It is critical that emergency rental assistance (ERA) payments for both California and Washington are posted and communicated promptly and accurately. 

Our dedicated team is here to manage the workload of emergency rental assistance, but we can’t help if we don’t know! What could go wrong if we are not promptly notified of ERA payments? 

Program Compliance Issues: We are required to refund overpayments directly to assistance programs; if we are not notified of ERA payments promptly, there is a risk that these refunds will be delayed or sent to the wrong party. 

Negative Customer Experience: Any overpayment refunds require prompt adjustments to prevent residents from seeing an inaccurate balance or credit on their account. 

Are you receiving emergency rental assistance payments at your community?  Review the scenarios below for guidance: 

ERA Scenario: Payment received is an exact match to the balance on the Yardi ledger. 
Post Payment?: Yes – When posting the check, include:  ERA Payment-[program name]-received on [date] in notes. E.g., “ERA Payment – Housing is Key – Received on 10/4/2021”. Notify residentresponse@essex.com after the payment is posted.

ERA Scenario: Payment received does not match the balance on the Yardi ledger.