Heather Bell
RADFORD – A large percentage of City of Radford dwellers are renters; an upcoming class offered by New River Community Action (NRCA) could help give valuable information about fair housing laws, leases and more to those who rent their apartment or home.
According to NRCA, the workshops “are for tenants, landlords, friends, anyone considering renting, are great for college students looking to rent, and are designed to help anyone learn the key elements and skills to be a good tenant and a good landlord.”
“We help people learn where their money goes and make sure that rent is a top priority,” explains Sheila West of NRCA. “We help them understand their lease agreements, evictions and fair housing.”
Topics covered will include leases, deposits, and payments; repairs and other common disputes, Fair Housing laws and eviction in Virginia.
“The two-hour workshop discusses the expectations of landlords and helps attendees learn their rights, responsibilities and good practices such as how to check their credit score and how to improve it,” writes West. ”Class facilitators do a budget in class and scenarios about how to make tough choices in tight months.”
Even people who own their home might find aspects of the class that would be helpful to them. Applicable to anyone, for example, is that in addition to learning about renting, the workshop also “covers good management practices energy saving tips,” according to NRCA.
“We teach people how to save money on their utilities by things like remembering to turn off the lights, hanging clothes on the line, and little things like cleaning the coils on the refrigerator,” West explains. “It’s for anyone who’s thinking about renting or would like to be more knowledgeable.”
Class organizers ask interested parties to please register at least one day prior to the date, although registration is preferred but not required for attendance. There will be refreshments and door prizes.
The classes will be held at Radford New River Community Action, located at 1093 East Main St, Radford, on the following dates:
Tuesday, May 21-11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 28 – 3 p.m.
Tuesday, June 18 – 11 a.m.
Tuesday, June 25 – 3 p.m.
