I have a Spanish speaking family that has filled out a prescreen form. They filled it out in Spanish. I was able to translate it into English, on my desk top computer. They say, in the comment section, that they only speak Spanish. Otherwise than that, they would pass the prescreen to view the house.

How do I handle communicating with them if I show them the house?

If they fill out an application, it will be in Spanish, most likely. How do I handle that?

Obviously, I won't really be able to do much in the way of a background or credit check.

They may have a kid that can translate, but not sure.

How do you suggest I proceed?

Is there a way for me to translate using my phone?

For my internationals, I go to google.translate.com and communicate via text. It will never be entirely accurate-- sometimes a small working knowledge of Spanish helps you identify what's meant vs what comes out-- but it will help. Sometimes a particular dialect will choose a word that the program doesn't expect, and they translate it with a synonym. Or "si" as in "yes" actually has an accent mark, but "si" as in "if" has no accent mark. So sometimes if they don't type it correctly, and it's a yes/no question, and they answer "if", you just know they didn't have the accent before feeding it to the program. Or the polite form of "you" is in the third person, so sometimes they're talking about that-guy-over-there when they're actually talking with respect to me. That kind of stuff.

Deanne and Robert Ontario, do you text through Google translate, or how are you doing that exactly?

When using the iphone to hover over a text, do you have to use an app to do this, the camera, or your just simply hovering your phone over theirs?

Do you use the translator-with-camera-view app only for lease signing?

Sorry for my confusion.

Ah, my mistake. I got mixed up. translate.google.com should be the actual site. I gave google.translate.com instead.

Usually what I actually do is do a search for "spanish to english translation". That usually pops up two text boxes, with drop down menus, and you select your to/from language. Then I copy and paste my text message from them into the Spanish, and turn it into English, and then I write my answer in the box, and translate into Spanish, and copy and paste the Spanish and text it to them.

If you have an iphone, these are the steps for translating blocks of text:

support.apple.com/guide/iphone/translate-with-the-camera-view-iphea8b95631/ios

When you say "Obviously I won't be able to do a background or credit check", it sounds like you're assuming that they don't have US government identification. Just because they don't speak English doesn't mean they're not legal.

I don't know what you asked on the prescreen, but income verification is key. I rent to a lot of Latinos. Some Latinos work for drug cartels, and some are the most humble, grateful, hardworking people you'll ever meet. If you can rent to the latter, you'll have the best tenants ever. Look in their eyes. You'll be able to see.

Communication is easy with Google translate. Here's how you can protect yourself: talk to their boss to verify income. Do the in-home visit! See how they interact with each other.

When you say "Obviously I won't be able to do a background or credit check", it sounds like you're assuming that they don't have US government identification. Just because they don't speak English doesn't mean they're not legal.

I don't know what you asked on the prescreen, but income verification is key. I rent to a lot of Latinos. Some Latinos work for drug cartels, and some are the most humble, grateful, hardworking people you'll ever meet. If you can rent to the latter, you'll have the best tenants ever. Look in their eyes. You'll be able to see.

Communication is easy with Google translate. Here's how you can protect yourself: talk to their boss to verify income. Do the in-home visit! See how they interact with each other.

Ditto what Jason said. To my knowledge, you are not required to learn a foreign language to be a landlord. If they don't speak (or read/write) English, they will not understand your lease, how to deal with utility company, or how to follow your process and procedures.

I've seen it mentioned here previously and also other areas of life ... using google translate (or whatever). I absolutely, positively disagree with this. Make them bring their own translator. If there is a he said/she said situation at some point I can all but guarantee it will go against you because they relied on YOU being able to accurately communicate with them since you attempted to do so.

Thank you everyone for the replies thus far.

I have been figuring out how to use, at least some, translate on my iphone when using text. I have decided to meet this family at the house and see how that goes. Usually the Spanish speaking will have a kid and the kid translates. This particular person is texting in Spanish.

