IMPORTANT NOTICE ––– OFFICE CLOSURE 

The ORHA Office is Currently Closed from 03/22/2024 until 03/31/2024 – We will return to normal business hours on 04/01/2024. Please continue sending emails/submitting support tickets and we will do our best to respond to these when we return to normal business hours on the 1st.

If you need assistance while our office is closed, please contact your Local Association directly. If you do not know the contact information for your Local Association, it can be located at https://OregonRentalHousing.com/about.

Thank you very much, your patience is greatly appreciated. 
– ORHA Office

ORHA News

<< First  < Prev   1   2   3   4   5   ...   Next >  Last >> 
  • Monday, March 04, 2024 12:52 PM | Anonymous
    By: Tia Politi, ORHA President

    March 2024

    Meeting in Bandon
    Looking forward to seeing our association delegates at this month’s Board Meeting in beautiful Bandon. See the March 2024 Board Meeting Notice from the ORHA Office for dates, times and location. You should have already received your invitation and secured your place. We will be meeting at Lord Bennett's Friday night at 6 p.m. for a no-host delegates dinner just to eat some good food and hang out - hope you will join us. If you’ll be staying Saturday night, we’ll figure out something to do. It’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend and there’s an Irish festival, so we may head over there for food and fun.

    The committee meetings will be held at the Wizard Hat Beach House – See Board Packet for Address – as will the Sunday morning training. This meeting’s training will be 9-10 a.m. and I’ll be talking about how to handle a landlord helpline for your association. It’s a challenge but dramatically increases a chapter’s value to its members. I’ll be discussing setting up a dedicated Google Voice phone number for callers, tracking calls and topics to guide the board in educational offerings, directing callers to our forms and manuals, dealing with people who take too much time, and how to answer landlord questions without giving legal advice.

    Property Management Palooza!
    Mark your calendars for this year’s Property Management Seminar in beautiful Hermiston, Oregon, Friday May 17, 2024. Classes will be held at the Oxford Suites at 1050 N 1st St, Hermiston. We should have four teachers this time, Christian Bryant, president of the Portland Area ROA, Jason Miller, ORHA Legislative Director, Violet Wilson, ORHA Executive Committee Advisor and chair of the ORHA Education Committee, and myself. Meetings have begun and we’ll send you more info on the class times and topics next month.

    The Palooza is our way of highlighting a smaller chapter and helping them boost their finances. In this case we’re working with all our eastern Oregon folks and while the distances are vast, it’s a beautiful drive. So please mark your calendars for an all-day seminar. If you can’t make it in person, we will be offering virtual attendance options as well, but we encourage you to come in person if you can. Remember, when you travel for business it’s a tax deduction!

    There’s a lot to do in Hermiston and the surrounding areas and Eastern Oregon is spectacular in the Spring, so bring the family for a mini vacation. In Hermiston, there’s the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center, Butte Park with a great view if you hike to the top of the Butte, the Hermiston Raceway, Desert Lane Bowling Alley & Arcade, and Winery Tours.

    The town of Hermiston has long been a stopover for travelers. The Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery passed the distinctive outcropping of Hat Rock, now a state park, and wrote about it in their journals. The town site in the 1860s was known as an overnight spot for horseback travelers who frequented an Old West hotel and bar here. The Maxwell Siding Railroad Display recalls a former time when rail was king. Visitors can view the early 20th-century rail cars and collection of railroad memorabilia. (Tours are available by appointment.)

    Umatilla is only a 12-minute drive from Hermiston and offers their own array of things to do. Head down to the river at the Umatilla Marina R.V. Park, a great spot for boaters, and the McNary National Wildlife Refuge, with walking paths around the ponds and sloughs that provide key habitat for migrating and resident water birds as well as other wildlife. Visit the nearby Pacific Salmon Visitor Information Center at McNary Lock and Dam to learn about the life cycle of salmon and the history of hydropower in the Columbia. Don’t miss your photo op with the giant cowboy sign outside the Columbia Harvest Foods store. Then head west toward the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge, where you can look for burrowing owls, overwintering eagles, mule deer and badgers.

