Landlord Talk
Report a repair, question a lease, and handle a late rent payment — politely, in formal Spanish, out loud.
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.
The warm-up pack
The phrases that carry the hard calls — the repair, the late rent, the renewal — politely, in formal Spanish.
01 · Ask what's included
¿Los servicios están incluidos en el precio de la renta?
Are utilities included in the rent price?
Ask this on the tour, before you're attached to the apartment — it's a normal, expected question, not a red flag.
02 · Ask about the deposit
¿Cuánto es el depósito y cuándo se devuelve?
How much is the deposit and when is it returned?
Get the return timeline in words now — it's the detail landlords conveniently leave out of casual conversation.
03 · Open a repair request
Le escribo porque la regadera no da agua caliente.
I'm writing because the shower has no hot water. (Regadera is Mexican Spanish — la ducha elsewhere.)
Le escribo porque is the fixed opener for any issue — swap in whatever's actually broken and the rest follows the same shape.
04 · Name the actual problem
Hay una gotera en el techo de la sala desde ayer.
There's a leak in the living room ceiling since yesterday.
Location plus desde cuándo is what turns a vague complaint into something a landlord can actually act on.
05 · Say it's urgent without sounding dramatic
Es bastante urgente porque está empeorando.
It's pretty urgent because it's getting worse.
Bastante softens urgente just enough — it reads as concerned, not panicked, which lands better in formal usted.
06 · Ask for a time
¿Cuándo podría venir alguien a revisarlo?
When could someone come to check it?
Podría instead of puede is the conditional doing its job — same question, noticeably more polite.
07 · Play your track record
He sido un buen inquilino, siempre pago a tiempo.
I've been a good tenant, I always pay on time.
Said right before you ask for anything — flexibility, a repair, a smaller increase — this is the actual leverage you have.
08 · The hard call, opened right
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.
Calling instead of avoiding it, and naming the problem in the first sentence, keeps a late payment from looking like a dodge.
09 · Propose something concrete
¿Podría pagar la mitad ahora y la otra mitad el quince?
Could I pay half now and the other half on the fifteenth?
Don't just apologize — propose a plan. A specific date and split is what a landlord can actually say yes to.
10 · Close the hard conversation well
Agradezco mucho su comprensión en esta situación.
I really appreciate your understanding in this situation.
Said once the plan is agreed, not before — it closes the call on gratitude instead of leaving the awkwardness hanging.
11 · Negotiate the next year
¿Habría alguna flexibilidad si firmo por dos años?
Would there be any flexibility if I sign for two years?
Trading a longer commitment for a smaller increase is a real negotiation, not a favor — habría keeps it low-pressure.
FLUENT
Finally, someone to talk to in Spanish.
Ten-minute spoken lessons. A teacher who answers back — and gently fixes what you got wrong.
First 10 lessons freeandbefluent.com/spanish/landlord-talkRegional Spanish
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
The part no phrase list can do
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:
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
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
