ORHA News

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
June 2025

Palooza & May Meeting Recap
Last month, we gathered in Hood River for another successful Property Management Palooza. Thanks to the participation of both in-person and virtual attendees, as well as generous sponsors, we raised over $4,000.00 to support the growth and development of the Mid-Columbia Rental Owners Association (MCROA). A heartfelt thank you to our instructors—Violet Wilson, Christian Bryant, Jason Miller, and me—and to our dedicated helpers: Veda Bell, Tanya Dean, Chuck DeSeranno, Rain Maryott, and Ben Seamans. Special thanks also go to our sponsors, Columbia River Property Management, Rental Housing Support Services, and ORHA Education, Inc. We couldn't have done it without you!

The board meeting on Saturday was also well attended and we received updates from our committees and legislative team. One of the great things we do at these meetings is take a few minutes to share what’s working for our associations and learn from others what’s working for them. It’s a great time to share ideas for speakers and processes and get an idea of where each association is in their growth to provide them with feedback and suggestions.

Reflections on my Presidency
As I pen this final message, I reflect on the journey that began with my election in July of 2021. At the close of my first term, I outlined goals and updated everyone on the state of our association and how we had addressed challenges such as losing our office and transitioning to a new operational model. I'm proud to say our board made significant strides in achieving these objectives. Here’s a list of board achievements over the past two years and forecasts for the future:

• Bylaws & Policies. We completed a second round of updates to our bylaws and policies under the leadership of Vice President Cloud Miller; however, incorporation into the official documents is still in progress. We hope to finalize the changes and send those out soon to association leaders.
• Education & Mentoring. Under the leadership of chair Jason Miller and vice chair Rain Maryott, our education committee has flourished. Violet Wilson handed off leadership to focus on teaching and creating the "Train the Trainer" series which has empowered members to teach, fostering a culture of mentorship. Additionally, Violet is teaching regular LAARC classes for real estate licensees, and plans are in place to offer at least four state-sponsored training courses next year with a variety of teachers. Mentoring may remain as a subcommittee of Education or may become a subcommittee of the Marketing and Membership Committee, but regardless, I will be taking an active role in a more proactive mentoring model, so if your association has fewer than 100 members, expect a call!
• Finance Committee. The Finance Committee made up of Chair Dennis Chappa, Treasurer Dan Griffin, and member Chuck DeSeranno, continue to adjust our budget and GL accounts to provide better apples to apples comparisons of our expenditures, and Bookkeeper Lori Black continues to explore different options for reporting to help board members understand where we’re at with our finances. When my presidency began in July of 2021, our books were disorganized; now, we’re on more solid footing than ever before with a healthy reserve and proper oversight and tracking from our financial team. Thanks to Ben Seamans, we have a multi-step approval process for payments before any money goes out the door. Between hiring a third-party bookkeeper and using Ben’s system we have created greater transparency and virtually eliminated the possibility of theft.
• Forms Committee. The ORHA Forms Manual – Edition VII is now complete. The complexity of Eugene's Phase II renter protections as well as recent changes in state law necessitated the creation of new forms and instructions, a task we've successfully accomplished along with incorporating other forms and instructions created since the last manual, so get your orders in.
• • Law Book. With the completion of the Forms Manual, the Forms Committee is pivoting its attention to the 2026 Law Book. Our goal is not only to update law changes since the last iteration of the book but to add chapters of law that we haven’t previously included such as Small Claims law, Collections law, and even laws regulating fence line disputes.
  • We are committed to a 2-year cycle for each manual moving forward.
• Forms Store. Thanks to Technology Committee Chair Cloud Miller and our partners at Central Oregon IT (COIT), the Forms Store now auto-populates tenant information into rental agreements and addendums, simplifying the process for our members. Work has been ongoing with QC testing to ensure our online forms work on all digital platforms. Future plans include log ins where members’ tenant info and prior forms can be stored, incorporating video class sales, and expanding our CD subscriptions to more property managers around the state.
• • Digital Access to Forms Manual and Law Book: Efforts continue to explore the technology that would allow us to provide members with electronic formats of our Forms Manual and Law Book.
• Legislative Advocacy. With the passing of the Landlord-Tenant Coalition several years ago, our model for legislative input changed dramatically causing us to pivot to a new model. Starting July 1, our sole paid legislative representative will be lobbyist Shawn Miller. This change reflects the evolving landscape of legislative advocacy, where individual organizations now rely on their lobbyists, with committee members and association leaders participating in workgroups as needed.
• • Shawn will continue to rely on volunteers in the Legislative and Rapid Response Committees moving forward, as well as the ongoing involvement of the board and our Independent Contractor for the ORHA Office Ben Seamans who coordinates e-blasts to our members across the state. Thanks, Shawn, for being willing to take on a bit more! And thanks so much to Legislative Director Jason Miller and Deputy Legislative Director Ben Seamans for their hard work keeping on top of various bills and distributing calls to action to let our members know when to get involved.
• Member Surveys. Thanks to Survey Committee Chair Tanya Dean and Independent Contractor for the ORHA Office Ben Seamans, they successfully conducted and analyzed a member survey, providing valuable insights to guide our initiatives. Former Chair Alex Wilkins left big shoes to fill, and they did an admirable job in their first effort. We look forward to more, and to those members who respond to our surveys - keep it up!
• Operational Efficiencies. Independent Contractor for the ORHA Office Ben Seamans pushed to create process improvements across all aspects of our mission, including tracking membership dues, providing timely and incredibly detailed board reports, and finding new ways to serve and support our local associations. The opportunity for us to have a young person of his caliber and professionalism leading our office is the best. He is always looking for ways to help us do things more efficiently and access information more easily. Without prompt, he created an ORHA FAQ where members can find what they’re looking for, he maintains an updated ORHA Calendar helping us track what’s coming, he got us back on track with membership dues, created an easy process for the locals to submit their reports, and his one-on-one meetings with locals struggling with technology have proven to be fantastic. I’ve said again and again, Ben makes us look so good. I don’t know how I or ORHA would have done or where we would have been right now without him. Thank you, Ben, you are making a huge difference!
• Training. Although participation in Sunday morning training sessions has been modest, recordings are available for staff training. Topics have included Wild Apricot, technology utilization, staffing a landlord helpline, and last month Ben Seamans taught a great class on using the free platform Canva to create visual design and document creation. These training courses are designed to help our local associations integrate with new technology and offer greater value to their members, so make this a priority! If you miss a class, they’re available upon request – contact the office.
  
