Five tips for when a prospective tenant doesn’t speak English

Do you sometimes find yourself having trouble communicating with a prospective tenant? If you're in California, the answer may very well be yes. In the Golden State, nearly half of residents do not speak English at home. In the following paragraphs, we'll provide some tips for navigating rental situations in which there's a language barrier between the landlord and applicant for housing.

Key documents in multiple languages: Consider preparing your rental application and lease documents in multiple languages. The top five languages other than English that are spoken by Californians most widely are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean. Making the effort to include extra translations in your rental materials can help foster an environment of trust and respect between both parties so everyone can feel secure in their decision to rent from you.

Respect the tenant's language preference: Respect is a critical element in communication, and that includes respecting a prospective tenant's preferred language. It's up to landlords to try to accommodate a tenant's language preference by finding ways to effectively communicate and understand their needs. Providing materials or professional interpretation services, either virtually or in-person, can be helpful.

Learn more with CAA's webinar Renting to Residents with Limited English Proficiency

Have reliable interpreters available: Rental housing providers can help make the rental process easier for tenants who don't speak English by providing access to reliable interpreters. By doing this, any communication between you and the prospective tenant can be interpreted accurately and efficiently.

Consider using visual aids: Instead of relying completely on verbal communication, landlords might provide visual aids, such as charts or maps, that explain how to use the building's services or how to pay rent every month.

Offer extra support: Landlords might provide tenants with contact information for people who can interpret or translate in the tenant's preferred language if the need arises. Providing this additional resource can make the tenant-landlord process seamless and supports the diversity of languages that exist within communities.