6 Ways To Get Emergency Rent Assistance

One monthly bill that cannot be placed on the backburner is rent because if you don’t pay on time, you could end up living on the streets. Whether you recently lost your job, saw a dip in income, or had an expensive emergency, here are some moves you can make to come up with that rent payment.

Communicate with your landlord.

Before you start looking for ways to scrounge up the cash for your rent, it’s best to be informed. You need clarity on the situation, so you know exactly what you’re up against, and you can find it in your lease.

Look for the part in your lease that discusses late payments and evictions so you can know your rights as a tenant. In many cases, it takes 90 days for eviction to begin. If this is true with your lease, you have a bit of time on your side to get your finances in order, as you could miss this month’s payment and make it the next.

Once you know where you stand by reading your lease, get in touch with your landlord. Tell them your situation and ask if you can pay at a later date. If you have some cash at the moment, you could ask if a partial payment is okay until you get the rest of the money.

By simply communicating, your landlord will probably be more willing to work with you than if you avoid them.

Ask friends and family.

One of the quickest and hassle-free ways to get emergency rental assistance is through your connections. Discuss your issues with friends and family and ask them for a short-term loan.

Get a payroll advance.

Your employer may be willing to give you a payroll advance so you can pay the rent on time.

Look for nonprofits.

You can get help paying your rent and utility bills when emergency strikes via nonprofit organizations like the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. Are they your only options here? No, but they are the most popular.

You can find local nonprofits and religious organizations by calling 211. An operator can inform you of any organizations offering emergency rent assistance in your area and other resources to help you get back on your feet.

Another option would be to get a grant from Modest Needs. They can give you emergency rental assistance and help with other financial issues through donors looking to give a hand to those in need.

 Start a GoFundMe.

Think of this as a way to ask friends, family, and strangers for last-minute rent assistance. You’d be surprised at how quickly a GoFundMe could give you the cash you need to pay your landlord. To make it work, you’ll need to be convincing in your campaign and describe why you need the money.

 Get help from the government.

Unlike the other resources in this list, the government isn’t a true form of “emergency” rental assistance due to the time it takes to get funding. Still, you can use a program like Section 8 to get rental help in the future regularly, so you don’t run into this issue again. To learn more about Section 8 housing vouchers, go here.