Finding and keeping Home Sweet Home just got easier, thanks to funding to develop a model, manual, training and expanded service to educate and help renters in the city.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. recently reported that Victoria had an apartment vacancy rate of 0.6 per cent — the lowest rate of any major city in Canada and the lowest since 2009.
It makes renting in Victoria a challenge, especially for first-timers, which includes young adults leaving home for the first time, those leaving a troubled relationship and people new to the city or country.
RentSmart is a 12-hour course delivered by Ready to Rent B.C. It makes people aware of their rights and responsibilities, teaches them how to budget and how to go about performing maintenance on their residence.
“Victoria is a tough rental market, with a low vacancy rate,” said Kate Lambert, strategic program manager for the organization, which started seven years ago. “It has become much more important, not only to understand one’s rights and responsibilities, but to know how to find suitable accommodation that results in housing stability.”
At the completion of the course, successful participants earn a RentSmart Certificate of Completion. The certificate is recognized by many landlords and housing providers in the Capital Regional District in lieu of references and/or credit checks, which can be barriers to housing for many. The certificate can act as a reference to assure a landlord that the graduate has learned how to be a good tenant.
Apart from RentSmart, Ready to Rent also offers RentReady, a three-hour session; RentED, a professional development course for landlords; and Train the Trainer for individuals and community partners. Their goals are to assist people to find and maintain good housing, reduce conflict and evictions, and increase housing stability.
The Victoria Foundation has provided funding to expand the Walk With component of the program. Walk With is on-call coaching support that program participants can use during their hunt for accommodation. Coaches help people understand the market and address issues or conflicts that might arise.
“It’s about communications between landlord and tenant,” Lambert said. “You don’t have to be friends, but it helps to keep lines of communication warm and open.”
