WILLMAR -- A college student may not understand that a poor rental history could follow him for years, just like a bad credit rating could.
A family that left damage or debris behind in their last rental home may not understand why they didn't get their security deposit back.
A landlord may not understand the culture or the language of her newest tenants, leading to unnecessary tensions.
A training session next week at Ridgewater College could help people in the area address many issues of landlord-tenant relationships.
RentWise is a training program developed by the University of Minnesota Extension Service. It will be presented from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at Ridgewater. It is a joint effort of Heartland Community Action Agency and Ridgewater College.
ADVERTISEMENT
The workshop on Monday will be offered in two sections, one in English and one in Somali.
"The goal is to increase the communication between landlords and tenants in Kandiyohi County," said Lori Raiber, housing and planning director for Heartland.
Raiber and Dave Schutz of Ridgewater said they hope to see a cross-section of renters, landlords and advocates at the training.
The workshop will provide information about searching for rental housing, building a positive rental history and caring for rental units. Information about money management skills will also be included.
Communication will be a key to the training, too, because it can head off problems or help solve them before they become unmanageable, Raiber said.
Schutz said he hopes the workshop can help renters and landlords understand more about each others' rights and responsibilities.
"It is a two-way street," he said. "Both have to understand their own position and the other's position."
Learning more about how to navigate these relationships could help low-income people find more stability in their lives, Raiber said.
ADVERTISEMENT
"When their housing is out of balance, the rest of their life is, too," she said. Children in low-income families do better in school and are healthier when the family has a stable housing situation, she said.
Pre-registration for the workshop is required by calling Schutz at 320-222-6081. There is no fee for the training, and lunch will be provided.
