Can’t Pay Your Landlord? Do This For Rental Assistance

Your landlord keeps calling and texting you, wondering why the rent is late. You just lost your job and have no savings, so you’re ignoring those calls and texts. After some time, you find an eviction notice on your door. Now, it’s too late to negotiate with your landlord, as you have to figure out where to move, so you don’t end up on the streets.

That scenario above is one that nobody wants to endure, but it will be your reality if you don’t pay your landlord on time and ignore them. Before we get into ways to find rental assistance to make your housing situation more affordable, let’s take a look at some steps to deal with your landlord if you’ve been late on the rent:

1. Talk to your landlord and explain in detail why the rent is late. Tell them that you lost your job/income, plus what you are doing to fix the situation, whether it’s applying for jobs, selling old stuff, or looking for loans.
2. Write a late rent hardship letter in place of the first step. It’s a more formal way of explaining your situation and may work better if you’re too intimidated to speak to your landlord on the phone or face-to-face.
3. Ask your landlord for a payment plan instead of simply explaining why the rent is late. Even better, ask to lower the rent, so it fits your budget. They may do so to avoid screening new tenants.
4. Look at your lease for a hardship clause. If it has one, you could move out without paying any penalties should you have no desire to stay.

How To Find Rental Assistance

If your landlord doesn’t want to work with you, that means it’s time to look elsewhere. Here are some resources you can use to find rental assistance and put a roof over your head without breaking the bank:

211

Call this number and ask the local operator for emergency rental assistance. They can put you in touch with local charities that can help pay your rent and utility bill or put you in a shelter until you get your finances together.

Your State Social Service Agency

Give them a call to find housing and other forms of assistance. You can find your state social service agency by going here.

Your Public Housing Agency

A PHA can assist you with applying for a Section 8 housing voucher that limits rent to just 30 percent of your income. Although this isn’t emergency rental assistance since vouchers are in high demand and slow to process, it can give you long-term housing help that you need for stability in the future.

You can find your PHA here.

Emergency Rental Assistance Program

This program was put in place to help people negatively impacted by the pandemic. Should you qualify, you could get help paying your past and future rent, utilities, and moving expenses.

To get started, find your local office here.