Legally attracting hispanics

I’m not trying to be racist, but I can’t help notice the flawless, on-time paying, non-rule breaking, no drama culture of the Hispanics in my park. The numbers speak for themselves. What are some good ways to attract more Hispanics without being discriminatory against hillbillies?

You have to be very careful here, as you do not want to violate Fair Housing. You should start off by reading the Fair Housing handbook, which is free from the U.S. government – it will keep you out of trouble. The biggest barrier you have in attracting Hispanic tenants is if you do not have someone who is truly bilingual to answer the phone or talk to potential residents in person. You might want to change over to a bilingual manager – that would be the most important first step. And don’t be misled by applicants into believing that having a couple years of high school Spanish makes you bilingual. Speaking a language fluently requires a whole lot more. I took four years of Spanish in high school, and while I can read and write Spanish, I cannot talk anywhere near fast enough to be actually conversationally fluent.

Screening of applicants is the key to selecting the best tenant profile for your business. Rule number one in screening applicants is when rejecting an applicant never give a reason.

“I am sorry your aplication has been denied”

When/if they ask why they have been rejected simply state that you do not provide that information or add that you are either still interviewing candidates or have found a more qualified candidate.

End of conversation.

Pay your current residents referrals for good tenants. Maybe a $50 gift card to Wal-Mart. And, maybe give them something else if the new tenant stays for the whole lease term, pays on time, whatever.

James (Ala.)

Advertise in a hispanic newspaper. Place ads in Spanish in the Penny Saver or other ‘English’ publications.

-jl-