APPLICATION OF PORTLAND’S NEW TENANT ORDINANCES
TO MANUFACTURED HOUSING COMMUNITIES
By
Phillip C. Querin, MHCO Legal Counsel
July 1, 2019
Discussion: The Portland Ordinance, 30.01.085 (“Portland Renter Additional Protections”) here, has identified the occurrence of certain events that now require landlords to pay Relocation Assistance (“RA”) to tenants.
[Reference below to the “Ordinance” will refer to 30.01.085; references to the state law, ORS Chapter 90, will be referred to as the “Act”; and references to the new state law governing rent increases, will be referred to as “SB 680”.]
The Ordinance applies to all rented Dwelling Units[1]within Portland’s city limits, whether they are managed by an owner, a sublessor, or property management company. However, not all properties that list Portland as their mailing address are located within the city limits.
“Portland Maps”is the official city site used to determine properties subject to the RA policy. See, https://www.portlandmaps.com/. To verify the location of a rental property, click on the Portland Maps link and enter the property address. Once it appears, there are related several links, one of which is “Jurisdiction”. If the Jurisdiction link states "Portland," the rental property is subject to the mandatory RA policy, unless otherwise exempted, as discussed below.
EVENTS TRIGGERING RELOCATION ASSISTANCE
- No-Cause Eviction
- Landlord must pay Relocation Assistance (“RA”) to Tenant at least 45 days before termination of the tenancy
- Increase of 10% or more in Rent or “Associated Housing Costs”[2]
- Tenant must give written notification to Landlord requesting RA within 45 days of Rent Increase Notice
- Landlord must pay RA within 31 days of Tenant’s request for RA
- Substantial Change of Lease Terms
- Tenant must give written notification to Landlord requesting RA within 45 days of substantial change
- Landlord must pay RA within 31 days of Tenant’s request for RA
- Non-Renewal of Lease
- Landlord must pay RA to Tenant at least 45 days before termination of the tenancy
Note: With the exception of No. 2 (Rent increases of 10% or more) and No. 3 (Substantial Change of Lease Terms) the two remaining events do notrequire the tenant to make a written request for RA. Payment is simply expected to occur within the required time from the triggering event.
AMOUNT OF RELOCATION ASSISTANCE
- $2,900 for a studio or single room occupancy (“SRO”) Dwelling Unit
- $3,300 for a one-bedroom Dwelling Unit
- $4,200 for a two-bedroom Dwelling Unit
- $4,500 for a three-bedroom or larger Dwelling Unit.
Note:The only time RA will be payable by a landlord in a manufactured housing community is if they are the owner of (a)a manufactured home or (b)an RV that is being rented out. Presumably, the amount of the RA would be based upon whether it is an SRO or a 1, 2, or 3-bedroom unit.
Note: If a Landlord is paying RA required under the Act, and Relocation Assistance is alsorequired by the Ordinance for the same Termination Notice, the Relocation Assistance required by the Ordinance may be reduced by the relocation assistance required by the Act if both payments are paid at the same time and as a single payment.[3]
TENANT’S RECEIPT OF RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AFTER RENT INCREASE OF 10% OR MORE
- Following receipt of the RA, the tenant has 6 monthsfrom the date of the increase to either:
- Pay it back, and thereafter become obligated to pay the increased rent in accordance with notice of increase; or
- Provide the landlord with a notice to terminate the rental agreement in accordance with the Act.
- In the event the tenant fails to pay the RA back to the landlord or provided the landlord with the termination notice on or before the expiration of the six-month relocation period, the tenant will be in violation of the ordinance.
Note:A violation of any law or ordinance is also breach under the MHCO rental agreement or lease, for which landlord may issue a 30-day curable notice under ORS 90.630. Accordingly, it appears this would be one method of commencing recovery of the RA should the tenant fail to terminate and repay the RA. The other would be to file a claim in the county Small Claims Court.
Note:The other three triggering events for RA assume the tenancy is terminated, so tenant has no option to accept or reject the landlord’s action - therefore no repayment issue. However, in the event of a substantial change in the lease terms, it would seem possible that the landlord and tenant might reach agreement to continue the lease under the amended terms, in which case, the tenant would be required to return the RA, just the same as a rent increase of 10% or more.
