City Code Section
- A. In addition to the protections set forth in the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, the following additional protections apply to Tenants that have a Rental Agreement for a Dwelling Unit covered by the Act. For purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms have the meaning set forth in the Act.
- B. A Landlord may terminate a Rental Agreement without a cause or for a qualifying landlord reason specified in the Act only by delivering a written notice of termination (the “Termination Notice”) to the Tenant of (a) not less than 90 days before the termination date designated in that notice as calculated under the Act; or (b) the time period designated in the Rental Agreement, whichever is longer. Not less than 45 days prior to the termination date provided in the Termination Notice, a Landlord shall pay to the Tenant, as relocation assistance, a payment (“Relocation Assistance”) in the amount that follows: $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 and $4,500 for a three-bedroom or larger Dwelling Unit. For purposes of this Subsection, a Landlord that declines to renew or replace an expiring Rental Agreement is subject to the provisions of this Subsection. The requirements of this Subsection are intended to apply per Dwelling Unit, not per individual Tenant.
- C. As allowed by the Act, a Landlord may not increase a Tenant's Rent or Associated Housing Costs by 5 percent or more over a rolling 12-month period unless the Landlord gives notice in writing (the “Increase Notice”) to each affected Tenant: (a) at least 90 days prior to the effective date of the Rent increase; or (b) the time period designated in the Rental Agreement, whichever is longer. The Increase Notice must specify the amount of the increase, the amount of the new Rent or Associated Housing Costs and the date, as calculated under the Act, when the increase becomes effective. If, within 45 calendar days after a Tenant receives an Increase Notice indicating a Rent increase of 10 percent or more within a rolling 12-month period and a Tenant provides written notice to the Landlord of the Tenant’s request for Relocation Assistance (the “Tenant’s Notice”), then, within 31 calendar days of receiving the Tenant’s Notice, the Landlord shall pay to the Tenant Relocation Assistance in the amount that follows: $2,900 for a studio or SRO Dwelling Unit, $3,300 for a one-bedroom Dwelling Unit, $4,200 for a two-bedroom Dwelling Unit and $4,500 for a three-bedroom or larger Dwelling Unit. After the Tenant receives the Relocation Assistance from the Landlord, the Tenant shall have 6 months from the effective date of the Rent increase (the “Relocation Period”) to either: (i) pay back the Relocation Assistance and remain in the Dwelling Unit and, subject to the Act, shall be obligated to pay the increased Rent in accordance with the Increase Notice for the duration of the Tenant’s occupancy of the Dwelling Unit; or (ii) provide the Landlord with a notice to terminate the Rental Agreement in accordance with the Act (the “Tenant’s Termination Notice”). In the event that the Tenant has not repaid the Relocation Assistance to the Landlord or provided the Landlord with the Tenant’s Termination Notice on or before the expiration of the Relocation Period, the Tenant shall be in violation of this Subsection. For purposes of this Subsection, a Landlord that conditions the renewal or replacement of an expiring Rental Agreement on the Tenant’s agreement to pay a Rent increase of 10 percent or more within a rolling 12-month period is subject to the provisions of this Subsection. For purposes of this Subsection, a Landlord that declines to renew or replace an expiring Rental Agreement on substantially the same terms except for the amount of Rent or Associated Housing Costs terminates the Rental Agreement and is subject to the provisions of this Subsection. The requirements of this Subsection are intended to apply per Dwelling Unit, not per individual Tenant. For purposes of this Subsection, a Tenant may only receive and retain Relocation Assistance once per tenancy per Dwelling Unit.
- D. A Landlord shall include a description of a Tenant’s rights and obligations and the eligible amount of Relocation Assistance under this Section 30.01.085 with each and any Termination Notice, Increase Notice, and Relocation Assistance payment.
- E. A Landlord shall provide notice to the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) of all payments to Tenants of Relocation Assistance within 30 days of making such payments. This Subsection shall be effective beginning May 1, 2018.
- F. For the purposes of this Section 30.01.085, the expiration of Rent concessions specified in the Rental Agreement is not considered a substantial change to a Rental Agreement.