    We hope to see you there!

  • Thursday, February 08, 2024 1:22 AM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
    February 2024

    Hope you survived the January ice storm in good health. Looking forward to seeing our ORHA delegates next month in beautiful Bandon! You’ll receive information soon on the location and registration. See Office Manager Ben Seamans’ Office Report later in the newsletter.

    We’re gearing up for the short legislative session, and our legislative team – Lobbyist Shawn Miller, Legislative Director Jason Miller, and Deputy Legislative Director Ben Seamans – are ready for action. Nothing like the excruciating long session, but the attacks on the largest contingent of small business owners in the state continue unabated. The one bright spot is an additional $65 million in rent assistance that the Governor is carving out to help keep people housed.

    Or is it? As an eviction specialist I’ve seen many sad cases over the years where a few months’ rent would have saved a tenancy or allowed a resident to move on without loads of debt hanging over their head, but what I’ve seen happening with the distribution of rent assistance is anything but orderly or fair. For more than two years, I have been helping an owner serve notice, take his renters to court, and then have them get bailed out. These are two able-bodied folks in their 30’s who could work, but don’t seem to want to or they’re choosing to spend their money on things other than rent.

    They’ve gotten at least four rounds of rent assistance while others are told there are no more funds left. What’s wrong with this picture? Also, some agencies cover other costs, and some don’t. I’ve had some owners reimbursed for everything, including late fees, NSF fees, utilities and court costs, and others only get rent. Some get rent through that month; others get rent paid ahead with seemingly no rhyme or reason as to the disparity.  And I imagine you saw the article about the millions of dollars that have been fraudulently distributed – what a mess. Challenging to remain optimistic…anyway, glad rental owners are getting some money.

    Landlords are commonly seen as rich, opportunistic, and greedy, when the truth for most of us is that we scraped and saved and worked full time jobs while trying to build some sort of reasonable retirement for ourselves and something to pass to our children. Most of us did not inherit our rentals. Most of us have 1-4 units. Most of us still work full time. Most of us still have mortgages. Most of us care deeply about our renters’ experience. Not sure how we can change the stereotype, but it takes all of us running our rental businesses ethically and policing our own. I’m also president of the Rental Owners Association of Lane County. Just like ORHA, we have a code of ethics and at Lane we have removed members from our membership rolls for unethical behavior. I hope all our chapters do the same. It only takes a few bad apples to make us all look bad.

  • Wednesday, February 07, 2024 1:26 AM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi
    February 2024

    What is a fee? A fee is a non-refundable charge to a tenant, most often for a violation of the rental agreement, but also for certain landlord expenses. A landlord is not obligated to account for or return to the tenant any lawfully charged fee. (Screening fees are charged pre-tenancy, and have their own requirements and restrictions. They are not addressed in this discussion.)

    A fee must be described in a written rental agreement. If it’s not in the written agreement or you have not implemented a change in terms in the case of municipal fees, you can’t charge any fees at all. There are two types:  contractual fees and noncompliance fees.

    Contractual Fees include:

    1. Late payment of rent fee.
    2. Smoke/CO alarm tampering fee.
    3. Dishonored check fee.
    4. Lease-break fee.
    5. HOA/COA move-in or move-out fees.
    6. Municipal services pass-through fees.

    Noncompliance Fees include:

    1. Late payment of a utility or service charge.
    2. Failure to clean up animal waste (pet or assistance animal) from a part of the premises other than the dwelling unit.
    3. Failure to clean up garbage, rubbish, or other waste from a part of the premises other than the dwelling unit.
    4. Parking violations or improper use of vehicles within the premises.
    5. Smoking in a clearly designated nonsmoking unit or area of the premises.
    6. Keeping on the premises an unauthorized pet capable of causing damage to persons or property, as described in ORS 90.405

    Contractual fees require no further notice prior to assessment, than being described in a written rental agreement. Once the tenant commits the violation, you assess the fee.