EXEMPTIONS FROM PAYING RELOCATION ASSISTANCE
Relocation Assistance does not apply to the following, so long as the Landlord has submitted a required exemption application form to Portland Housing Bureau for which it has issued an exemption acknowledgement letter, a copy of which the Landlord must be provided to the Tenant:
- Rental agreement for week-to-week tenancies;
- Tenants that occupy the same dwelling unit[4]as the landlord;
- Tenants that occupy one dwelling unit in a Duplex where the Landlord’s principal residence is the second Dwelling Unit in the same Duplex;
- Tenants that occupy an Accessory Dwelling Unit that is subject to the Act in the City of Portland so long as the owner of the Accessory Dwelling Unit lives on the site;
- A Landlord who temporarily rents out their principal residence during an absence of not more than 3 years;
- A Landlord who temporarily rents out their principal residence during the Landlord’s absence due to active duty military service;
- A Dwelling Unit where the Landlord is terminating the Rental Agreement in order for an Immediate Family member[5]to occupy the Dwelling Unit;
8. A Dwelling Unit regulated or certified as affordable housing by federal, state or local government is exempt from paying Relocation Assistance for a Rent increase of 10 percent or more within a rolling 12-month period:
a. so long as such increase does not increase a Tenant’s portion of the Rent payment by 10 percent or more within a rolling 12-month period; or
b. in Lease Agreements where the Rent or eligibility is periodically calculated based on the Tenant’s income or other program eligibility requirements and a Rent increase is necessary due to program eligibility requirements or a change in the Tenant’s income.
This exemption does not apply to private market-rate Dwelling Units with a Tenant who is the recipient of a federal, state, or local government voucher;
Note:This exemption applies to Rent Increases and does not apply to Termination Notices;
- A Dwelling Unit subject to the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970;
- A Dwelling Unit rendered immediately uninhabitable not due to the action or inaction of a Landlord or Tenant;
- A Dwelling Unit rented for less than 6 months with appropriate verification of the submission of a demolition permit prior to the Tenant renting the unit;
- A Dwelling Unit where the Landlord has provided a Fixed Term Tenancy and notified the Tenant prior to occupancy, of the Landlords intent to sell or permanently convert the Dwelling Unit to a use other thanas a Dwelling Unit subject to the Act.
Note:Remember that before being entitled to an exemption, the landlord needs to provide a copy of the Portland Housing Bureau’s acknowledgment letter to the Tenant.
LANDLORD DUTIES FOLLOWING PAYMENT OF RELOCATION ASSISTANCE
- Landlord must include a Notice of Tenant’s Rights and Obligations (the “Notice”) and the eligible amount of Relocation Assistance with issuance of the following:
- Termination Notice;
- AnyRent Increase Notice;
- Relocation Assistance payment.
Note:MHCO has developed a form for the Notice.
- Landlord must notify the Portland Housing Bureau of all payments to tenants of Relocation Assistance within 30 days of making such payments.
ADDITIONAL LANDLORD LIABILITY FOR VIOLATION OF ORDINANCE
- Any Tenant claiming to be aggrieved by a Landlord's noncompliance with the above regulations in the Ordinance, “has a cause of action in any court of competent jurisdiction for Damages and such other remedies as may be appropriate.”
- Damages include the following:
- An amount up to 3 times the monthly Rent;
- Actual damages;
- Relocation Assistance; and
- Reasonable attorney fees and costs.
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TENANT SCREENING
Discussion: Effective March 1, 2020, the City of Portland’s new screening ordinance (30.01.088 Screening Criteria for Applicants for DwellingUnits) – hereinafter the “Code” – will become law. The administrative rules have not yet been written. The latest draft from the office of Commissioner Eudaly is date February 20, 2019. It is set out below. The Housing Bureau was unable to give me a copy of the final draft. Below is a summary of the February 20, 2019 draft; it is believed that some of the more draconian provisions of the Ordinance were either deleted or softened.
Note: I have said repeatedly that when screening applicants, a criminal history should be the very last reason to deny an applicant. For example, if the applicant could be denied for financial incapacity, prior references, evictions, etc. it becomes irrelevant whether they have a criminal record. Only use the criminal history as a last resort.
- Procedures.In addition to the protections set forth in the Act and Sections 30.01.085 and30.01.087 of the Code, the following procedures and guidelines apply to Landlords when screening an Applicant for residential tenancy in a Dwelling Unit (as defined in theAct).
- Definitions. For purposes of this Ordinance, unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms have the meaning set forth in theAct.
