1. Running Ready To Rent
Training for Facilitators

2. What we’ll cover in this workshop
Why Ready To Rent and why it’s useful for unions
How the training works
Using the Trainer’s Guide
Delivering Part 1: House-hunting
Delivering Part 2: Signing a Contract
Delivering Part 3: Tenancy Troubleshooting & Collective Action
Facilitating a good workshop
Using the Ready to Rent Hub
Running Ready to Rent at our institution

3. Why Ready to Rent? Homes Fit for Study research showed that:
Under a third of respondents thought that there was enough support for private renters
Less than half felt that they knew their rights as a tenant
Just over half of respondents felt that they knew where to turn if they had a problem with their housing
Less than a third had made use of any house-hunting services provided by their university or students’ union, and only 12 per cent had attended a housing fair or talk

4. The Aims of Ready to Rent
To communicate to students about their rights as renters in an engaging way
To provide support to students’ unions who have less capacity and expertise in housing
To enable more developed students’ unions to enhance their offer to students
To create a culture where student tenants are more discerning, have more confidence and so have more influence
To develop a cohort of pathfinders in the private rented sector, whose expertise will stay with them throughout the rest of their renting careers

5. Ready to Rent: How it works
The two key parts of Ready to Rent:
A two hour training workshop written ready for delivery to students
An online Ready to Rent Hub with further resources and support for both trainers and students

6. Ready to Rent: Training design
A two hour interactive workshop focused on:
Building skills: Focus on skills makes training relevant across a wide range of issues/contexts
Building confidence: Interactive and practical focus develops confidence
Problem prevention: Aims to prevent issues from arising in the first place
Trainers: You don’t need to be an expert! All the information you need is in the trainer’s guide.

7. Ready to Rent: Using the Trainer’s Guide
Use the Ready to Rent script and PowerPoint in the way that works for you
Wherever possible draw answers from participants and affirm with slides
Use the Tips for Trainers guide to help you out!

8. Part 1: Introduction and House-hunting

9. Part 1: Content Introduction Activity: Spectrum Line
Activity: Spectrum Line
Identify levels of confidence amongst participants
Set the tone of the training and encourage participation
Introduction to course content
Highlight prevalence of difficulties faced by student renters and importance of knowing rights
Set expectations for training
Landlords: Property Adverts, Landlord briefings, EPC, Gas Safety, HMO, Blank Contracts
Hunters: Deposit cheque

10. Part 1: Content House-hunting Activity: Ready, Steady, Rent
Increase understanding of what to look for and avoid when house-hunting
Increase confidence in asking questions and negotiating with landlords
Ready, Steady, Rent feedback
Increase understanding of effective strategies for house-hunting
Activity: Red Flags, Red Herring and In the Red
Increase understanding of warning signs and distractions that can lead to bad decision-making
Increase understanding of factors that impact budgeting in rented housing
Film: House-hunting
Embed the key messages of this section
Landlords: Property Adverts, Landlord briefings, EPC, Gas Safety, HMO, Blank Contracts
Hunters: Deposit cheque

11. Part 2: Signing a contract

12. Part 2: Content Introduction to signing contracts
Increase understanding of what it means to sign a contract, to sign a joint contract, and to have a guarantor
Film: Signing a contract
Increase understanding of what should and shouldn’t be in a contract
Activity: Their Responsibility or Mine?
Increase understanding of tenants and landlord’s legal rights and responsibilities
Activity: Contract Hunt
Develop skills in identifying unfair clauses
Develop confidence in challenging what is in a contract

13. Part 3: Tenancy Troubleshooting and Collective Action

14. Part 3: Content Tenant Trouble-shooting
Activity: Tenant Troubleshooting
Increase understanding of how to tackle issues and where to find support
Develop skills in preventing problems from arising
Film: Tenancy tips
Embed the key messages of this section
Collective action
Introduction to collective action
Increase understanding of the need for collective action to improve housing for all renters
Case Study: EPTAG
Inspire involvement in collective action
Summary
Spectrum line
Enable students to reflect on what they have learnt
Wrap-up and Sign-posting
Direct students to further resources
Encourage students to complete online evaluation

15. Facilitating good workshops
What makes a good workshop?
What challenges might you face in facilitating a good workshop?
What could you do to help tackle these challenges?

16. The hub for trainers The Ready to Rent hub enables trainers to:
Access resources including training guides, tips for trainers, training tools and videos
Create an event
Approve and manage users
Access contact details of students who sign up

17. The hub for students The Ready to Rent hub enables students to:
Find out about and register for an event
Access resources including tools and videos introduced during the Ready to Rent workshop as well as additional guides
Fill in evaluation survey which will result in them being entered into a prize draw

18. Discussion
How can we make sure as many students as possible benefit from Ready to Rent training?
How can we use Ready to Rent as a springboard for campaigns and collective action?
What other support do you need to feel confident in delivering this training?

19. Thank you! readytorent@nus.org.uk