    Non-compliance fees require that upon first occurrence of a violation you must provide a written Warning Notice – Notice of Noncompliance – ORHA form #V1. If the tenant commits the same or substantially the same offense within one year, you may assess the fee and may assess repeated fees repeatedly during that year if the behavior continues. 

    In the Oregon Rental Housing Association rental agreement, all fees, whether contractual or noncompliance, are due immediately upon default.

    CONTRACTUAL FEES

    Late Rent
    You may charge a fee for late payment of rent when the tenant pays rent beyond the statutorily allowable grace period. If allowed by contract you may assess a late fee for any rent payment received after 11:59 p.m. on the 4th day of the rental period or after 11:59 p.m. on the 7th day of the rental period, depending on what you have stated in the agreement. 

    A tenant may be allowed an even longer grace period if they are disabled. When a late fee may be assessed to a disabled resident is dependent upon when they receive their disability payment from the government. Under Fair Housing regulations a landlord must make an exception to their normal policies to accommodate a disability-related need and payments are no exception. So, what’s fair in this situation? I think once you know that the tenant doesn’t get their assistance payment until say, the 10th of the month, it might be reasonable to extend the grace period through midnight of the 14th. 

    If you are required to extend your grace period, do it, but don’t change your due date for rent. Just keep it the first but extend the grace period to accommodate their payment schedule. I once had a disabled renter who had no bank account, and no car. She got her disability payments on the 3rd of each month, so I extended her grace period through midnight of the 7th to give her enough time to cash her check and pay her rent.

    There are three types of late rent fees a landlord may charge:

    1. A one-time charge in an amount not to exceed the amount customary to the local area. A landlord whose rental is in Bend or Portland may be allowed a higher fee than one whose rental is in Reedsport or La Grande. A reasonably safe amount might be up to $100, but just like everything rates increase over time, and I’m starting to see flat fees of $200 and in one recent case, even $250. Not sure what would happen if the amount of the fee were litigated, so keep that in mind when you’re establishing the amount. I know of one management company who has staggered rates based on the rent amount, so a higher flat fee if the unit is a higher-end property.
    2. The second choice is a daily fee that may be charged as early of the 5th day of the rental period with daily fees being assessed each day after that until rent is paid in full for that rental period only. The daily amount may not exceed 6% of the reasonable and customary one-time amount, so if we agree that a late fee of $100 is reasonable in your market that would mean a daily rate of $6; if we agree that a late fee of $200 is reasonable in your market, then a daily rate of $12. 
    3. The third choice is the most painful of the three for the tenant, and that’s a late fee of 5% of the rent amount for every five-day period or portion thereof until rent is paid in full for that rental period only. These can really add up. For example, if the rent is $1500 per month, then 5% is $75. Multiply that by each 5-day period and if rent isn’t paid until the end of the month the tenant can be responsible for a whopping $450. 

    Changing the type or amount of the late fee
    A landlord may change the type or amount of late fee in a month-to-month agreement with a 30-day written notice. If they are in a lease, you’ll have to wait to change the fee. All my renters have a late fee amount of $50, low by today’s standards, but I’m in no hurry to change it because they all pay on time. But if they weren’t paying on time, I would serve our new form Late Fee/Renters Insurance Notice of Change in Terms – ORHA form #O15 and change it to option three. The idea is to incentive on-time payment, so if you’re experiencing repeated issues with late payment of rent you might consider this type of change.

    Insufficient Funds
    Landlords may assess a fee of $35, plus bank charges for any dishonored check submitted as payment by a tenant. It’s very rare, but I did once have a tenant prove that the returned payment was a bank error, and the bank paid the charge on her behalf.