Cooperation in any language means THEY should do the translation, not you. Google Translate works both way. Tell them you do not speak Spanish, let them figure it out.

OT 2016, I think, or 20167: we were in Mexico for a wedding, and had arrived at the bus station to take the bus from Merida to Cancun. 12 of us! We were going to the airport as the flights were way cheaper than from Merida. Bus ride was 4 hours...we were cutting it close but it worked if everything worked.

Bus station workers had NO English, we had NO Spanish.

For mine, I've always had my tenants (regardless of nationality) initial the bottom corner of the page to show they understand and agree to everything discussed on that page. Then it's a very simple matter to confirm, "Are these your initials on this page?" if it's ever necessary. Like my Americans, some of my internationald read carefully and ask questions, and some don't care because this is the hoop to jump through to get the house, so they'll jump. None of the Central/South Americans seem to have a cultural tradition of initialing things in a legal sense, so I always have to explain it.

Thank you again everyone.

I ended up showing to 4 different Spanish speaking families, or parts thereof, and none spoke English. I am meeting with more of the same tomorrow. I believe I officially live in Little Mexico now.

I haven't been getting any inquiries much, so I decided to put a sign up. Now I am getting plenty of the Spanish but no others. Spent 3 hours today trying to speak to each other. That's not going to work.

...Nicole, let's say that they do bring a translator for viewing, applying, and signing a lease. What about after that, and how will that help in court?...

I have partners in some apartment properties located in Korea-town, Los Angeles. A melting pot of culture and languages. One partner, Bob L speaks well over a dozen languages fluently and was learning a new language every few months after his retirement. He hated real estate but had to help his wife, Ellen, when showing units during her open house's. I have a few properties with them going back to 1987. Ellen, the wife only spoke English and Spanish. I speak 5 languages well and have other I struggle with.

So Bob and I enjoyed showing units and speaking other languages, such as Spanish, French, German, Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, Korean, Chinese and others. BUT!!!! The City of Los Angeles made a ruling:

When you show a rental and negotiate the tenancy in a foreign language, YOU MUST ALWAYS PROVIDE DOCUMENTS IN THEIR NATIVE TONGUE!

The cost to translate a lease and supporting documents in a dozen languages was cost prohibitive. So instead, the renter has to bring their own translator and sign a document that we are not responsible for any mistakes due to improper translation.

So now I pretend I'm a stupid American and can only speak English. Then after the lease is signed and the tenant moves in, I sometimes will speak in my tenants native language.

The few times I have had non-English speakers they always provided a translator.

Sometimes it was tricky when I showed up at the apartment and the translator was not there. I took one year of Spanish back in High School. That and what I have picked up over the years does little to help me.

Last Spanish speaker I had was before phones had translation apps. What a world we live in now.

I have one Indian family in a place. She speaks English pretty well. He is not fluent at all. The kid is too young but TV is helping her to pick up certain words. First day I met them the daughter was running around saying orange. It was funny.

First, I want to say I plan on consulting with a estate planner, but I would like some ideas before I meet with him. This is the situation. I am in love with someone who is 20 years older than I am. We plan to get married and buy a house together. He owns a condo he plans to sell and put the proceeds into the new house. I plan to add whatever monies are needed. I do not plan on selling anything I do not want to incure capital gains taxes. I will have funds to add to house purchase. I have watched friends in second marriages have to leave houses 6 months after their spouse death because heirs want to sell house. I understand his kids will want the money, however i do not want to go through the 2nd trauma of moving/financial situation after his death. He took 5 years to remove his first wife’s clothes from the closet. Ideas on how to deal with heirs and not create a housing situation for me. Thanks.

Thank you everyone.

Thank you, Nicole.

In the hood and before google translate exists .... I kept a pocket full of single dollar bills.

When I arrived at the house the kids would RUN to be by my side to translate for the older peeps. Of course I gave the a couple bucks ... everyone was happy.