- Applicant: An applicant for a Dwelling Unit covered by theAct.
- Supplemental Evidence: Any written information in addition to the application, that the Applicant believes to be relevant to the Applicant’s predicted performance as atenant.
- Head(s) of Household: Person or persons listed on a lease as the party or parties responsible for paying theRent.
- ADACompliant:
- OccupancyAgreement:
- Applications,Generally.
- First-come,First-served
- Completed applications must be received and processed on a first-come,first-servedbasis.
- All completed applications must be time-stampedto indicate the date and time that an Applicant submitted the application (the “SubmissionDate”).
- For applications received during an advertised open application period, a Landlord must provide an Applicant with a written or electronic receipt within one (1) business day of the Submission Date that accurately reflects the Submission Date and assigns the Applicant a queuenumber.
- A Landlord is exempt from the requirements of this subsection whenevera lottery system or coordinated access system is used to lease up new residential buildings with rent regulations of 80% AMI orlower.
- A Landlord must include the following with everyapplication:
- Notice to Applicants of the right to request a reasonable accommodation at any point before, during or after the applicationprocess;
- Notice that a Landlord may not deny an application solely because ofa reasonable accommodation request or because of the nature of the accommodationrequested.
- Notice to Applicants of their rights under this Section 30.01.088 by including a link to Portland Housing Bureau’s (“PBH”) website and a printed copy of the noticethat PHBcreates.
- A complete description of the applicable screeningcriteria.
- An opportunity on the application for an Applicant to indicate their disabilitystatus.
- A Landlord may only screen Head(s) of Household. Co-applicants that are not responsible for paying the Rent may be screened for criminal history and rental history (only for violation notices issued to the household for conduct of the co- applicant within the last year that demonstrates they created a hostile, unsafe,or harassing environment for other tenants or engaged in discriminatory conduct), pursuant to procedures and guidelines in this Section30.01.088.
- May require co-applicants not responsible for paying the Rent to signan Occupancy Agreement if the household application isapproved.
A Landlord that owns less than fifty (50) Dwelling Units within the City of Portland, may refuse acceptance of a completed application only if the Applicant has a verifiable pattern of Rental Agreement violations with the Landlord and the mostrecent of such Rental Agreement violations occurred within the last 365 days.- Any Applicant that self-identifies as mobility challenged on an applicationwithin the first 8 hours of an open application period must be given first priority for any vacant Dwelling Unit that is advertised as ADACompliant.
- Any application received earlier than the advertised open application period will be put in the queue immediately following the first 8 hours. If the Dwelling Unit is advertised as ADA Compliant, and the Applicant indicates as mobility challenged, they will still receive placement preference immediately following any other preference application received during the advertised open application period.
- Advertisement of DwellingUnits.
- When publicly advertising for specific vacant Dwelling Units, a Landlord must specify an opening date and time when applications will be accepted and cannot accept applications for those specific units outside of the advertisedperiod.
- Except as otherwise prevented from complying due to the format requirements of an advertising service, screening criteria required by a Landlord, or a website address to the criteria, must be included in any public advertisement for available Dwelling Units as well as included on theapplication.
- Except as otherwise prevented from complying due to the format requirements of an advertising service, all public advertisements must also include if the Dwelling Unit is ADACompliant.
- When advertising newly vacant Dwelling Units, the open application period must be published at least 72 hours prior to the start of the open applicationperiod.
- Identification.
- A Landlord must accept any of the following as forms of identification, or combination thereof, that verify the full name, date of birth, and picture of the applicant:
- Valid Social Security Number (SSNCard);
- Valid Permanent Resident Alien Registrations ReceiptCard;
- ImmigrantVisa;
- Individual Taxpayer Identification Number(ITIN);
- Non-ImmigrantVisa;
- Any other government-issued identification;or
- Any other non-government document or combination of documents that would allow verification ofidentity.
- A Landlord may not reject an application as incomplete due to the lack of aSocial Security Number(SSN).
- A Landlord may not inquire about the immigration status of an Applicantor require that any Applicant provecitizenship.
- Income.
- A Landlord may not require an income greater than two times the amount ofRent for the Dwelling Unit when costs for utilities are part of theRent.
- A Landlord may not require an income greater than two and a half times the amount of the Rent for the Dwelling Unit when costs for at least three essential utilities (such as garbage, sewer, water, or heat) are required to be paid separately by aTenant.
