Writing a Hardship Letter to Landlord (with Sample)
Use this sample hardship letter to the landlord as a template for your formal hardship letter.
Last updated on December 3, 2023
Desperate times call for desperate measures and when it comes to the rent, graveling a bit is not out of the question. Most people live paycheck to paycheck and when some emergency expenses arise, it can leave a family strapped for money.
If a major breakdown takes every dime you have, including rent money, you may need to write a hardship letter to landlord and ask for an extension on the rent.
Cash Advance
Asking for an extension may be cheaper than a cash advance loan and easier than borrowing from relatives. After all it is just an extension, you are not asking them to forgive the month in question. Most landlords would rather give an extension to a good tenant than to have to look for new renters.
This letter doesn’t have to be really formal, especially if you have some sort of relationship with the landlord. What the letter does need to be is open and honest. If you had to repair a major part on your car, be sure to tell them.
If a major breakdown takes every dime you have, including rent money, you may need to write a hardship letter to landlord and ask for an extension on the rent.
Cash Advance
Asking for an extension may be cheaper than a cash advance loan and easier than borrowing from relatives. After all it is just an extension, you are not asking them to forgive the month in question. Most landlords would rather give an extension to a good tenant than to have to look for new renters.
This letter doesn’t have to be really formal, especially if you have some sort of relationship with the landlord. What the letter does need to be is open and honest. If you had to repair a major part on your car, be sure to tell them.
Once in Awhile Kind of Thing
Tell them why you are having a hard time. This letter is reserved for those who have a pretty good standing with the landlord, and not someone who is constantly on the verge of being evicted.
A hardship letter is just that, a once in awhile kind of thing. It shouldn’t be overused or it can be seen as an excuse and poor bill management.
To start the letter, put the landlords name and address and a date. Address them personally, rather than using their full legal name. This will force them to see you as having more of a personal relationship rather than just being a tenant.
You want to compel to their generous side with this type of letter, so write with a grateful tone. Start right in on the first paragraph with what issues you are having that is enabling you from coming up with the rent.
Honesty is always the best policy and making up things that are not true can come back to bite later. Try to explain the situation to the best of your abilities.
Tell them why you are having a hard time. This letter is reserved for those who have a pretty good standing with the landlord, and not someone who is constantly on the verge of being evicted.
A hardship letter is just that, a once in awhile kind of thing. It shouldn’t be overused or it can be seen as an excuse and poor bill management.
To start the letter, put the landlords name and address and a date. Address them personally, rather than using their full legal name. This will force them to see you as having more of a personal relationship rather than just being a tenant.
You want to compel to their generous side with this type of letter, so write with a grateful tone. Start right in on the first paragraph with what issues you are having that is enabling you from coming up with the rent.
Honesty is always the best policy and making up things that are not true can come back to bite later. Try to explain the situation to the best of your abilities.
Include Some Specifics
Make sure to include some specifics in the letter. This information can be the rental address, amount of rent, who the lease is written under and anything else that is pertinent. Make sure to tell them when you will be able to pay the rent.
Don’t just leave the conversation open ended. Before a landlord will grant this type of generosity, they are going to want to know when the rent can be paid.
While most people like to feel like they are the only tenants, some landlords have a vast amount of renters and it can be confusing to keep track of all of them.
If you have been a good tenant, it doesn’t hurt to mention it in the letter. If you have been there for five years and never missed a payment, by all means bring it up. Remind them of how much they don’t want to lose you as a tenant by how little trouble you cause.
After all, most landlords are not going to kick a person out after one month of rent that is late, but they may not be happy. Legally, most people can start the eviction proceedings when a tenant is 30 days late on the rent.
Make sure to include some specifics in the letter. This information can be the rental address, amount of rent, who the lease is written under and anything else that is pertinent. Make sure to tell them when you will be able to pay the rent.
Don’t just leave the conversation open ended. Before a landlord will grant this type of generosity, they are going to want to know when the rent can be paid.
While most people like to feel like they are the only tenants, some landlords have a vast amount of renters and it can be confusing to keep track of all of them.
If you have been a good tenant, it doesn’t hurt to mention it in the letter. If you have been there for five years and never missed a payment, by all means bring it up. Remind them of how much they don’t want to lose you as a tenant by how little trouble you cause.
After all, most landlords are not going to kick a person out after one month of rent that is late, but they may not be happy. Legally, most people can start the eviction proceedings when a tenant is 30 days late on the rent.
Hardship Letter to Landlord Sample
Note: Below is a sample hardship letter to landlord. It is a formal business letter and should have no spelling or grammatical errors. The letter should be sent along with any copies of required documents by registered mail with a return receipt requested.
This will make sure the tenant has proof that the letter was received by the landlord. Any enclosures such as bank statements or salary receipts should be copies and not original documents.
Hardship Letter to Landlord Sample
DATE
George Lyman
1640 6th Street
Portsmouth, Ohio 45640
Dear George;
We have been tenants of yours for quite some time. Recently, my wife Laura and I had to put a new fuel pump in our van. The fuel pump was quite expensive, over $600.
We normally would have waited to do such an expensive repair, but the van broke down on the freeway and we had no choice. We are a little short on the rent for the month of October and wanted to know if an extension was possible?
Because of our good rental history with you and that fact that we take such impeccable care of the home, we hope that you will allow this one time extension to us.
We will be able to pay by the 15th of October the full amount of $1500 plus any late fees associated with this payment not being timely. This is for the property located at 1746 Alpine Ave. Waverly, Ohio 43086.
We appreciate your prompt response. We can be reached at 555-870-8756.
Thank You,
Denis Coleman
By Andre Bradley
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