- G. For the purposes of this Section 30.01.085 and determining the amount of Relocation Assistance a Landlord shall pay, a Rental Agreement for a single bedroom in a Dwelling Unit as defined by PCC 33.910 is considered a SRO Dwelling Unit.
- H. For the purposes of this Section 30.01.085 and determining the amount of Relocation Assistance a Landlord shall pay, if a Landlord is paying relocation assistance required by the Act and Relocation Assistance required by Section 30.01.085 to the Tenant for the same Termination Notice, the Relocation Assistance required by Section 30.01.085 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.
- I. The provisions of this Section 30.01.085 that pertain to Relocation Assistance do not apply to the following so long as the Landlord has submitted a required exemption application form to PHB for which PHB shall have issued an exemption acknowledgement letter, a copy of which the Landlord shall have provided to the Tenant:
- 1. Rental Agreements for week-to-week tenancies;
- 2. Tenants that occupy the same Dwelling Unit as the Landlord;
- 3. Tenants that occupy one Dwelling Unit in a Duplex where the Landlord’s principal residence is the second Dwelling Unit in the same Duplex;
- 4. 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, or Tenancies where the owner occupies the Accessory Dwelling Unit and the Tenant occupies a Dwelling Unit on the site;
- 5. a Landlord that temporarily rents out the Landlord's principal residence during the Landlord's absence of not more than 3 years;
- 6. a Landlord that temporarily rents out the Landlord’s principal residence during the Landlord’s absence due to active duty military service;
- 7. a Dwelling Unit where the Landlord is terminating the Rental Agreement in order for an Immediate Family member to occupy the Dwelling Unit;
- 8. a Dwelling Unit regulated or certified as affordable housing by a 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 by Subsection 30.01.085 I.8. does not apply to private market-rate Dwelling Units with a Tenant who is the recipient of a federal, state, or local government voucher;
- This exemption by Subsection 30.01.085 I.8. applies to Rent increases and does not apply to Termination Notices;
- 9. a Dwelling Unit that is subject to and in compliance with the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970;
- 10. a Dwelling Unit rendered immediately uninhabitable not due to the action or inaction of a Landlord or Tenant;
- 11. 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 Dwelling Unit;
- 12. a Dwelling Unit where the Landlord has provided a Fixed Term Tenancy and notified the Tenant prior to occupancy, of the Landlord’s intent to sell or permanently convert the Dwelling Unit to a use other than as a Dwelling Unit subject to the Act.
- A Landlord that authorizes a property manager that is subject to, and manages property in accordance with ORS 696, to manage a Dwelling Unit, does not waive a Dwelling Unit exemption as a result of the collective number of Dwelling Units managed by such a property manager. For purposes of the exemptions provided in this Subsection, “Dwelling Unit” is defined by PCC 33.910, and not by ORS 90.100. For purposes of the exemptions provided in this Subsection, “Accessory Dwelling Unit” is defined by PCC 33.205. For purposes of the exemptions provided in this Subsection, “Duplex” is defined by PCC 33.910. For purposes of the exemptions provided in this Subsection, “Immediate Family” is defined by PHB in administrative rules.
- J. A Landlord that fails to comply with any of the requirements set forth in this Section 30.01.085 shall be liable to the Tenant for an amount up to 3 times the monthly Rent as well as actual damages, Relocation Assistance, reasonable 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 such other remedies as may be appropriate.
- K. In carrying out the provisions of this Section 30.01.085, the Director of PHB, or a designee, is authorized to adopt, amend and repeal administrative rules to carry out and administer the provisions of this Section 30.01.085.
- As used in this section, “to carry out and administer” includes but is not limited to: defining terms and preparing forms; establishing timeframes, standards, policies, and procedures controlling the application, issuance, use, and expiration of notices and acknowledgment letters; imposing notice and eligibility requirements; establishing time requirements by which landlords must apply for and issue acknowledgment letters and notices to tenants; developing standards and criteria for evaluating the applicability of exemptions; approving or denying applications for acknowledgment letters, in accordance with established standards and criteria; regulating the applicability and use of exemptions as PHB determines is appropriate; and, adopting other requirements PHB determines are necessary to ensure compliance with this Code section.