- Calculation of the income to rent ratio under thissection:
- Must include all sources of an Applicant’s income, including, but not limited to, wages, rent assistance (non-governmental only),verifiable family or friend assistance for at least three months of tenancy, and monetary publicbenefits;
- Must subtract from the Rent amount any portion of Rent covered byan Applicant’s local, state, or federal government rent voucher or housing subsidy before calculating the rent ratio;and
- Must apply cumulatively among Heads of Household when more thanone adult applies as a group.
- A Landlord may include a requirement for a guarantor (family member, friend, non-profit, or government agency as identified by the Applicant) or an Additional Deposit as described in Section 30.01.087 when the Applicant’s income ratio as calculated in the section above falls at or below two times the amount of theRent.
- To the extent that a Landlord requires a guarantor or Additional Deposit, the Landlord must allow the Applicant to choose between the twooptions.
- A Landlord may not require family or friend guarantor to have income greater than three times the current Rent but can require verifiable employment,verifiable residence within the United States, and no active collections activity for delinquent property or utilitydebt.
- A Landlord may not require a guarantor to sign a contract longer than thelength of the initiallease.
- ThresholdCriteria.
- A Landlord may forgo the mandatory individualized assessment as described in Section H if they adopt a screening-criteria that meets, or is more permissivethan, the thresholds described in the followingsection:
- Applicants will not be denied for the followingconditions:
- Criminalhistory:
- Any arrest that did not result in conviction, unless the resulting charge is pending at the time that theApplicant submits theapplication;
- Participation in or completion of a diversion or a deferralof judgmentprogram;
- Any conviction that has been judicially dismissed, expunged, voided orinvalidated;
- Any conviction for a crime that is no longer illegal in the state ofOregon;
- Any conviction or any other determination or adjudication in the juvenile justicesystem;
- Any criminal conviction for misdemeanor offenses where the dates of sentencing are older than threeyears;
- Any criminal conviction for felony offenses where the dates of sentencing are older than sevenyears;
- Credithistory:
- Credit score at least500;
- Lack of credit history, unless the applicant in bad faith withholds credit history information that mightotherwise form the basis fordenial;
- Adverse accounts under$1000;
- Property debt from damages in previous tenancyunder
$500;
- Bankruptcy filed by the applicant isclosed;
- Bankruptcy for Chapter 13 filed by the applicant is in an active repaymentplan;
- Medical or education/vocational trainingdebt.
- Rentalhistory:
- An action to recover possession pursuant to ORS 105.105 to 105.168 if theaction:
- Was dismissed or resulted in a general judgment for the Applicant before the applicant submits the application;
- Resulted in a general judgment against the Applicant that was entered three or moreyears before the Applicant submits theapplication;
- Resulted in a general judgment against the Applicant that was entered fewer than threeyears before the Applicant submits the applicationif:
- The termination of tenancy upon which the action was based was without cause (no-cause eviction) pursuant to ORS 90.427(Termination of Periodic Tenancies);or
- The judgment against the Applicant was a default judgment due to a failure toappear, if the Applicant presents credible evidence to the Landlord that the Applicant had already vacated the unit upon which the action was based at the time that notice of the action wasserved.
- Any information that the Landlord obtains from a verbalor written rental reference with the exception of defaults in Rent, three or more material violations of a Rental Agreement within the last year that resulted in notices issued to the Tenant, outstanding balance due to the Landlord, or lease violations that resulted in a termination with cause.;or
- Lack of rental history, unless the Applicant in bad faith withholds rental history information that mightotherwise form the basis fordenial.
- If an Applicant provides any Supplemental Evidence regarding criminal historyat the time, they submit their completed application, then the Landlord has to doan
individualized assessment as described in Section H if they intend to deny the application based on criminal history.
- IndividualizedAssessment.
- A Landlord that chooses not to adopt the threshold criteria as set forth above, must conduct an individualized assessment before denying an Applicant for any criteria they haveestablished.
- Any Applicant that believes that they may have barriers to any advertised screening criteria shall be allowed to provide, at the time of application submission, all Supplemental Evidence they believe provides a positive offset to thebarriers.
