By Jim Straub, ORHA Legislative Director
June 29, 2020

During the eviction moratorium, more families, whether they can pay all of their rent or not, will have housing in this unsettling period of time.

For a landlord, the only way to access State or Federal rent assistance resources, is to have a current tenant that is in arrears. It benefits no one for a tenant to be evicted during a time of high unemployment, and high vacancies. For a landlord, after three months under the current Executive Order, the best way to receive any monies owed is to agree to this temporary extension while state and federal resources are brought to bear.

A landlords right to not renew a lease or month to month tenancy in the first year of occupancy is extended to a 30 day period of time at the end of the moratorium for those tenancies that reached the one year mark during this time.

The ability for a homeowner, or in the event of a sale for a new property owner to move back into their own home is preserved.

The ability for a landlord to remove tenants that are being disruptive, or outright damaging the property is restored.

The statute of limitations on amounts owed to a landlord is extended equal to the amount of time the moratorium is in place, this assures landlords that their normal period of time to arrange collection of past due amounts is unaltered.

We are all bearing witness to something that neither landlords or tenants are at fault for. This bill is temporary, and is the just and humane thing to do.