WHAT is the RENT WELL TENANT EDUCATION PROGRAM?
Rent Well is a 15 hour tenant education class that helps you become a successful, stable renter.
Renting is more complicated than many people understand. It is a business relationship, and you need to understand your rights and responsibilities to be a successful renter. Rent Well has been developed to provide you with information that will help you have a positive relationship with your landlord.

If you have been denied housing, Rent Well will help you explore any screening barriers you may have (evictions, credit problems, criminal history), take steps to address those barriers and prepare to be a successful, stable tenant in the future.

In a Rent Well Tenant Education Class, you will learn:

    • The landlord’s perspective and expectations
    • Tenant responsibilities and rights
    • How to use good communication skills with your landlord
    • How to be a good neighbor
    • How to maintain a clean, safe and healthy home

During a Rent Well Tenant Education Class, you will prepare to be a successful renter by:

    • Pre-screening yourself as a landlord would
    • Creating a personalized plan for stable housing
    • Creating a workable household budget that makes paying rent a priority
    • Reviewing rental agreements to understand common terms and expectations
    • Creating a housing portfolio that will show landlords your qualifications as renter

Rent Well Tenant Education Class graduation requirements include:

    • Full attendance
    • Completion of assignments
    • Development of a housing portfolio

Upon meeting graduation requirements, participants will receive a Rent Well Graduation Certificate that can be presented to landlords.

Landlord Guarantee Fund:

  • Starting on January 1, 2010, the Landlord Guarantee Fund offered by Multnomah County (via HAP), Clackamas County and Washington County will be available only to graduates of Rent Well. However, anyone who graduates from Ready to Rent in one of those counties prior to the implementation of Rent Well and who receives a certificate of completion, will have their guarantee honored for the full 18 months.
  • The Rent Well Landlord Guarantee Fund is designed to provide landlords with a financial “guarantee” equivalent to $2000 when renting to Rent Well graduates. Graduates of the Rent Well program receive a certificate showing that they have completed a training course on Housing Readiness Education.
  • The Guarantee must be applied for  within the first two weeks of renting to a Graduate. Applying for the Guarantee is simple and consists of a one page application.
  • Guarantee Fund Eligible Reimbursable Costs:

1. Damages in excess of normal wear and tear to the unit and exceeds the security deposit;
2. One months non-payment of rent if tenant does not vacate apartment in good standing;
3. Court costs and attorney fees where necessary to terminate a tenancy and remove a participant for nonpayment of rent of for other serious and repeated violations of the lease or state law.

HOW TO SIGN UP…
For information on classes and how to sign up please visit the following link:
http://housingconnections.org/HHNViewer.cfm?item=427

Questions regarding the implementation  of Rent Well in Multnomah County should be directed to:
Jaclyn Eaton, Rent Well Coordinator, Housing Authority of Portland
Phone: 503-335-6819
Email: Jaclyne@hapdx.org