Students in San Luis Obispo struggle every year to find affordable housing near campus. But Cal Poly’s new Educated Renter’s Program educates students and gives them a way to stand out when applying for rentals.
“It’s a great idea for students who haven’t been renters before,” Comet Realty owner Tim Townley said. “There’s a lot of little things they might not know.”
To qualify for this certificate, students must look through each of the sections provided on the Educated Renter’s Program’s website. Created by a community member that is part of the Civility Working Group Task Force in the San Luis Obispo community, the program covers such topics as how to start the search for a place to live, renter’s rights and how to maintain the property during and after living there.
“I think this is really beneficial for the landlord, too,” communication studies sophomore Drake Garcia said. “They can know the people living on their property are educated on how to treat a rental.”
After studying the information provided on Cal Poly’s website about renting a house, students will then take an assessment on what they learned. A new class will appear in the student’s portal, and the assessment can be accessed by clicking on the PolyLearn link for the class. This must be taken within 48 hours of enrollment.
Once they receive a 70 percent or above in the time allotted for the test, students will receive information on where to pick up their certificate, which can be included in a rental application.
“We want students to be thinking about the many different types of people living in the neighborhoods,” off-campus coordinator Kimberly Espino said. “When they decide to do something that will affect their neighbors, (we want) them to be thinking what they can do to be considerate.”
The following property management companies recognize the Educated Renter’s Certificate: