Requesting an apartment repair

The situation

You: Mid-January in Montreal. Your apartment's heater stopped working last night. It's 14°C inside.

Them: Your landlord answering the phone.

Goal: Get a repair scheduled today — heating is urgent.

The conversation (French & English)

Allô ?
Hello?

Bonjour madame, c'est Jean Dupont, l'appartement 304. J'ai un problème de chauffage.
Hello ma'am, it's Jean Dupont, apartment 304. I have a heating problem.

Ah non, depuis quand ?
Oh no, since when?

Depuis hier soir. Il fait quatorze degrés dans l'appartement.
Since last night. It's fourteen degrees in the apartment.

C'est urgent alors. Je vais envoyer le technicien aujourd'hui même.
That's urgent then. I'll send the technician this very day.

Merci beaucoup. À quelle heure environ ?
Thank you very much. Around what time?

Entre quatorze heures et seize heures. Vous serez là ?
Between 2 pm and 4 pm. Will you be there?

Oui, je serai là. Merci.
Yes, I'll be there. Thanks.

Key vocabulary

un problème	a problem
le chauffage	the heating
depuis hier soir	since last night
urgent / urgente	urgent
envoyer	to send
un technicien	a technician
aujourd'hui même	this very day
entre... et...	between... and...
je serai là	I'll be there

Grammar in this conversation — "depuis" for ongoing problems

A broken thing started in the past and STILL is broken. French uses depuis + the moment it started, with PRESENT tense. "It's been broken since last night" = "C'est cassé depuis hier soir." Don't say "C'était cassé" — that means it WAS broken (and now it isn't).

• Le chauffage ne marche pas depuis hier.
• J'ai mal à la tête depuis ce matin.
• Nous attendons depuis une heure.

Phrases to practise aloud

Bonjour, c'est Jean Dupont, l'appartement 304. — Hello, it's Jean Dupont, apartment 304.

J'ai un problème de chauffage. — I have a heating problem.

Depuis hier soir. Il fait quatorze degrés dans l'appartement. — Since last night. It's fourteen degrees in the apartment.

À quelle heure environ ? — Around what time?

Oui, je serai là. Merci. — Yes, I'll be there. Thanks.

Check your understanding

1. What is broken?
Answer: The heating

2. Since when?
Answer: Last night

3. When will the technician come?
Answer: Today between 2-4pm

4. What's the temperature inside?
Answer: 14°C

Your speaking challenge

Call your landlord. Something is broken in your apartment (heating / hot water / fridge / door — pick one). Say WHAT, WHEN it started, and ask when it can be fixed.

Bonjour, c'est [name], appartement [number]. J'ai un problème de [item]. Ça ne marche plus depuis [time]. Est-ce que vous pouvez envoyer un technicien rapidement ?
Hello, it's [name], apartment [number]. I have a problem with the [item]. It hasn't worked since [time]. Can you send a technician quickly?