diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
index d094d88c24..9ca9d3261d 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { Group } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import RoomTile from "../views/rooms/RoomTile";
 import LazyRenderList from "../views/elements/LazyRenderList";
+import {_t} from "../../languageHandler";
 
 // turn this on for drop & drag console debugging galore
 const debug = false;
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ const RoomSubList = React.createClass({
         list: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.object).isRequired,
         label: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
         tagName: PropTypes.string,
+        addRoomLabel: PropTypes.string,
 
         order: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
 
@@ -232,7 +234,11 @@ const RoomSubList = React.createClass({
         let addRoomButton;
         if (this.props.onAddRoom) {
             addRoomButton = (
-                <AccessibleButton onClick={ this.props.onAddRoom } className="mx_RoomSubList_addRoom" />
+                <AccessibleButton
+                    onClick={ this.props.onAddRoom }
+                    className="mx_RoomSubList_addRoom"
+                    title={this.props.addRoomLabel || _t("Add room")}
+                />
             );
         }
 
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
index 33b97964f6..ef7d0ed5fb 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
@@ -750,6 +750,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 order: "recent",
                 incomingCall: incomingCallIfTaggedAs('im.vector.fake.direct'),
                 onAddRoom: () => {dis.dispatch({action: 'view_create_chat'})},
+                addRoomLabel: _t("Start chat"),
             },
             {
                 list: this.state.lists['im.vector.fake.recent'],
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 2eebd16bcf..c2e633d566 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -797,6 +797,7 @@
     "Invites": "Invites",
     "Favourites": "Favourites",
     "People": "People",
+    "Start chat": "Start chat",
     "Rooms": "Rooms",
     "Low priority": "Low priority",
     "Historical": "Historical",
@@ -1056,7 +1057,6 @@
     "Unable to load event that was replied to, it either does not exist or you do not have permission to view it.": "Unable to load event that was replied to, it either does not exist or you do not have permission to view it.",
     "<a>In reply to</a> <pill>": "<a>In reply to</a> <pill>",
     "Room directory": "Room directory",
-    "Start chat": "Start chat",
     "And %(count)s more...|other": "And %(count)s more...",
     "ex. @bob:example.com": "ex. @bob:example.com",
     "Add User": "Add User",
@@ -1474,6 +1474,7 @@
     "Sent messages will be stored until your connection has returned.": "Sent messages will be stored until your connection has returned.",
     "Active call": "Active call",
     "There's no one else here! Would you like to <inviteText>invite others</inviteText> or <nowarnText>stop warning about the empty room</nowarnText>?": "There's no one else here! Would you like to <inviteText>invite others</inviteText> or <nowarnText>stop warning about the empty room</nowarnText>?",
+    "Add room": "Add room",
     "You seem to be uploading files, are you sure you want to quit?": "You seem to be uploading files, are you sure you want to quit?",
     "You seem to be in a call, are you sure you want to quit?": "You seem to be in a call, are you sure you want to quit?",
     "Search failed": "Search failed",