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Ask your landlord for repairs clearly and calmly

Practice: Setting limits and rules. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

Two things in your apartment are broken. Email your landlord under 100 words: the first sentence asks for both repairs, then exactly 2 numbered lines, one per problem, each with the date it started. Offer your entry windows, ask him to reply with a repair date by Friday, and keep it calm with no legal threats or talk of withholding rent. Write a prompt that gets that email.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Not setting the shape. The AI writes a long paragraph that mixes both problems together. Try: Show it: "Exactly 2 numbered lines like: 1. Dishwasher: not draining since Tuesday, Oct 28."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 100 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "Each line under 16 words; 4 short sentences total."
  • Burying the ask. The AI opens with pleasantries and how long you've lived there. Try: Say it: "First sentence asks him to repair the dishwasher and faucet."
  • Using the wrong date. Your notes show Nov 1 before the correction. The AI may copy it. Try: Add: "The faucet started Sunday, Nov 2."
  • Threatening or forgetting times. The AI may pass on the neighbor's withholding-rent idea, or skip when someone can come in. Try: Add: "Offer Tue/Thu after 4 pm or Saturday before noon, and ask for a repair date by Friday. No legal talk."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Leads with the ask
  • Uses the right dates
  • Offers entry times
  • Keeps it calm

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