- A Landlord has an obligation to consider any such SupplementalEvidence submitted by the Applicant including, but not limited to, thefollowing:
- Six or more consecutive months of job or incomestability;
- Completion of secondary education or job trainingprograms;
- Current enrollment in secondary education of job trainingsprograms;
- Current probation or paroleoversight;
- Certificate of GoodStanding;
- Current payment plan towards creditdebt;
- Completion of Rent Well or another tenant educationprogram;
- Six or more consecutive months of positive rental payments within thelast year;
- Completion of creditcounseling;
- Current participation in creditcounseling;
- Current participation with a legal or non-profit advocate to clearpast collections;
- Legitimate explanation of lack of verifiable credithistory.
- The presence of domestic violence as contributing factor to rental issues of concern;
- Current payment plan toward outstanding debts owed previouslandlord;
- Current case management or peer support services;or
- Any other evidence that the Applicant believes has a tangible impact to the specific barriers identified in an Applicant’shistory.
- If a Landlord receives the following types of Supplemental Evidence, a Landlord should assume that the presentation of such Supplemental Evidence is a request for a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act. An applicant reserves the right to use the following information as a request for Individualized Assessment aswell:
- Completion of drug or alcoholtreatment;
- Current enrollment in a drug or alcohol treatmentprogram;
- Completion of psychologicalcounseling;
- Current participation in psychological counseling;or
- Current case management or peer support services related to disabilityor mentalhealth.
- In addition, a Landlord must consider the information from the individualized assessment and Supplemental Evidence in light of the following before denying anApplicant:
- The nature and severity of thebarriers;
- The number and type of thebarriers;
- The time that has elapsed since the date the barriers occurred;and
- The age of the individual at the time the barrieroccurred.
- Appeals.
- An Applicant that is denied for residential tenancy by a Landlord using the threshold criteria as described in Section G must have the opportunity toappeal that denial directly to the Landlord basedon:
- Incomplete or inaccurate information identified during thescreening process,or
- Additional supplementalevidence.
- An Applicant must be allowed 30 days, from the date the denial was issued, to request an appeal and submit all evidence related to theappeal.
- A Landlord is not required to hold the Dwelling Unit for the Applicant duringthe pendency of the appealprocess.
- If the appeal results in the denial being overturned, a Landlord must give the Applicant preference for future vacancies on the same property (with similar screening criteria and similar income ratio) if they apply within the first 4 hoursof an open application period, for up to 3 months from the date of the original appeal determination.
- If a denial is successfully appealed, a Landlord must provide a datedletter, signed by the Landlord, documenting the successful appeal that includes specifics about which properties qualify for thepreference.
- An Applicant who receives a letter of a successful appeal must attachthat letter to future applications with the same Landlord to receive preference, for up to 3 months from the date of the original appealdetermination.
- An Applicant who successfully appeals a denial cannot be charged a screening fee for future applications with the same Landlord, for up to3 months from the date of the original appealdetermination.
- If more than one Applicant provides a letter of a successful appeal during an open application period, the Applicants will receive preference inorder of the dates on the letter, with oldest date getting firstpreference.
- If there is a conflict between an appeals preference and an accessible unit preference, the accessible unit preference is first, only superseded by an Applicant with both an accessible unit preference and an appealspreference.
- If an Applicant applies with an appeal preference, the Landlord may require the Applicant to self-certify that no conditions have changedsince their originalapplication.
- A Landlord has the discretion to also maintain a wait list and contact preference applicants (in the order their appeal letter is dated), before advertising a vacant Dwelling Unit to the generalpublic.
- Denials-General.
- An application can be denied without a Landlord first conducting an individualized assessment when an Applicant does not meet basic criteria requirements such as incomplete application, identification, income, or an Applicant has purposefully withheld or misrepresented requiredinformation.
- If an Applicant applies as part of a family or group, a Dwelling Unit can be denied to that Applicant individually but not the family or group as a wholeunless they no longer qualify for the income ratio or occupancystandards.
- Denials-ThresholdCriteria.
- When denying an application based on Threshold Criteria, above, a Landlord must provide a written “Notice of Adverse Action” compliant with the Act, the Applicant within two weeks of thedenial.
- A Notice of Adverse Action can be provided to the Applicant by either a Landlord or a screeningcompany.
- A second denial after an appeal as described in Section I can be written ina manner at the discretion of theLandlord.
- Denials-IndividualizedAssessment.