  

Acknowledgments
None of these achievements would have been possible without the dedication of my fantastic Executive Committee:

• Vice President: Cloud Miller
• Secretary: Chuck DeSeranno
• Treasurer: Dan Griffin
• Advisor: Dennis Chappa
• Advisor: Violet Wilson
• At-Large Member: Joanne Williams

With their support, we've made significant progress, and I am confident that under incoming president Violet Wilson's leadership, our momentum will continue.

Looking Ahead
While I am stepping down as president, my commitment to the association remains steadfast. I will continue to serve as a delegate from the Lane County Rental Owners Association, next term as Past President on the Executive Committee, and will continue chairing the Forms Committee. This role will allow me to focus more on developing new forms, scheduled updates for our manuals, educational resources, and mentoring smaller associations.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. Here's to continued growth and success for our association!

Warm regards,
Tia Politi, President
Oregon Rental Housing Association

By: Tia Politi, ORHA Forms Committee Chair
June 2025

I'm thrilled to announce that the ORHA Forms Manual, Seventh Edition, is now ready for order – thank you for your patience! If you're a member of a Local Association looking to purchase your ORHA Forms Manual VII, please contact your Local Association directly (click here). ORHA will only process bulk orders to our Local Associations and will not process direct printed sales to individual consumers.

The complexities of Eugene's new regulations and recent state law changes delayed our timeline, but the wait is over. I'm grateful to everyone who assisted with the editing – your keen eyes caught details I missed, and I truly appreciate your support.

This updated manual reflects significant changes to existing forms and includes several new ones. It's an essential resource for Owners and Agents, helping determine:

• Which form is appropriate for their situation,
• How to complete it correctly, and
• How to serve it properly.
  
  

Mistakes in tenant notices or failure to include required documents at move-in or during termination can lead to serious and costly legal consequences. This guide is designed to help you – and your members – avoid those pitfalls.

