“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” Charlemagne

I recently needed a Spanish language version of a 24 hour notice. I assumed my Apartment Owners Association would have translated forms, but they did not. I wanted to look into the requirements for forms and contacts and I found Civil Code 1632 from 1976.

CIVIL CODE 1632. I am not an attorney, and I recommend you always check with your real estate attorney prior to doing anything which could legally affect your rental units. You can look up Civil Code 1632, and see certain requirements listed that would appear to affect housing providers. The code mentions people with little or no proficiency in English. They also mention 5 languages that appear most commonly. Those are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Korean.

WHEN DOES THIS APPLY? A sublease or a lease of over 1 year is the item mentioned in the code that most likely would be a concern of housing providers. Rental agreements , in most cases are written in English, but it is important to make sure the prospective tenant is understanding the contract. If not, it could result in recission of the contract, which could result in a long and potentially expensive situation for the housing provider.

WHAT ARE THEY ASKING? They are asking for you to give the prospect a contract in the language of the signer. They do say that if the signer brings their own interpreter who is fluent in the language of the signer and who is not a minor, the requirement would not apply.

WHAT TO DO? If you are signing rental contracts with tenants who are not fluent in English, it may be worth it to provide your regular rental contract in the languages of the signers. I think it would also be wise to have 3 day notices, 30 day notices and 24 hour notices handy in the language of any tenant. If you do this, there can be no chance of misunderstanding. This is better for you and for your tenants. If you keep the forms on your computer, they will be there when you need them. Be sure to update your forms if changes are made in your original forms. You will most likely, come across prospective tenants who are not fluent in English so it makes sense to have all the right tools for your management business.

In honor of the baseball playoffs:

“They don’t boo nobodies.” Reggie Jackson

What we at PRS PROPERTIES CAN DO. We can give you a good idea of the current value of your building. We can suggest changes you might want to make before sale to give you an idea what type of building you would be able to exchange into. You may decide to stay in the rental business. We are always available to chat. We can give you referrals for professionals, such as lenders, contractors, and engineers, so that you can decide who you feel best with. We can supply you with rent and sale comparable in the area of your properties, so that you know what rental values are in your area. It is important that you know the true value of your rental units, so that you can get them rented right away at market value, or at least as much as possible with rent control restrictions. We can look at potential purchases that you may be interested in to make the property more desirable, and maybe look at potential issues that an insurer might require you to repair.

If you should decide to sell your building, we can help you exchange into a larger or smaller properties. We can even help you move into something with less management responsibilities. We can also help with getting the paperwork together for a refinance if that is your desire. We can also recommend experienced licensed contractors who can perform any repairs or installations you may need prior to selling. We can also look at your building for other easy and inexpensive changes that might allow you to get a higher value. We can help you to get the maximum value for your property, should you decide to sell, or the maximum return if you are planning to keep your building.

We are currently looking for “as-is” properties and are willing to purchase with low rents, deferred maintenance or even with a problem tenant in place. We can offer a 7 day escrow and all cash at closing. Give us a call. We have also put together numerous transactions over the years which involve properties that are not listed for sale. Many investors are currently in 1031 exchanges and need to identify a replacement property before their 45 day identification period runs out.

Should you decide to put your property on the market, we will put together an aggressive, targeted and professional campaign to get your property sold fast. We have been doing this for over 40 years, and we will use all the tools available to bring you the most dollars at closing. If you are thinking of selling or are just curious about the value of your property, don’t hesitate to give us a call.