Not everyone speaks English.

US Flag

Britain is the most racially diverse country in Europe with almost 1.7m people that don’t speak English as their first language, including 168,000 people that don’t speak English at all.

So how do you cater for this massive market? If you are English speaking and they aren’t then it can become a huge barrier that could result in you losing tenants to someone who speaks their language.

Now, we don’t expect you to learn every language in the world just on the off chance you get a non-speaking tenant.

 Statistically, non-English speaking people are still less than 10% of the population.

LettingFix however is prepared for any possibility. It allows tenants to report issues in any of 40 languages (and more on request) and for their issue report to be sent in English to your inbox.

Goodbye language barriers.

However this isn’t a sales blog, we know LettingFix can’t solve all of life’s problems, we understand that at some point face-to-face contact is needed.

So when it comes to the dreaded face-to-face moment, we suggest:

  • Hiring a translator

This can be pricey yes, however it may be necessary, especially when initially signing the tenancy agreement and agreeing on rent, can you really afford any mistakes? We recommend posting your job on here

  • Family member

After speaking to our customers, we found out that most non-English speaking tenants bring along a family member that can speak English to translate. One customer we spoke with told us how the translator was the tenant’s 10-year-old son, this is where you decide whether the best option is to spend money or not. Obviously a 10 year old cannot be held responsible for mistranslating something and especially when it comes to vital details do you want to try and hold someone responsible for it?

  •  Google translate

Google translate is the final option, it isn’t always reliable, it can be translated incorrectly and can be a bit time consuming which will be slightly awkward while having a conversation if you have to keep referring to Google to try and understand what they said.

So you have a number of choices for face-to-face interactions. But remember you won’t have to worry about any of that kind of problem for repair reporting if you sign up to LettingFix.

(Ok, we lied; it might have been a bit sales-y)

 

 

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Autumn Budget 2026: Property industry reaction

Following today’s Autumn Budget, reaction from property industry experts on six key areas for the property market. First-time buyer support: The £4.7bn Your First Home equity loan scheme, supporting 70,000 buyers, alongside the introduction of a new First Time Buyer ISA. Inflation and borrowing costs: The extension of the fuel duty freeze, household energy support…
Read More →
Breaking News

Can you legally BAN Halloween Trick or Treaters?

People who dread the annual knock of trick-or-treaters may have more power to keep Halloween callers away than they realise. As millions of children prepare to take to the streets on October 31, a property law expert has explained what homeowners can do if they do not want strangers walking up their path or knocking…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

What the sector need to do differently to give first time buyers a chance

By Peter Hawley, Director, SOWN (part of LRG) The mortgage and property sector needs to stop assuming that younger buyers are either ready to buy outright or not ready at all. For many, the reality is somewhere in between. They may have stable employment, a deposit and a strong desire to own, but still find…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

The 50-property tipping point: when landlords need a different approach

By Adam Hills, Client Services Director, LRG Living Markets A sizeable residential property portfolio can create significant opportunities for long-term income and capital growth. But as it expands, so does the complexity of managing it effectively. For landlords with 50 or more properties, the challenge extends well beyond finding tenants or collecting rent to communication,…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Home is where the stress is

Couples find first-time buying more anxiety-inducing than buying solo First-time buying: Anxiety doubles when finding a home with your partner! Stress and anxiety significantly increase when buying a first home with your partner compared to flying solo The likes of searching for a property, applying for mortgages and progressing through the legalities are all significantly…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 28/10/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   If Zoopla is for sale, then so are you Thought leadership by Olivier Jauniaux Founder of NestLink On 14 August, Providence Equity Partners announced it had agreed to acquire Hometrack from ZPG. Bloomberg confirmed the seller the same day. Terms were not disclosed, though Real Deals, citing…
Read More →