.

Благодаря, че го решихте бързо.

Blagodarya, che go reshihte barzo.

Thank you for sorting it out so quickly.

Say it even when getting there took three phone calls. A landlord who feels appreciated answers faster the next time.

Добър наемател сте, нямам проблеми с вас.

Dobar naematel ste, nyamam problemi s vas.

You're a good tenant, I have no problems with you.

Something you hear from an owner who wants you to stay, and it is also your strongest negotiating position — worth hearing before you raise the rent or a repair.