Landlord Talk

How to talk to your landlord in Spanish

Q: Should I use tú or usted with my landlord?

Usted. Landlords in Latin America almost always expect the formal register, especially for money topics. Pair it with conditionals — ¿podría…?, ¿sería posible…? — which sound professional rather than demanding.

Q: What's the difference between renta, alquiler, and arriendo?

All three mean rent — the difference is regional. Mexico and Central America: la renta. Argentina and Chile: el alquiler. Colombia: el arriendo. Pick your region's word and stay consistent.

Report a repair, question a lease, and handle a late rent payment — politely, in formal Spanish, out loud.

CONVERSATION PACK · 6 LESSONS · B1

Use usted — Latin American landlords expect the formal register, especially around money. Soften every request with the conditional: ¿podría…?, ¿sería posible…? sound professional where quiero sounds demanding. And know your region's word for rent: la renta in Mexico, el alquiler in Argentina, el arriendo in Colombia.

Below: the phrases that carry the conversation, what locals actually say, the mistakes that give you away — and a way to rehearse the whole call out loud before you have it for real.

Say this

The phrases that carry the conversation

Reporting a repair issue

Le escribo porque la regadera no da agua caliente.I'm writing because the shower has no hot water.
Hay una gotera en el techo de la sala desde ayer.There's a leak in the living room ceiling since yesterday.
¿Cuándo podría venir alguien a revisarlo?When could someone come to check it?
Es bastante urgente porque está empeorando.It's pretty urgent because it's getting worse.

Late payment conversations

Le llamo porque se me va a retrasar el pago de este mes.I'm calling because my payment this month is going to be late.
Tuve un gasto imprevisto y estoy resolviéndolo.I had an unexpected expense and I'm sorting it out.
¿Podría pagar la mitad ahora y la otra mitad el quince?Could I pay half now and the other half on the fifteenth?
Le prometo que no volverá a pasar.I promise it won't happen again.

Negotiating rent or lease terms

Me encanta el lugar, pero el precio está un poco fuera de mi presupuesto.I love the place, but the price is a bit out of my budget.
¿Habría alguna flexibilidad si firmo por dos años?Would there be any flexibility if I sign for two years?
He sido un buen inquilino, siempre pago a tiempo.I've been a good tenant, I always pay on time.
¿Podríamos acordar un aumento menor este año?Could we agree on a smaller increase this year?

Regional Spanish

What locals actually say

Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.

English	Mexico	Argentina
rent	la renta	el alquiler
apartment	el depa	el depto
shower	la regadera	la ducha
deposit	el mes de garantía	el mes de adelanto

Watch out

Mistakes that mark you as a textbook speaker

Using 'renta' vs 'alquiler' inconsistently — both are correct but regional.in Mexico/Central America use 'renta'; in South America 'alquiler' is more common. Pick one and stay consistent.
Saying 'quiero' instead of 'quisiera' for requests to a landlord.the conditional 'quisiera' or 'me gustaría' sounds dramatically more polite in formal housing contexts.
Confusing 'arrendador' (landlord) with 'arrendatario' (tenant).if you're the one paying, you're the arrendatario or inquilino.

The part no phrase list can do

Rehearse it before it's real

Isabella

Your conversation teacher for this pack

In the Landlord Talk pack, the final lesson is a live phone call — and Isabella plays your landlord: old-school, fair, strictly usted, confirms every time on a paper calendar she keeps in her pocket. There's water dripping from your ceiling, and this month's rent is going to be a few days late. You have to handle both. Out loud. And she talks back:

Isabella says the plumber can only come next Monday — student must push for sooner without sounding demanding
She brings up that rent is due tomorrow before the student can raise the late-payment issue — student must pivot smoothly using 'le llamo también porque...'
She hints that next year's rent will go up — student must use 'he sido un buen inquilino' and conditional to negotiate a smaller increase

Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.

Finish the 6 lessons and Landlord Talk is yours — earned, not given.

First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Should I use tú or usted with my landlord?

Usted. Landlords in Latin America almost always expect the formal register, especially for money topics. Pair it with conditionals — ¿podría…?, ¿sería posible…? — which sound professional rather than demanding.

What's the difference between renta, alquiler, and arriendo?

All three mean rent — the difference is regional. Mexico and Central America: la renta. Argentina and Chile: el alquiler. Colombia: el arriendo. Pick your region's word and stay consistent.

How do I say "there's a leak" in Spanish?

Hay una gotera en el techo — there's a leak in the ceiling. Add urgency politely: es bastante urgente porque está empeorando (it's quite urgent because it's getting worse).

How do I tell my landlord rent will be late?

Call, don't hide: Le llamo porque se me va a retrasar el pago de este mes (I'm calling because this month's payment will be late). Then propose something concrete: ¿Podría pagar la mitad ahora y la otra mitad el quince? — half now, half on the fifteenth. Close with agradezco mucho su comprensión.

How do I negotiate a rent increase in Spanish?

Lead with your record: He sido un buen inquilino, siempre pago a tiempo (I've been a good tenant, I always pay on time). Then trade something: ¿Habría alguna flexibilidad si firmo por dos años? — would there be flexibility if I sign for two years? The conditional keeps it professional, not demanding.