When money is tight, even a small bump can derail carefully balanced finances.
Cushion helps renter households weather the unexpected.
How it works
Cushion is a tool for financial resilience. We help you weather qualifying life events - auto repair, healthcare expenses, and earnings shortfalls - that create hardship and a cash gap.
Cushion lets you make more flexible rent payments. This will often look like making a partial rent payment on the last day of the month. You and Cushion will agree to a payment plan for the rest of the rent due, consisting of weekly payments that include an additional $2 a week in interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Cushion pays your rent upfront to your landlord, then lets you repay us over time. If you experience a qualifying emergency - like a significant loss of income, a health emergency, or a vehicle breakdown - you can defer payments to Cushion without fear of eviction. This turns your rent into a financial cushion you can lean on when life throws you a curveball, giving you breathing room to get back on your feet instead of choosing between rent and other essentials.
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Once your landlord agrees to work with Cushion, we pay them several months of rent upfront. You continue living in your home under your existing lease, but instead of paying your landlord monthly, you repay Cushion. Under normal circumstances, you simply pay your regular rent amount to Cushion instead of your landlord. But if you experience a qualifying emergency - a significant loss of income, a health emergency, or a vehicle breakdown - you can defer payments to give yourself time to recover financially.
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Nothing extra. You pay the same rent you've always paid - no fees, no interest, no hidden costs. The only difference is you pay Cushion instead of your landlord. Cushion is able to offer this service because landlords receive their rent upfront and avoid the hassle of late payments, which they value enough to accept a small discount.
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No. Your lease stays exactly the same, and you continue working directly with your landlord on maintenance, issues, and renewals. Cushion only handles the rent payment - we're not your property manager and we don't get involved in your day-to-day tenant relationship.
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We're committed to working with you as long as you stay engaged with us. If you're having trouble making payments, reach out - we'll work together to find a repayment plan that fits your situation. Our goal is to help you stay housed, not to add stress. We only involve your landlord if we've exhausted all options together and it's clear that the housing situation isn't sustainable for you financially. The key is staying in communication with us so we can help you find solutions.
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Your landlord needs to agree to work with Cushion, but you can help make it happen! Fill out your contact information below, and we will provide you with information to share with your landlord about the benefits, or even send them a direct introduction on your behalf. Once your landlord is on board, we'll guide you through the rest.
Find out if Cushion works for you.
Cushion is recruiting pilot tenant customers to start working with now. If you are interested, submit the form below or reach out to kat@cushion.org