    Lease-Break
    You may charge a fee to a tenant who breaks a fixed-term lease without cause if provided for in the written rental agreement. The fee may not exceed 1-1/2 times the monthly rent. If you charge the fee:

    • You may not recover unpaid rent for any period of the fixed term tenancy beyond the date that you knew or reasonably should have known of the abandonment or relinquishment.
    • You may not recover damages related to the cost of renting the dwelling unit to a new tenant. 
    • You may not charge a lease-break fee in cases of termination of tenancy related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking as described in ORS 90.453(2), or for a tenant being called to active-duty military service as described in ORS 90.472 or 90.475, or if the lease is broken for cause.

    Smoke/CO Alarm Tampering
    You may assess a fee for tampering with a properly functioning smoke or CO alarm. The fee is not to exceed $250 per occurrence, and you may not assess the fee if the Fire Marshall has already done so. I once managed a fraternity and the fire Marshall had inspected, discovered the violation, and charged the fee and I couldn’t pile on darn it.

    HOA/COA Move-in/Move-out
    You may pass through move-in or move-out fees assessed by your condominium or homeowner’s association. To pass on the fee:

    • You must disclose the fee in writing prior to accepting any money, even a screening fee. Our application has a box you can check and a blank to fill in to notify the applicant what amount they will be responsible for paying.
    • You must bill the tenant within 30 days of receiving the association’s bill, provide a copy of the invoice with the bill, and allow the resident up to 30 days from the date of billing to pay.

    Municipal and Utilities Pass-Through
    You may pass on municipal fees and charges to tenants.

    • The pass-through charges must be stated in the written rental agreement.
    • The charge must be imposed on you by a utility or service provider, on behalf of the provider or a government agency for municipal services, or for general use of a public resource related to the dwelling unit, including assessments for street maintenance, transit, public safety, or parks and open space. To assess a municipal fee:
      • You must bill the tenant in writing within 30 days of receipt of the provider’s bill and include a copy of the bill.
      • You must provide the tenant 30 days or more to pay. 
      • If not stated in the written rental agreement, the fee may be added to an existing periodic agreement with 60 days’ written notice. 


    NONCOMPLIANCE FEES 

    • Prior to charging a noncompliance fee, you must issue a written warning notice within 30 days of discovery of an initial violation that states a specific noncompliance, and the amount of the fee for a second noncompliance, or for any subsequent noncompliance, that occurs within one year after the issuance of the written warning notice. Use Notice of Non-Compliance – ORHA form #V1.
    • You may not issue a Warning Notice prior to a violation being committed by the tenant.
    • For any specific violation, the right to charge a fee stops one year from the date of issuance of the first written Warning Notice. Once the year has passed, you must issue a new warning notice prior to charging fees again for that specific violation. 
    • Noncompliance fees must be assessed within 30 days of discovery of the act constituting the violation. 
    • You may instead serve a for-cause notice and terminate a tenancy for the violation instead of assessing a fee but may not assess a fee and terminate a tenancy for the same violation; however, you may terminate a tenancy for failure to pay outstanding noncompliance fees billed to the tenant.  

    Allowable noncompliance fees include:

    • The late payment of a utility or service charge that the tenant owes the landlord as described in ORS 90.315
    • Failure to clean up animal (pet or assistance animal) waste, garbage, rubbish, and other waste from a part of the premises other than the dwelling unit.
    • A parking violation, or the improper use of a vehicle within the premises.

    The allowable fees for these violations are limited to $50 for the second offense, and $50 plus 5% of the rent amount for all subsequent similar violations that occur within one year of issuance of the required written warning notice. 

    Two other noncompliance fees are higher:

    • Smoking in a clearly designated nonsmoking unit or area of the premises. 

    You may charge a $250 noncompliance fee as early as 24 hours after the effective date of the written warning notice for violating this prohibition, and repeated fees for every 24-hour period during which the tenant continues to violate this provision.

