Housing Mediation
Get Workable Solutions
Are you a landlord or tenant involved in a rental housing dispute? Get info about free mediation services.
Call ☎️ 541-386-1283 or 📧 email Michael at or Ona at
What We Do for Landlords & Tenants
Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center offers free mediation to assist landlords and tenants who are in conflict and seek a positive resolution.
Eviction can be expensive and traumatic for everyone involved. Mediation can help you resolve issues before they become bigger problems.
Mediation Is A Voluntary Process. Here’s What To Do:
- Call Six Rivers for your initial confidential evaluation.
- Work with the Six Rivers mediator to determine the best next step which may include communicating with the other person, getting referrals for other kinds of assistance, or discussing other options.
- If mediation might work, people may agree to meet in person or virtually to have a conversation, or can ask for “shuttle mediation,” where the mediator talks with each party separately.
Mediators at Six Rivers Are:
- Impartial third-party listeners and conversation guides.
- Different from judges, arbitrators, or decision makers—we empower the landlords and tenants 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.
Landlords, Tenants & Other 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.
Topics 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
Early Resolution Specialists
Offices in Hood River and Goldendale
Legal Help for Landlords or Tenants
Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service
503-684-3763 or toll-free in Oregon at 800-452-7636.
Oregon Law Help
Washington’s Eviction Resolution Pilot Program
Washington’s Eviction Resolution Pilot Program (ERPP) ended July 1st 2023 by state statute as of July 1, 2023. Landlords are no longer required to participate or provide tenants with an ERPP Notice and no longer required to give tenants the option to participate in the ERPP before the landlord can file an unlawful detainer (eviction) case in court for rent not paid.
The ERPP was established by the state legislature as a two-year mandatory pilot operating statewide from November 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023 and brought tenants with rent owed and landlords together with a professionally trained, impartial mediator to help them resolve conflicts regarding rent owed.
We still offer voluntary free mediation services to resolve many types of housing issues outside of court. Voluntary services are different from mandatory processes like the ERPP that were court-ordered or directed by the legislature.
When participating by choice, you can choose the outcome that works for you, as professionally trained mediators support all participants in working together to brainstorm ideas and evaluate options.
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.