Since the last iteration of the ORHA Forms Manual, there have been some significant changes of note:

1. The altered timelines for nonpayment of rent enacted during the pandemic were made permanent.

a. The 144-Hour Notice to Pay or Vacate for Nonpayment of Rent (Form VT1) (discontinued) that can be served as early as the fifth day of the rental period was changed to the 13-day Notice to Pay or Vacate for Nonpayment of Rent (Form VT1a).
b. The 72-Hour Notice to Pay or Vacate for Nonpayment of Rent (Form VT2) (discontinued) that can be served as early as the eighth date of the rental period was changed to the 10-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate for Nonpayment of Rent (Form VT2a).
c. The 72-Hour Notice to Pay or Vacate for Nonpayment of Rent – Week-to-Week Tenancy (Form VT3) remains unchanged except for another requirement that impacts all notices for nonpayment – a state-mandated form letting Tenants know where they can apply for rent assistance.
d. Any notice to the Tenant regarding money owed for anything except for damage to the premises must be accompanied by the rent assistance notification available on the website.

2. Because of the law codified in House Bill 2001, the committee decided to include the required rent assistance notification language within the body of the Notice of Termination with Cause (Form VT5) to ensure that landlords who are using this form to collect money owed other than rent don't forget to include the required notice about rent assistance.

3. We created a new form to facilitate a landlord's change in the type or amount of late fee, and to implement renters' insurance in an existing Tenancy. Both changes require 30-day written notice. The new form is Late Fee/Renters Insurance Notice of Change in Terms (Form O15). Remember that in a Fixed-Term Lease, Landlords may not change anything during the term without the Tenant's written agreement.

4. With the passage of Senate Bill 1069, and effective January 1, 2024, Tenants can agree to accept electronically transferred funds for any payments due from the Landlord. Prior to this law, any refund to the Tenant could only be made with physical payment delivered personally or by First Class Mail. Now, with the Tenant's signed agreement, Landlords may issue refunds electronically. The agreement is voluntary on the Tenant's part and the agreement may only be signed after the Tenancy begins and the Tenant has taken possession of the unit. See ORS 90.147 for the legal description of transfer of possession. To facilitate this option, we created Agreement to Accept Electronically Transferred Funds (Form O16).

5. Another part of Senate Bill 1069 was presented as a good thing for Landlords and Tenants, but has pitfalls, and that is the allowance to Serve Legal Notices by Email-and-Mail. Like service of notice by Post-and-Mail, it saves the three-day waiting period for Mailed Only notices; but comes with similar concerns. Unwary Landlords have often been blindsided in eviction court, lost their cases and been forced to pay attorney fees for not meeting the exact requirements for Service of Notice.

Service by Email-and-Mail has specific criteria. To allow for service of notice by this method, the parties must enter into a written agreement after the tenancy begins, and the tenant has taken possession of the unit. The agreement must specify the email address from which the Landlord will send or receive email notice and from which email addresses the Tenant(s) will send or receive email notice and provide for a change of email address, electronic payment or termination of the agreement by either party with three days’ written notice.

Why is there risk in this method of service? Like the particularities required to be able to serve notice by Post-and-Mail, there are risks. What if you forget to email one of the tenants? What if their power is out? What if they lost their internet and dropped their phone in the toilet? What if you got one letter or digit wrong in the email address, but because that address belongs to someone out there in the world, you’re never notified that it wasn’t delivered?

The biggest reason Landlords lose in eviction court or must re-serve a notice is due to “imperfect service.” Despite all our articles and classes and helplines, folks still mess this up more than anything else and it’s a bad thing to mess up! A tenant attorney would be happy to educate you for an exorbitant fee – this is called Higher Education. We don’t recommend it for the casual landlord, however, if you wish to pursue this method of service, we have created an Agreement to Exchange Notice by Email and Mail (Form O17) for this purpose.

This new method of service created a need to address our service boxes on forms, and the Forms Committee presented the board with three options:

1. Do nothing and discourage email-and-mail service.
2. Add Email-and-Mail as a fourth option.
3. Change the service box to allow for only two options – First Class Mail and Other.

The ORHA Board voted unanimously for option 3 for the reasons iterated above.

First Class Mail (with 4 days added to account for mailing time) is ALWAYS the most secure way to serve a legal notice – ask any landlord-tenant attorney, so why give our members another way to mess up? Instead, we encourage you to serve all notices by First Class Mail, and if you want to do it another way AND you know what you’re doing, you can fill in the “Other” method of service.

There is one exception in the 24-Hour Notice to Enter (Form #O4). Because Actual Notice (outlined in ORS 90.150) is allowed for specific types of notifications such as notice to enter, the service box in that one form contains the allowance to Post on the Main Entrance. Thanks to Cliff Connor-Coash for bringing that to our attention!

New City of Eugene Rules and Forms
Since our Forms Manual was last published the Eugene City Council has enacted Phase 2 of their ill-advised “renter protections.”

