The Rent Smart course helps participants gain skills and tools to support common understanding and manage expectations between landlords and tenants to reduce confusion and conflict. Successful tenancies are key to housing stability, prevention of homelessness, and strong communities. The Rent Smart model has three main objectives:

1. To provide tenants with the knowledge, skills and confidence to find and maintain good housing.
2. To deliver a high quality educational experience that is relevant and practical.
3. Utilize a Train the Trainer approach to expand partner organizations capacity to deliver tenant education

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

RentSmart Basics is a 3-hour introductory course designed to meet the unique needs of specific populations such as youth, newcomers, seniors and people transitioning from homelessness. The Basics course can be used as a precursor to the RentSmart Certificate (12-hour course).

WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM ENTAIL?

Professional development course for tenant management and support workers, property managers and landlords. 

What you learn:

• Housing Needs: What your housing wants and needs are, and how to find a home that meets your needs.
• Getting application ready: We help you to become housing ‘application-ready’.
• Your rights and responsibilities: You’ll learn your legal rights and responsibilities, and your landlord’s – and how the law protects both tenants and landlords.

• Budgeting your finances: How to manage your money in order to afford housing and pay your rent on time.
• Communication: Effective communication skills to help your tenancy be conflict-free
• Household maintenance: Learn common maintenance skills to help you look after your home.

Upon completion, participants earn a Rent Smart Certificate, which BC Housing recognizes as a positive reference and informs housing providers that the graduate has taken the time to learn how to be a good tenant.