- When denying an application after performing an Individualized Assessment, a Landlord must provide a written “Notice of Denial” to the Applicant within two weeks of the denial thatincludes:
- The specific adverse information that matches the screening criteria information as provided with the application, including detailed information received from a rental reference if it is the basis of thedenial;
- The Supplemental Evidence, if any, that the Landlord considered and whether it influenced the decision of the Landlord to deny theapplication;
- An explanation of the legitimate, non-discriminatory business interestof the Landlord that justify denial of the application, and how the Supplemental Evidence provided did not address theinterest.
- A Notice of Denial can only be issued to the Applicant by theLandlord.
- AdditionalDeposit.
- A Landlord may request an additional security deposit as set forth inOrdinance Section
30.01.087 as an alternative to issuing a Notice of Adverse Action or a Notice of Denial.
- To request an additional security deposit, a Landlord must provide a written “Notice of Conditional Approval” to the Applicant that contains the same information as required in a Notice of Adverse Action or a Notice of Denial (depending on the screening process used) and additionally contains thespecific amount being requested as well as the ability for an Applicant to choose a payment plan as set forth in Section30.01.087.
- If a Landlord requests an Additional Deposit as a condition of offsetting a low-income ratio, the Landlord does not need to issue a Notice of Conditional Approval but must follow the code as set forth in Section30.01.087.
- ScreeningFees.
- A Landlord must return a screening fee, or communicate approval or denial of residential tenancy, to an Applicant within two weeks of the final determination of theapplication.
- If using a professional screening company exclusively, the screening feecharged by the Landlord cannot be more than what is charged by the screeningcompany.
- If using a professional screening company in addition to screening work by the Landlord, fees cannot exceed 25% above what is charged by the screening company.
- If a Landlord screens independently without the use of a professional screening company, fees cannot exceed 10% above what is charged by the average professional screening company in the Portland-Metroarea.
- ModificationRequests.
- An Applicant that experiences disabilities cannot be denied housing based ona denial of reasonable modificationalone.
- If an Applicant’s modification request is denied, the Applicant must be allowed 24 hours to request an alternative modification that meets theirneeds.
- If the second modification request is denied, the Applicant must be allowed another 24 hours to request an alternative modification that meets theirneeds.
- If no reasonable modification can be made in the Dwelling Unit the Applicant applied for, then the Applicant may still accept the Dwelling Unit if they meet the eligibilitycriteria.
- Exemptions.
- Any Dwelling Unit that is subject to a partnership or referral agreement betweena Landlord and a non-profit service provider or government agency working to place low income or vulnerable tenants into housing is exempted from this Section.
- Any Dwelling Unit not rented or advertised to the general public,(including online platforms with or without a fee), are exempted from thisSection.
- Any Dwelling Unit otherwise complying with state or federal loan or funding requirements is exempted from the parts of this Section in conflict with theloan or fundingrequirements.
- Any Dwelling Unit shared with a Landlord or sub-leaser as their primary residence is exempted from thisSection.
- Damages. Any Applicant claiming to be aggrieved by a Landlord’s noncompliance with the foregoing has a cause of action in any court of competent jurisdiction for Damages and any such other remedies as may beappropriate.
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SECURITY DEPOSITS
Discussion: A new set of draft rules on security deposits (Ordinance No. 30.10.087) was marked as “Exhibit A” to the February 20, 2019 draft of the screening ordinance (Ordinance No. 30.10.088). It is also believed that the administrative rules for this Ordinance have not been written yet, as they have not been posted on the City’s website. Below is a summary of these rules, that are offered with the proviso that the final draft may be different.
- Additional Protections. The following additional protections regarding security deposits apply to Tenants that have a Rental Agreement or a Dwelling Unit covered by theAct.
- Last Month’s Rent. If a Landlord requires, as a condition of tenancy, last month’s Rent, a Landlord may not collect more than an amount equal to one-half of a month’s Rent as a security deposit.
- If a Landlord does not require last month’s Rent, a Landlord may not collect more than an amount equal to one month’s Rent as a security deposit.
- If an Applicant receives a Conditional Approval asdefinedinSection30.01.088,aLandlordmayrequestanamountequaltoone-halfofamonth’s Rent as a security deposit in addition to the other amounts previously listed in this subsection.
- A Landlord must allow a Tenant to pay such additional security deposit in installments over a 2-6-month period and in amounts as requested by theTenant.