Phase 1 became effective on August 13, 2022, and requires that prior to entering a tenancy the landlord provide to the tenant photos (taken no more than 30 days prior to the tenancy beginning) and a written report documenting the condition of the unit and get written acknowledgement that they were received. Additionally, at the time of move in, the landlord must provide the Tenant Education Information handout to all renters.

Phase 2 became effective on August 24, 2023, and added more requirements and restrictions:

• A limit of $10 for screening.
• Limits on allowable security deposits.
• Screening first-come, first-served.
• Special allowances and disclosures in screening for non-English proficient applicants.
• Required payment of relocation assistance of two months’ rent for any termination of tenancy for no-cause or for a qualifying landlord reason, unless exempt.
• Specific and limited timelines for claiming exemptions.
• Specific methods for notifying tenants in original leases of less than one year about their right to renew.
• Limits on rent increases.
• Reporting requirements to the city for any relocation payment, as well as filing of exemptions, termination notices and reporting of evictions.
• Painful penalties for failing to comply.
  
  

Phase 3 recommendations include:

• Prohibit denial of applicants for credit defaults related to medical or education debt, and limit screening for minimum credit score.
• Loosen minimum monthly gross income screening standards to no greater than twice the monthly rent.
• Local moratorium on no-cause evictions.
  
  

If you are a Eugene landlord subject to the Code, you must proceed with extraordinary caution and educate yourself on the intricacies of the new requirements or you could pay a very high price. You can learn more about the requirements at https://www.eugene-or.gov/845/Rental-Housing-Program.

Also, while some forms are provided by the city, termination forms are not. The Forms Committee has created the following city of Eugene-compliant forms:

• Notice of Termination Without Cause - City of Eugene – form T4EU.
• Notice of Termination Qualifying Landlord Reason - City of Eugene – form T5EU.
• Notice of Nonrenewal of Lease – City of Eugene – form T6EU.
• Notice of Termination – Two-Unit, Owner-Occupied Property – form T7EU.

Other form changes

• With the City of Eugene’s change regarding rent increases that somewhat aligns with the previously enacted rules in the City of Portland, we decided to add disclosure language for both cities to the state Notice of Rent Increase (Form O1) and remove the Portland Rent Increase Notice (Form O1PD). In both cities, if you do not increase rent to the maximum allowable amount, you are free from having to pay relocation expenses.

• Also, we had not provided city-compliant forms to mirror ORHA’s Notice of Termination Two-Unit, Owner-Occupied Property – form T7. In addition to providing this form to allow Eugene landlords to terminate if they meet the exception, the same form is now available for the city of Portland. Use Notice of Termination – Two-Unit, Owner-Occupied Property - form T7PD. (Landlords with properties inside the urban growth boundary of either Eugene or Portland must provide at least 90 days written notice even though state law allows for less and the form reminds landlords that they must include specific disclosures and pay relocation fees, unless exempt.)

• Thanks to the sharp eye of Legislative Director Jason Miller and attorney Mark Busch, we were notified of some deficiencies in our 24-Hour Notice for Harm or Substantial Damage (Form T2), so that form has been revised to be more exact and compliant with ORS 90.396.

The Forms Committee is always eager to hear your suggestions for new forms and changes to our existing forms. While we can’t guarantee your request will be voted up by the committee or the board, we have received a lot of great feedback over the years from our members. You can continue to send your suggestions to forms@oregonrentalhousing.com.

DISCLAIMER: The Oregon Rental Housing Association (ORHA) is a non-profit educational landlord association – ORHA Board Members, Mentors, Staff, Contractors, and/or other related ORHA affiliates do not give legal advice. Please be advised that this posting is no substitute for professional legal counsel or legal advice and any advice or guidance does not constitute legal advice. Please consult an attorney for legal advice related to your specific situation.

By: Cloud Miller, ORHA Technology Committee Chair
June 2025

ORHA Online Forms Store, Price Changes Effective July 1, 2025:

a. Applications – Same price $6.99 for non-members and $3.99 for members.
b. Rental Agreements – Fixed Term, Month-to-Month, and Week-to-Week are $9.99 for non-members and $7.99 for members.
c. Addendums and Notices – $7.99 for non-members and $4.99 for members.
d. Additionally, Eugene and Portland Forms – Will be $1.00 more because of the special work needed for those cities.

