How can Community Organizers help clients negotiate with landlords?

1 Understand the context

Before you start any negotiation, you need to understand the context of the situation. What are the rights and responsibilities of both the tenants and the landlords? What are the laws and regulations that apply to the rental agreement? What are the main issues or concerns that each side has? What are the possible solutions or alternatives that could satisfy both parties? You can research these questions online, consult with legal experts, or talk to other organizers who have experience in this field. This will help you prepare yourself and your clients for the negotiation process.

2 Build rapport and trust

One of the key factors that can influence the outcome of a negotiation is the level of rapport and trust between the parties. As a community organizer, you can help your clients build rapport and trust with their landlords by establishing a respectful and professional communication. You can do this by using active listening skills, acknowledging the other side's perspective, expressing empathy and appreciation, and avoiding accusatory or hostile language. You can also help your clients establish credibility and legitimacy by providing relevant information, evidence, or references that support their position or proposal.

3 Focus on interests, not positions

Another important factor that can affect the negotiation process is the difference between interests and positions. Interests are the underlying needs, values, or goals that motivate each party, while positions are the specific demands or requests that each party makes. Often, parties focus on their positions and ignore their interests, which can lead to a deadlock or a win-lose situation. As a community organizer, you can help your clients focus on their interests and identify the common or compatible interests that they share with their landlords. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, exploring the reasons behind each party's position, and reframing the issues in terms of mutual benefits or shared values.

4 Generate options and criteria

Once you have identified the interests of both parties, you can help your clients generate options and criteria for a possible agreement. Options are the different ways that the parties can satisfy their interests, while criteria are the standards or principles that the parties can use to evaluate the options. As a community organizer, you can help your clients generate options and criteria by brainstorming with them, encouraging creativity and flexibility, and avoiding premature judgment or commitment. You can also help your clients prioritize their options and criteria by ranking them according to their importance or feasibility.

5 Negotiate and agree

The final step of the negotiation process is to negotiate and agree on a solution that meets the interests of both parties. As a community organizer, you can help your clients negotiate and agree by facilitating the dialogue, clarifying the issues, summarizing the points, and resolving any misunderstandings or conflicts. You can also help your clients use effective negotiation techniques, such as making concessions, trading off, or bundling. You can also help your clients reach a durable and satisfactory agreement by making sure that it is clear, realistic, and fair. You can do this by writing down the terms, verifying the details, and confirming the consent of both parties.

As a community organizer, you can help your clients negotiate with their landlords by following these steps and strategies. By doing so, you can empower your clients to advocate for their rights and interests, and foster a positive and cooperative relationship with their landlords.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?