- Security Deposit.To the extent that a Landlord withholds an amount from a security deposit to repair damages to the premises beyond ordinary wear and tear, “ordinary wear and tear” shall mean deterioration that occurs without deliberate or negligent destruction, damage, or removal of any part of the premises, equipment, furnishings or appliances by the Tenant, a member of the Tenant household or other persons on the premises with the Tenant’s consent.
4. Carpet Damage. To charge for carpets, a Landlord must take into consideration the cost only of the contiguous area where the carpet is required to be replaced due to damage and may not take into consideration the original expense of the carpet for the entire Dwelling Unit.
a. A Landlord may not chargeforinteriorpaintingofaresidence,exceptwhatisnecessarytorepairspecificdamagemade to a wall beyond ordinary wear and tear and to repaint walls that were painted by the Tenant without permission.
b. Basic cleaning is presumed to be ordinary wear andtear and nothing in this Subsection shall be construed to mean that a Landlord may charge for cleaning costs that do not address damage or filth beyond ordinary wear andtear.
5. Landlord’s Movable Property.For purposes of determining the amount reasonably necessary to repair damaged, movable property in the Dwelling Unit, such movable property is presumed to depreciate at a rate of 3.6% per annum over a period of 27 years.
a. A Landlord may provide documentation demonstrating why a different calculation is justified for determining a reasonable amount necessary to repair an item of damaged, movable property.
b. Before executing the Rental Agreement, a Landlord must provide the Tenant with a list of movable property in the Dwelling Unit along with the depreciated value of each item at the time of move-in (the “Commencement Date”).
- Condition Report.Within one week of the Commencement Date, a Tenant may complete and submit to the Landlord, a condition report (on a form provided by the Landlord) noting any and all damage in the Dwelling Unit (the “Condition Report”).
- If the Tenant submits a Condition Report to the Landlord within one week of the Commencement Date, such Condition Report shall be the proof of the condition of the Dwelling Unit on the Commencement Date in order to assess damage beyond reasonable wear and tear at move out (the “Termination Date”).
- If, after the first week, the Tenant has not completed a Condition Report, a Landlord must complete a Condition Report and provide a copy to the Tenant.
- Any damages noted in the Condition Report completed by the Landlord upon move-in must also be documented in photographs and provided to the Tenant.
- IfanydamagenotedintheConditionReportissubsequentlyrepaired,theLandlordmustrevisethe Condition Report to reflect such repair, have it initialed by the Tenant, and provide a copy of the revisedConditionReport.
- IfeitherpartydisagreeswithanydamagenotedontheConditionReport, they must write the nature of their disagreement on the Condition Report, initial, and provide a copy to the otherparty.
7. Final Inspection.Within one week of the Termination Date of which the Landlord had notice, the Landlord shallconductawalk-throughoftheDwellingUnittodocumentanydamagebeyondordinarywear andtearnotnotedontheConditionReport(the“FinalInspection”).
a. ATenant,and/ortheTenant’s representative, has the right to be present for the Final Inspection, but may choose not to participate. The Landlord must give notice of the date and time of the Final Inspection at least 24hours in advance to theTenant.
8. Damage Withheld From Security Deposit.Any damage for which a Landlord intends to withhold a portion of a Tenant’s security deposit must be documented in writing and include proof of depreciated value for movable property in the Dwelling Unit including, but not limited to, original receipts or demonstration of a similar make and model, and visual damage must be documented in photographs and provided to the Tenant at the same time as the written accounting required under ORS 90.300 (12)(Security Deposits).
a. To the extent that a Landlord seeks to charge labor costs greater than $200 to a Tenant, the Landlord must provide documentation demonstrating that the labor costs are reasonable and consistent with the typical hourly rates in the metropolitan region.
b. A Landlord may not charge for damage noted on the ConditionReport.
- Deposit of Security Deposit.Within 2 weeks of receipt of a security deposit, a Landlord must deposit the money in a separate checking, savings, money market, or client trust account and provide the bank institution name and account number in writing to the Tenant. If the account bears interest, the Landlord is required to pay such interest in full, minus an optional 5% deduction for administrative costs, to the Tenant unless it is used to cover any claims for damage.
- For interest bearing accounts, the Landlord must provide a receipt of the account and any interest earned at the Tenant’s request, no more than once per year.
- A Landlord may pool multiple security deposits in a single account so long as the account is separate from the Landlord’s personal funds, is not accessed except to deposit and withdraw Tenant deposits, and Landlord can provide an individual accounting of each Tenant deposit and the interest earned thereon.