By: Tia Politi, ORHA Forms Committee Chair
May 15, 2025

Announcement from the Forms Committee of the Oregon Rental Housing Association (ORHA)

The Forms Committee of the Oregon Rental Housing Association (ORHA) is pleased to announce the availability of new forms serving the needs of landlords managing properties within the Urban Growth Boundaries of Eugene and Portland. Both cities have law overlays that apply to rental properties, and the intricacy of the regulations required intensive effort to ensure these new forms meet the legal requirements.

New Termination Forms for Eugene
For Eugene managers, we now have a comprehensive packet of termination forms including:

• T4EU – City of Eugene – Notice of Termination Without Stated Cause
• T5EU – City of Eugene – Notice of Termination – Qualifying Landlord Reason
• T6EU – City of Eugene – Notice of Nonrenewal of Lease
• T7EU – City of Eugene – Notice of Termination – Two-Unit/Owner-Occupied Property

New Termination Form for Portland
For Portland managers, we have now added form:

• T7EU – City of Portland – Notice of Termination – Two-Unit/Owner-Occupied Property

We previously offered termination forms for Portland, but not for this specific situation.

These forms are now available for purchase from the Forms Store. Printed versions of the Eugene forms should be available at the Lane ROA office by early next week.

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
May 2025

Property Management Palooza
I’m super excited to head to beautiful Hood River this month for our board meeting and annual Property Management Palooza! Hood River is a beautiful part of our state and is known for its spectacular opportunities for hiking, windsurfing and kiteboarding. Hood River County also has some of the best kayaking, mountain biking, downhill and Nordic skiing areas in the United States and was recently named one of the “11 great riverfront towns" in the United States.

So, mark your calendars for Friday May 16, 2025, for an all-day series of classes for landlords and property managers – This year, like last year, lunch is included and sponsored by Tanya Dean’s employer Columbia River Property Management. Last year’s Palooza was the first where lunch was sponsored by Randy Randall, owner of Preferred Property Management, Inc. in Hermiston, and he got a good thing going! It allows us to hang out and have a break without having to scramble to find food.

We will also be handing out fabulous door prizes, including a pad of 10-day notices donated by Lane County ROA, a move-in pack of forms donated by Salem RHA, a certificate for free entry to a LAARC class sponsored by ORHA (this one-time certificate will be good for two years), one lovely ORHA padfolio, a free one-year membership to our sponsored association, Mid-Columbia Rental Owners Association, and four certificates good for a notice or consultation from Tia Politi – Rental Housing Support Services. Only in-person class attendees are eligible for door prizes so try to join us in Hood River if you can!

Remember, traveling for education is tax-deductible as allowed by law, so bring the family and enjoy some of the great things Hood River has to offer, or join us online for training if you can’t be there in person.

For board members, remember online Committee Meetings will be held this month on Friday May 9th to accommodate the Palooza, and of course, the board meeting will be held in Hood River all day on Saturday, May 17th. Let’s roll on to the Mighty Columbia River!

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
April 2025

Our March board meeting in Medford featured the final session of Train the Trainer and the Executive Committee elections.

Read instructor Violet Wilson’s recap later in the newsletter about her three-part educational series on teaching others. After committee meetings on Friday, each participant delivered a final 15-minute presentation on a topic of their choice—the time flew by. Everyone’s ideas were fresh and inspiring, and each instructor brought their own unique style. Now, each graduate is eligible to teach ORHA classes. Violet plans to offer the series again soon, so stay tuned and join in.

A special thank you to Tanya Dean of Mid-Columbia ROA for chairing this year’s Nomination Committee. This short-term commitment, required every two years, calls for a dedicated volunteer who is not running for office to solicit nominations, compile results, and present the slate of candidates.

2025-2027 Executive Committee Election Results:

• President – Violet Wilson, Salem RHA
• Vice President – Jason Miller, Linn-Benton RHA
• Treasurer – Dan Griffin, Central Oregon ROA
• Secretary – Chuck DeSeranno, Salem RHA
• Past President – Tia Politi, Lane ROA
• At-Large Member – Joann Hansen, ROA of Southwest Oregon
• At-Large Member – Leigh Ann Prummer, ROA of Northeast Oregon

Their terms begin on July 1, 2025, and run through June 30, 2027. Since only two of the four ORHA regions were represented in the officers’ group, two At-Large voting members were elected to ensure balanced regional representation.

• Joann Hansen (JH Realty, North Bend) – Vice President of ROA of Southwest Oregon, representing the Southern Region
• Leigh Ann Prummer (Catherine Creek Property Management, LLC, La Grande) – Legislative Liaison and Treasurer of ROA of Northeast Oregon, representing the Eastern Region

With diverse concerns across the state, ORHA bylaws require voting representation from all regions. Thank you to all who have stepped up to lead.

ORHA Regional Breakdown:

1. Eastern Region: Mid-Columbia ROA, ROA of Northeast Oregon, Treasure Valley RA, Umatilla County RHA
2. Metro Region: Central Oregon ROA, Lane County ROA, Portland Area ROA
3. Northern Region: Linn-Benton RHA, Salem RHA, Clatsop County ROA
4. Southern Region: ROA of Douglas County, Klamath ROA, Southern Oregon ROA, ROA of Southwest Oregon

Survey Results Are In
A big thank you to Tanya Dean of Mid-Columbia ROA for leading the Survey Committee, taking over from former chair Alex Wilkins of Linn-Benton RHA. With the help of Office Contractor Ben Seamans, Tanya prepared, distributed, and compiled the survey results, which were presented at the March meeting. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Cutting Costs for Tenant Screening
The Oregon Supreme Court recently ruled that the Eugene Rental Housing Code's $10 limit on screening fees is allowable, reinstating the cap effective March 10, 2025. Additionally, a pending bill in the legislature could eliminate screening fees or reduce them to $10 in line with Eugene if it passes. With these changes in mind, here are some strategies to reduce tenant screening costs:

• Require Applicants to Provide a Recent Credit Report

Ask applicants to submit a copy of their credit report pulled within the last seven days, which they can obtain for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. Credit reports provide valuable insights beyond credit scores, including past addresses. Comparing past addresses to the information provided can help identify potential fraud. Review their payment history, total debt, and collections accounts. If their credit history does not meet your criteria, you can deny the application without proceeding further.

• Verify Income Before Additional Screening

Request pay stubs, tax returns, or direct employer verification to confirm the applicant’s income. If their income is insufficient, you can deny the application at this stage without incurring additional screening costs.

• Check Landlord References

Contact previous landlords to verify rental history. If references are unfavorable or cannot be verified, you may deny the application based on that alone. Always confirm that the person providing the reference is the property owner or an authorized manager. Property ownership records are public and can be checked online through the county assessor’s office or by calling the relevant county office.

• Conduct a Nationwide Criminal and Eviction History Check Last

If all other screening criteria are met, proceed with a nationwide criminal and eviction history check as a final step. For applicants who have lived in Oregon their entire lives, you can look up their criminal history online at the Oregon Judicial Department’s Portal. If a similar resource is unavailable in other states, consider limiting costs by performing only the nationwide check through your screening company while handling the rest yourself.

• Adjusting Your Screening Process

For property management companies or those accepting online applications, consider updating your policies to limit the number of applications you accept. This helps prevent a situation where you must either screen every applicant or refund screening fees.

• The Importance of Verifiable Information

If you are unable to verify an applicant’s information—whether due to limited rental references, unverifiable employment, or other inconsistencies—you can legally deny the application. Ensuring all provided details are accurate and confirmable is essential for responsible tenant selection.

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
March 2025

Board Meeting in Medford – March 14 & 15, 2025
There’s a lot going on at this month’s meeting in Medford. Thanks so much to SOROA Vice President Sandee Webb for finding us a great venue!

Violet Wilson of Salem Rental Housing Association is hosting her final Train the Trainer class on Friday after committee meetings for folks who want to be certified to teach ORHA classes. It’s been a great series and if you missed it this time around she is planning to teach it again in the future. Violet is a long-time educator and a wealth of information, encouragement and advice, even for experienced presenters like me. At this final class on Friday, class attendees are delivering a 15-minute presentation using PowerPoint on any subject related to property management.

Even if you haven’t taken the classes, you are welcome to join us at 1 p.m. to watch the presentations. Violet says you can help evaluate or just watch and learn.

ORHA Elections
Our March meeting is when we vote for new officers and at-large members to serve on the ORHA Executive Committee for two-year terms beginning July 1, 2025. We have a robust slate of interested candidates but always open nominations from the floor if anyone wants to throw their hat or someone else’s into the ring at the last minute.

Previously, voting happened in May, but the Board voted to move elections up to March as early voting helps new officers transition into their new positions less abruptly and receive some mentoring if needed by the outgoing officer.

Many thanks to Nomination Chair Tanya Dean of Mid-Columbia Rental Owners Association who stepped up and with the help of ORHA Independent Contractor Ben Seamans, made this bi-annual event super smooth. And thanks to all of you who submitted nominations or agreed to serve.

Mid-Columbia Property Management Palooza – Save the Date!
Planning meetings for this year’s Palooza in Hood River on Friday, May 16, 2025, are well in hand. The Palooza committee has secured the venue at the Hampton Inn and Suites – 1 Nichols Parkway, Hood River, and decided on the classes that instructors are offering. This year’s instructors include Violet Wilson vice president of the Salem Rental Housing Association, Christian Bryant president of the Portland Area Rental Owners Association, Jason Miller, vice president of the Linn-Benton Rental Housing Association, and me, Tia Politi, president of the Rental Owners Association of Lane County and ORHA. Just like Palooza’s past the idea is to highlight a smaller chapter in the Association, bringing attention to their area, helping to increase their membership and providing a financial boost to help them achieve their goals while providing high-level property management education to our members far and wide. Tanya Dean of Mid-Columbia Rental Owners Association has been single-handedly reenergized her group, and we’re excited to see what we can do to help them grow.

As usual, classes will be offered in person and virtually, but I encourage you to consider attending in person. There’s something magical about being around a bunch of people who share the same interests striving toward common goals. And Hood River is gorgeous! So much to do and see, so bring the family, stay for the weekend and remember, your expenses for the trip as well as the cost to attend classes are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Hope to see you there.

Palooza Sponsorships
This year, the group is offering sponsorships for the Palooza to help defray expenses. Tanya’s employers at Columbia River Property Management (formerly John L Scott Property Management) are sponsoring lunch, but other sponsorship opportunities are available as follows:

• Level 1 - $100 - Your company’s logo on all our advertising and class materials.
• Level 2 - $200 - Includes the benefits of Level 1 and allows your company to host a table at the event to provide personal contact and advertising materials.
• Level 3 - $300 - Includes the benefits of Levels 1 and 2 and allows you the opportunity for a five-minute presentation to class attendees.

Contact ORHA Office office@oregonrentalhousing.com and sponsorship chair Tanya Dean at tanyadean@johnlscott.com if you want to be a sponsor!

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
February 2025

The Legislature is in Session
The long legislative session is in full swing. Stay tuned for updates as our Legislative Team reports on the bills we are tracking and be ready to respond to their calls to action. You may not think your voice matters but it does. If you don’t feel comfortable providing oral testimony at committee meetings that’s okay; even your written testimony makes a big difference, so please help us keep proposed legislation that works against our business to a minimum! See the full list of bills we’re tracking later in the newsletter.

March Meeting in Medford
We’re looking forward to our first Board Meeting of the year in Medford. Committee Meetings are on Friday, board meeting on Saturday and one-hour training on Sunday morning before we leave. Events can be attended in-person or online, meeting details were emailed from the ORHA Office to all ORHA Delegates on 02/07/2025. This year’s meeting will include election of officers for terms beginning in July and we have a robust slate of candidates to continue to lead ORHA into a bright future.

Violet Wilson of SRHA is finishing up her third Train the Trainer class for instructors who want to be certified to teach ORHA classes. This class is in-person only and attendees are presenting to the group for feedback. It’s been a great series even for experienced teachers like me and we hope that it will lead to more members of our local associations giving teaching a try. I was nervous and uncertain when I began teaching small groups in Lane County, but with a good outline and knowledge of how management works in Oregon, I gained confidence over time. Now I teach a lot of classes around the state and find that members are hungry for quality information as our landlord-tenant laws frequently change. If you missed this opportunity to take the classes, Violet will be offering the series again in the future. Watch for details to come.

Palooza Planning – Want to be a sponsor?
We’re off to a good start planning for ORHA’s annual Property Management Palooza! Save the date (May 16, 2025) and plan to join us for a full day of in-person learning in beautiful Hood River, OR. Proceeds will benefit our newly revitalized Mid-Columbia Rental Owners Association (MCROA) under the leadership of Tanya Dean. If you can’t make it in person, you can also join us online. Registration will begin in March or April – watch for links as we get closer.

Following our third Palooza in Hermiston last year, when Randy Randall of Preferred Property Management, Inc. treated the attendees to lunch, we decided to seek out sponsors for future Paloozas to help us cover costs so more money can go to the association to help with their growth. Tanya’s employers at Columbia River Property Management have generously offered to sponsor lunch, but we have room for others as well. With costs for the room, hotel rooms for speakers as well as other costs to cover, we are offering three levels of sponsorship: Level 1 – $100 with the sponsor’s logo printed in all of the promotional and class materials; Level 2 – $200 to include the benefits of Level 1 along with a host table for the sponsor to advertise their wares to attendees during breaks and lunch; Level 3 – $300 to include the benefits of Levels 1 & 2, with a 5-minute presentation during class breaks. Want to get on board? Reach out to the ORHA Office at office@oregonrentalhousing.com and you’ll be reaching property managers and landlords throughout the state.

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
January 2025

Forms Manual/Law Book
Hope the New Year finds you well! We are excited to be publishing our ORHA Forms Manual – Edition VII this year. Stay tuned for details. As you may recall, the board voted to begin adhering to a regular schedule: new Forms Manual every odd year and new Law Book every even year. We had planned to be offering our new Law Book this year, but because the long session occurs in odd-numbered years and more law changes happen during those long sessions, it made sense to postpone.

I know it’s been a very long time, but remember, you have all the new laws as inserts in the current manual that are also available on the website and with the new law changes that happened in 2023-2024, there are articles that can guide you regarding those law changes! Thank you for your patience.

Bylaws and Policies
We finally finished our bylaws changes, and the updated Bylaws and Policies should be sent out to the local associations this month to have them in hand. Because our vote regarding profit-sharing at the July meeting was found to be improper, we re-voted at the November meeting, and the policy is now approved. If you’ve forgotten what that was about, Technology Chair Cloud Miller made a motion to include sales of all ORHA products in the profit-sharing money we distribute to our local associations annually. It requires a little more work for the bookkeeper, Finance Committee and ORHA Independent Contractor Ben Seamans, but gives us all skin in the game. With the proposal to add virtual manuals and teach more ORHA-sponsored classes, it should result in a heftier annual distribution.

Save the Date - Property Management Palooza!
Organizational meetings for our 2025 Property Management Palooza in Hood River begin this month. If you are not a member of this committee, and wish to be, please send me an email so I can add you to the list. I can be reached at president@oregonrentalhousing.com.

We’re happy to return to the eastern part of the state where distances are vast and in-person educational offerings are limited. We encourage you to plan to attend this intensive annual event and make a weekend of it. Hood River is a beautiful part of our state and is known for its spectacular opportunities for hiking, windsurfing and kiteboarding. Hood River County also has some of the best kayaking, mountain biking, downhill and Nordic skiing areas in the United States and was recently named one of the “11 great riverfront towns" in the United States. Interestingly, it is also the only city in Oregon where public consumption of alcohol on sidewalks or parks is completely unrestricted! 

So, mark your calendars for Friday May 16, 2025, for an all-day series of classes for landlords and property managers – details to follow. Bring the family and enjoy some of the great things Hood River has to offer. Hope to see you there.

Tia Politi, ORHA President

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
November 2024

Happy Holidays to you! We at Oregon Rental Housing Association provide our members with top-notch support through our rental forms and through the efforts of our county associations. Each chapter is independently run with support from the leadership team at ORHA. Each association provides delegates that take their turn at leadership and vote on policies and procedures to effectively move us forward to greater heights.

Nominations for officers for the 2025-2027 term are being accepted. You should have received an email twice now from our Nomination Committee Chair Tanya Dean. Please take a few minutes and send in your nominations. Remember, you can always be self-nominated. Voting will take place during the March meeting, and if needed, voting will also take place for one or more At-Large executive members.

We have four regions in ORHA – 1) Metro Region which includes Central Oregon ROA in Bend, Lane County Rental Owners Association in Springfield, and Portland Area ROA in Portland; 2) Northeastern Region which includes Clatsop County ROA in Astoria, Linn-Benton RHA in Corvallis, and Salem RHA in Salem; 3) Southern Region which includes ROA of Douglas County, in Roseburg, Klamath ROA in Klamath Falls, ROA of Southwestern Oregon, in Coos Bay, and Southern Oregon ROA in Medford; and 4) Eastern Region which includes ROA of Northeastern Oregon in La Grande, Mid-Columbia ROA in the Dalles, Treasure Valley RA in Ontario, and Umatilla ROA in Hermiston.

Our bylaws require that all regions of the state be represented on the Executive Committee, so if after voting a region is not represented, delegates will vote at that meeting for an At-Large member to serve on the Executive Committee for a two-year term. This past term, all but the Southern Region was represented and Joanne Williams of ROADC has served in that role. See you in March for the vote!