A short fictional work for limited English speakers presents the problems of a young couple having a leaky pipe fixed in their apartment and the experiences of their sister-in-law in finding a suitable apartment for herself. The maintenace man in the couple's apartment delays fixing their leaky pipe for a week, at which time they write a letter to the landlord. They keep a copy of the letter in case they have to take the landlord to court. After the sink is repaired, a letter from the landlord arrives with a new lease. They have decided to take a two-year lease so that the rent will not exceed eight percent. They check the new lease to determine whether it is the same as their previous lease and to make sure that there are no big black spaces where the landlord could add something. Their sister-in-law checks the newspapers to compare what is available and avoids those listed by real estate companies since she would have to pay for their services. She visits several apartments and notices the condition of the building and the opinions of tenants she meets in the building. After selecting the most suitable apartment, she is advised by her relatives to have the landlord write into the lease his promise to paint her apartment. (SW)