Tamworth Family Support Service hosts 'Rent it Keep it' program to help young people find rental properties

With a vacancy rate of 0.7 per cent and no more than 120 properties available to rent across the Tamworth region, the competitiveness of the market is being felt by the younger population.

Kelly's Real Estate licensee Laurel Franks said, even without the lack of available housing, young people often face more barriers than others when trying to secure a property.

"A lot of it comes down to being able to fill the application in, you'll find that people will only half fill it in because they don't understand, or they won't ask for help," Ms Franks said.

READ ALSO:

"If you can fill in the paperwork properly to start with, that's half the battle."

To help develop these skills, Tamworth Family Support Service (TFSS) held their 'Rent it Keep it' program on Thursday, to educate young people about their rights and responsibilities when it comes to renting.

TFSS services manager for youth homelessness, Annette Pascoe, said the program aimed to give young people the skills that will help them stay in rental properties long term and build stronger connections with the community.

'We aim to give the right advice so they know where to go when they're in trouble and how to seek help when they can't pay their rent," Ms Pascoe said.

"In a lot of cases it's their first time in a property, they may sign documents that they're not aware of and the legal implications."

Participants heard from a range of support services including MoneyCare, the Salvation Army, Homes North Community Housing and the New England and Western Tenants Advice Advocacy Service.

The session also included practical aspects like filling out a mock rental application and condition report.

"There are supports out there to help you maintain your rental property, you're not out there alone," Ms Pascoe said.

After completing the program participants are given a 'Rent it Keep it' certificate, which is recognised by real estate agents - letting them know the applicant is well informed.

TFSS housing and homelessness caseworker, Jordan Smith, said while the program wasn't enough to solve the current homelessness crisis, she hoped better education would be a step in the right direction.

"Trying to find housing at the moment is near impossible," Ms Smith said.

"It's the landlord's decision, and I think that's where we have a lot of trouble, where the landlords don't have as much knowledge and understanding around different situations that our clients are experiencing."

TFSS are hoping to expand the program into schools in the future.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: