The Property Redress Scheme (PRS) supports the Crisis Renting Ready Project

Crisis is the national charity for homeless people offering free classes, services and support. They are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and guidance on education, training, volunteering and housing. Crisis also support local projects that help tenants (that were previously homeless) and landlords navigate finding, setting up and sustaining a tenancy.

The Crisis Renting Ready Project is a course that helps to prepare people that were previously homeless for renting a home. The Renting Ready Project is an accredited course that requires 27 learning hours to complete. It teaches individuals how to find somewhere they can afford to live including available housing options, their rights and responsibilities and how to manage their money.

Crisis members are referred to the Renting Ready pre-tenancy training once they are ready to find somewhere to live. This may mean that they have attended a series of classes, received one-to-one support and have found work. This process ensures that members are in a better position to complete the course with the motivation that the accreditation will make them a more attractive prospect to landlords.

The PRS have decided to support the Crisis Renting Ready Project by making a £5,000 donation to the scheme as the charity aligns with the company’s overarching values of educating and improving industry standards.

The PRS was launched in 2014 to allow Letting and Estate Agents to comply with their legal requirement to be a member of a government authorised consumer redress scheme for dealing with complaints from landlords and tenants. The PRS are proactive in helping members resolve complaints with their consumers, and backing the Crisis Renting Ready Project which helps to prevent disputes from ensuing, is extending the PRS’s efforts to improve rental sector standards.

Sean Hooker, Head of Redress for the Property Redress Scheme said “The Renting Ready programme is a fantastic project which prepares people who find themselves in a vulnerable situation to face private renting with confidence and security, as well as teaching them how to be good tenants.

Agents who offer tenants, who have been through the course, to their landlords, will be proud to do so as they will be reliable, respectful and prepared for their responsibilities and obligations.

We at the PRS promote raising standards in the sector on all levels, agents, landlord and tenants. What Crisis are doing is part of the “golden triangle” relationship which benefits all and will lead to a safe and high quality rental sector.”

Head of Housing at Crisis, Chris Hancock states, “This funding from the Property Redress Scheme will really help us deliver our Renting Ready pre-tenancy training for our members. Homeless people can find accessing private rented homes really challenging but with some training on their rights and responsibilities as a tenant as well as the practical side of managing a tenancy, it can really help build confidence and also reassure landlords they are getting a good tenant. We particularly welcome this donation as the PRS’s aim is clearly in line with ours, to make renting better for all, and we look forward to working together in the future to make that happen.”