Someone has messaged me through FB about an upcoming (May 1st) availability. I *think* it's Spanish but I don't recognize the words at all, I speak not a lick of Spanish so it could be Greek for all I know...

Personally, I reply back to everybody with the same canned response. If they don't speak the language that I converse with my other applicants in, that's not my problem.

I would say it is up to them to have a translator.

Cut and paste into a translation program?

Spanish

French

....

See for me it would be a challenge and make me curious.

Do NOT translate -- that is their responsibility and they should shoulder the risk of mis-translation. Simply respond in English exactly as you would any other inquiry.

She wrote back in perfect English, so was she wondering if I spoke Spanish and just testing?

She wrote back, "Do you really want all that information just to rent a house?"

I said, "No that's to SEE the house. We need way more info to actually rent it."

Thanks. I think I found it.

Took a year of Spanish back in 1977. Been too long and now yo no entiendo es

Took a year of German back in 1972. Been to long and now Ich versta(sp) es nicht.

Just having fun.

I've said this many times as a person who didn't speak English at home when I was young (still don't a lot of days). They can and will understand when necessary and when they can't or won't, they will get a translator themselves.

GKarl, why don't you make them translate Spanish into English rather than the onus being on you?

If they only speak Spanish, to me that's a pretty good sign that they are here illegally. As such, they can't rent from me.

As I only meet tenants at showings and lease signings (all previous correspondence is via e-mail), that pretty much screens those who don't only speak Spanish.

I won't even ask them: "żHablas ingles, mi amigo?"

...If they only speak Spanish, to me that's a pretty good sign that they are here illegally...

On my Facebook page, if a message comes in another lanaguage underneath it in smaller print is the word Translate. If you click on it, the message is in english.

"GKarl, why don't you make them translate Spanish into English rather than the onus being on you?"

They do that sometimes as well and sometimes I do it. I don't have a problem being understood and do this routinely. We're not writing books here. These are short conversations. In person, both of us will pull out google translate on our phones and communicate that way. I speak into the phone and it translates. They speak into the phone and it translates. If I have to take them to court, the court provides a translator. It's really not a problem and allows me to function with the tenants in this particular area while not being Spanish speaking. Usually for showings, they'll bring someone with them who speaks English.

For a brief period, I ran a tax prep operation in this particular area. For technical discussions, I had a service that we would call for the three way translation.

Sometimes, they speak English but still struggle with it and just prefer their native tongue. Rental business is a far briefer and more direct conversation.

I have one particular tenant now who doesn't speak a lick of English. She works at Walmart with computers and apparently, they hire nothing but Spanish speakers in this particular work unit. All of them like to stay in this particular area because their are so many Spanish speaking merchants and others around. The people with the businesses are generally very fluent in English and they also tend to be the leaders in the community. I've gotten to know some of them and it's been an eye opening experience---but that's another topic.

Anyone who really wants to reach you will have an English speaking relative call. I had difficulty w Chinese tenent who couldn't do Trans union verification. TU could do Cantonese but the tenant was hamong. I didn't trust their explanation since the daughter speaks English but took them with a guarantor and knowing they work w first tenant and run a Japanese restaurant. I can talk to the first tenant and his wife is conversing to him in Chinese and he is asking me more questions, so I know she understands even though she pretends not to.

Some of my longest, best paying, least complaining residents do not speak English.

At one point 20% of our homes were non-English speakers and helped save us during the recsession.

My lease is clear: tje language of this lease contract is American English.

There are other countries in the world besides America .Its not the hub of the Universe, Not by a long shot!..............Charlie..................

Sweetie and I took a Spanish class last year. We have many Latinos in the area and sometimes they become tenants.

Although we require American English in our contracts and communications, we have found it very helpful to speak at least a little Spanish. We used it today to ask the name of the new baby!