- A landlord shall have six (6) months from the effective date of this Subsection to comply with the above requirements.
- Notice of Rights.Contemporaneously with the delivery of the written accounting required by ORS 90.300 (12)(Security Deposits), the Landlord must also deliver to the Tenant a written notice of rights regarding security deposits (“Notice of Rights”).
- Such Notice of Rights must specify all of Tenant’s right to damages under this Section.
- The requirement in this Section may be met by delivering a copyof this Section to the Tenant along with contact information for the nearest Legal Aid Services of Oregon office or the Oregon StateBar.
- Written Account of Tenant Rent Payment History.Within 5 business days of receiving or giving a notice of any kind that terminates a tenancy, a Landlord must provide a written accounting of the Tenant’s Rent payment historythat covers the tenancy for the term or the prior two years, whichever islonger.
12. Rental History Form.Within 5 business days of receiving or giving a notice of any kind that terminates a tenancy, a Landlord must provide a completed Rental History Form as provided by Portland Housing Bureau.
- Violation of Ordinance.A Landlord that fails to comply with any of the requirements set forth in this Ordinance No. 30.01.87 shall be liable to the Tenant for the security deposit, a penalty in the amount equal to two times the security deposit, as well as attorney fees and costs (collectively, “Damages”).
- Any Tenant claiming to be aggrieved by a Landlord’s noncompliance with the foregoing has a cause of action in any court of competent jurisdiction for Damages and any such other remedies as may beappropriate.
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[1]ORS 90.100(12) provides that a “Dwelling unit” regarding a person who rents a space for a manufactured dwelling or recreational vehicle or regarding a person who rents moorage space for a floating home as defined in ORS 830.700, but does not rent the home, means the space rented and not the manufactured dwelling, recreational vehicle or floating home itself.
[2] "Associated Housing Costs." include, but are not limited to, fees or utility or service charges, means the compensation or fees paid or charged, usually periodically, for the use of any property, land, buildings, or equipment. For purposes of Portland’s rent increase ordinances, housing costs include the basic rent charge and any periodic or monthly fees for other services paid to the Landlord by the Tenant, but do not include utility charges that are based on usage and that the Tenant has agreed in the Rental Agreement to pay, unless the obligation to pay those charges is itself a change in the terms of the Rental Agreement. [See, https://www.portlandoregon.gov/citycode/28481#cid_708924]
[3]Note: Charges to a landlord for exceeding the Oregonrent cap laws, or for other violations under the recently enacted SB 608, are notidentified as “relocation assistance”. That law provides at Section 1: “(9)(a) If a landlord terminates a tenancy in violation of subsection (3)(c)(B), (4)(c), (5),(6) or(7)ofthissection: (A)Thelandlordshallbeliabletothetenantinanamountequaltothreemonths’rent inadditiontoactualdamagessustainedbythetenantasaresultofthetenancytermination; and (B)Thetenanthasadefensetoanactionforpossessionbythelandlord. (b)Atenantisentitledtorecoveryunderparagraph(a)ofthissubsectionifthetenant commencesanactionassertingtheclaimwithinoneyearafterthetenantkneworshould haveknownthatthelandlordterminatedthetenancyinviolationofthissection.”
[4]Under Portland City Code 33.910 a “Dwelling Unit” is abuilding, or a portion of a building, that has independent living facilities including provisions for sleeping, cooking, and sanitation, and that is designed for residential occupancy by a group of people. Kitchen facilities for cooking are described in Section 29.30.160 of Title 29, Property and Maintenance Regulations. Buildings with more than one set of cooking facilities are considered to contain multiple dwelling units unless the additional cooking facilities are clearly accessory, such as an outdoorgrill. Under ORS 90.100(12), which is used elsewhere in the Portland City Code, a “Dwelling Unit” “…means the space rented and not the manufactured dwelling, recreational vehicle or floating home itself.
[5]Per the City’s Administrative Rules, the term “Immediate Family” means “…parent, foster parent, step parent, parent in law, sibling, foster sibling, step sibling, sibling in law, grandparent, grandparent in law, child, step child, foster child, grandchild,aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.An Immediate Family member cannot be an Ownerof the Dwelling Unit, their spouse, or their domestic partner. The Immediate Familymember must have reached the age of majority (18)or be a legally recognized emancipated minor.”