Housing Mediation
Get Workable Solutions
Are you a landlord/housing management or a tenant involved in a rental housing dispute? Your situation could benefit from mediation.
Call ☎️ 541-386-1283 or 📧 email Michael at or Ona at
What We Do for Landlords & Tenants
Our free housing mediation program is one option to consider for parties who are in conflict. The parties and mediators may decide that other options are more likely to reach resolution, or everyone may decide to give mediation a chance. Mediation is a confidential and voluntary process. All parties participate because they believe it is in their best interest to do so. If at any point you or your mediators feel that mediation is not benefiting the situation, the process is stopped.
Mediation Is A Voluntary Process. Here’s What To Do:
- Call Six Rivers for your initial confidential evaluation.
- Work with a Six Rivers mediator to determine the best next step; this may include communicating with the other person, getting referrals for other kinds of assistance, or exploring other options.
- If mediation might work, people may agree to “shuttle mediation,” where the mediator talks with each party separately. Sometimes, the parties choose to meet in person or virtually to have a conversation. Either form of mediation can be rewarding
Mediators at Six Rivers Are:
- Impartial third-party listeners and conversation guides.
- Different from judges, arbitrators, or decision makers—we empower the parties themselves to make the best decisions they can.
- A great resource for referrals to other kinds of help when needed: housing assistance, legal advice, and more.
What can a housing mediator do:
- The mediator serves as a neutral third party who listens respectfully to all parties.
- The mediator helps the parties communicate with one another safely and respectfully.
- The mediator helps the parties explore ideas and how to express accepted ideas in an agreement that is durable and reliable, and that can, if desired, be written and filed with the courts or taken to attorneys for review.
What can a housing mediator NOT do?
- Mediators cannot give any party legal or financial advice.
- Mediators cannot provide counseling.
- Mediators cannot advocate for any party or “take sides.”
All Parties:
- Can always seek legal advice at any point.
- Can always pause or end the mediation.
- Can always speak privately to the mediator with questions or concerns.
What are the parties asked for in mediation?
- Each party is asked to listen to the other party’s ideas, and to acknowledge that mediation is one option among many for seeking conflict resolution.
- Each party is expected to share ideas and feelings respectfully.
- Each party is encouraged to seek professional advice if needed (from attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, therapists), etc.
Topics may include:
- Late or missing rent
- Pet concerns
- Repairs and damages
- Additional occupants
- Rule violations
- Neighbor or roommate complaints
- Vacate dates,
- And more!
Contact us Today:
For more information about this free service, please call ☎️ 541-386-1283 or 📧 email
Conflict Resolution Specialists
Offices in Hood River and Goldendale
Seeking Legal Help
Six Rivers cannot advocate for parties or provide legal advice. We encourage parties to consider the option of consulting counsel for help with legal questions.
Oregon: One way to get started with this is to contact the Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service: 503-684-3763 or toll-free in Oregon at 800-452-7636.Oregon Law Help: www.oregonlawhelp.org
Washington: consider contacting the Washington Bar Association. The Washington State Bar Association Lawyer Directory can be reached by going to http://pro.wsba.org/ (once there, click Lawyer Directory). Also you can also call the WSBA Service Center: 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA or email the WSBA at: .
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t think we can agree on anything?
By agreeing to participate in mediation, you can take an important step toward resolving a dispute. The goal of the mediation is to reach an agreement that all participants find reasonable and in their best interests.
What happens in a mediation session?
Each party gets a chance to talk about the situation from their perspective; without interruption, sometimes in the presence of the other party and sometimes with only the mediators present. The mediator will facilitate the discussion by establishing ground rules and guiding participants through a process of discovery and communication. Some of the techniques may be familiar, such as “brainstorming”, but the mediation process itself is indeed a unique experience. The mediator is there to help the parties decide what the important issues are, explore misunderstandings, illuminate listening techniques and discover solutions.
What happens when we find a solution?
If an agreement is reached, a written agreement will be drafted and each party will sign the agreement.
How much time will it take?
Each mediation is different. In most cases Six Rivers maintains a 2 ½ hour maximum for each session, and the majority of cases are resolved within one or two 2 ½ hour mediations. Breaks are generally allowed; speak to your mediator at the beginning of the session about how you prefer to handle breaks.
Is this meeting confidential?
Yes. The mediator(s) will keep confidential everything you say during the mediation. At the beginning of the mediation, you will be asked to sign a “Consent to Mediate” agreement to keep matters discussed in the mediation confidential. The mediator(s) will review the agreement with you and answer any questions you may have at that time. Mediation confidentiality covers mediators as well, and includes requests for information from the courts.
Will the mediator tell us what to do?
Case managers and mediators are not lawyers and will not give you legal advice. If at any point in the process you would like to seek legal advice, you retain the right to do so. Your mediators will act as impartial third-parties, listeners, translators, and conversation guides; they will not act as judges, arbitrators, or decision makers. Any decisions made in mediation will be agreed upon by the mediating parties, and memorialized in an agreement that you then can file through the courts, if necessary. We also offer post-mediation options for partnering with a collaborative attorney to draw up legal paperwork.
Interested in Mediation Services?
We offer up to one hour of free, confidential consultation to explore your options and see if mediation is a good fit for your situation. You can speak to a trained, neutral mediator about what’s going on, clarify the issues, and get initial conflict coaching. Six Rivers DRC staff will contact the other party to see if they want to move ahead with a facilitated conversation, either jointly or separately. All conversations we may have with you or the other party will remain confidential. Once all parties agree to mediation, Six Rivers DRC staff will coordinate a time that works well for all parties involved to sit down and have a productive conversation.
Testimonials
“…Thank you for the session…I’m truly grateful…such a weight lifted.”
“…Our tenants have been great about making consistent rent payments since we met. It’s a real success story.…Thank you again…!”
“(The mediator) was an incredibly resourceful and compassionate helper. He helped us craft communications…and we successfully de-escalated the situation, (despite) a very, very rocky start. He (offered) emotional support…when we felt alone, frightened, and angry. I would have no difficulty believing (he)…was an actual angel sent by God 🙂
“…I am blown away (that) such a service (housing mediation) is out there…free of charge. (The mediator) went above and beyond and…brought the other party to the table. Thank you!”
“…A complex situation…handled very well to a successful resolution. Mediation…is a valuable tool for relieving congestion in the court system. I would highly recommend this program to anyone.
“…I’m so grateful to have (Six Rivers available to our community. Without mediation we wouldn’t have been able to resolve our conflict.”