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Portland Housing Code 30.01.085 (Portland Renter Additional Protections), here, became effective on November 1, 2019.  For manufactured housing parks located in the City of Portland, the ordinance DOES NOT apply to rental spaces in which the tenant owns their home; it only applies to rental spaces in which the tenant is renting a park-owned home or subleasing a home from the owner. For purposes of this article, only park-owned homes will be addressed. However, in the event a tenant wishes to sublease a home – and it is permitted by the rules or rental agreement – park owners may discuss with the tenant his or her legal obligations under the Portland ordinances – not because there is a legal obligation to educate the tenant, but because of the financial consequences that can flow from ignoring the law.   

Question 1 

The law and MHCO ocupancy agreement both state that a landlord can screen an occupant for conduct or criminal history but not for credit history or income level.  If after screening a temporary occupant, the findings reveal that they have civil case(s) and/or eviction matters relating to previous rental history where the derogatory rental reference is financial (not necessarily bad personal conduct). Can this be grounds for denial? 

Answer 1

Not in my opinion.  The temporary occupant agreement concept is that the person is notgoing to be a “co-renter”. They are being permitted to come onto the space as an accommodation by the landlord to the current resident who wants them there.  If they are to become a temporary occupant, but your background check inadvertently reveals derogatory references related to financial information, and that concerns you, then limit the amount of time they can remain there, and take things a month, or six months, at a time.  You might consider having tenants fill out a form in advanceexplaining exactly why they want the temporary occupant there. If a tenant wants them there to share the rental obligation then you should know that beforeoffering the temporary occupant status.  If that is the case, then have them apply as a tenant.  If they don’t pass the financial background check, then reject them on that basis.       

Question 1 The law and MHCO ocupancy agreement both state that a landlord can screen an occupant for conduct or criminal history but not for credit history or income level.  If after screening a temporary occupant, the findings reveal that they have civil case(s) and/or eviction matters relating to previous rental history where the derogatory rental reference is financial (not necessarily bad personal conduct).  Can this be grounds for denial? 

Question:  We had a resident that we entered into a stipulated judgment agreement with on March 6, 2020.  This was prior to tenants having the ability to claim financial hardship or having the Moratorium in place. They paid 2 payments but stopped paying the terms of the agreement as well as not paying their current rent payments. Are they protected under the financial hardship provisions of the Moratorium? Are we required to send them the Declaration of Financial Hardship? Can we file an Affidavit of Non-compliance due to the resident not complying with the stipulated agreement?