Denise’s Negotiation to Lease an Apartment

Denise, who experienced homelessness as a result of a job loss, lived in a transitional housing program while she worked to rebuild her life. She took advantage of the educational programs offered at the facility, including enrolling in an 8-week Negotiation Works course. Her successes began to mount: she received disability benefits, began volunteering in a peer support program, and received a housing voucher. At that point, she felt ready to leave the program and move into her own apartment, but she was still uneasy about the apartment-hunting process. Reaching out to potential landlords, she explained, makes her nervous, especially given her shaky credit history. But after considering what landlords look for in a tenant, she realized that her current situation put her in a much stronger position to negotiate with landlords than she had been in just a few years earlier. Landlords want tenants who can pay their rent reliably, she explains confidently, and she knows just how to show potential landlords she’ll be reliable: she’ll point to her steady stream of income (her disability payments) and her government support (the housing voucher). “Every time I talk to a landlord, I think about our negotiation class. And I thank you for the class.”