    •  Keeping on the premises an unauthorized pet capable of causing damage to persons or property, as described in ORS 90.405

    You may charge a $250 noncompliance fee as early as 48 hours after the effective date of the written warning notice if the tenant fails to remove the unauthorized pet, and repeated fees for every 48-hour period during which the animal remains on the premises.  

    Interestingly, the statute does not provide timelines for how long tenants have to cure the other listed violations, so do what’s reasonable.

    GETTING PAID

    • Notify the tenant that they owe a fee 

    Send a bill to the tenant each time they incur a fee, stating the violation, the fee they owe, the fee they will owe upon future violations, and how long they have to pay. The length of time a tenant has to pay a fee after notification can be defined in the rental agreement; if not defined, 30 days seems reasonable.

    • Collect the fee or terminate 

    If the tenant does not voluntarily pay a bill for a lawfully charged fee, you may send a Notice of Termination with Cause - ORHA form #VT5, providing a final opportunity to remit the funds or the tenancy terminates. If the tenant neither pays nor moves, you may evict them on that basis.

    PENALTIES AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

    • Landlord penalty for violation

    If a landlord charges a tenant a fee in violation of this section, the tenant may recover twice the actual damages of the tenant or $300, whichever is greater (90.302). This penalty applies to all fees except for municipal fees or utilities pass-through, in which case the landlord penalty is one months’ rent or twice the tenant’s actual damages (90.315).

    Concerns about proof, documentation
    You must take care to ensure that you have and retain proper documentation and proof of the violation prior to issuing a warning notice or assessing a fee. If a tenant disagrees with your assessment, the conflict could end up in court, where legitimate evidence will be required.

    This column offers general suggestions only, and is no substitute for professional legal counsel. Please consult an attorney for advice related to your specific situation.

  • Saturday, January 06, 2024 3:28 PM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
    January 2024
    Welcome to our new members of the Executive Committee
    I’m pleased to announce that at our November meeting, Dan Griffin of the Central Oregon Rental Owners Association was elected Treasurer to serve out the remaining term after our previous Treasurer resigned. With his gift for numbers Dan is a great choice. Dan is a licensed real estate broker and an investor. He’s working on his business start-up and he and his wife own five rental properties in Central Oregon. They have a 3-year-old daughter and a baby on the way. Originally from the Chicago area, Dan moved to Oregon nearly 11 years ago. He spends his free time building an off-grid cabin in a remote area east of Bend and training jiu jitsu. Thanks, Dan, for agreeing to serve.

    With our new Treasurer, a fantastic bookkeeper, Lori Black, along with Finance Committee Chair Dennis Chappa’s experience and tutelage, we’re in a good place with our finances. 

    You might recall that last year the board voted to reduce our regions from five to four, and in accordance with our bylaws, each area must be represented unless there’s no one willing to serve from a particular region, so with the prior Treasurer’s resignation, we were left without a representative from the Southern Region to serve on the Executive Committee, so... 

    …I’m also pleased to announce that Joanne Williams from the Rental Owners Association of Douglas County has agreed to serve as At-Large Member. She was a computer programmer for 30 years until her purchase of Centerpointe Property Management in 2020. Her company has 11 employees, including her daughter who will be taking over the business someday. Centerpointe manages around 700 regular rental units and three HOA’s with around 300 units. 

    Joanne has lived in Roseburg most of her life and caught the rental bug from her grandmother who was a longtime landlord. She bought her first property in 1998 to supplement her retirement, and recently bought a 7th unit. She says Monopoly is her favorite board game, and she enjoys camping and hiking in her limited spare time. She’s a proud mom of two, and a grandma of two. A fun fact about Joanne is that she appeared on TV in the show Swift Justice, and she won! Thanks, Joanne, for agreeing to serve.

    New forms available for 2024 law changes
    With the advent of new laws that took effect this year, including a requirement to allow child care in rental properties, and an allowance to serve notice by email and mail among other changes, the Forms Committee is rolling out new forms and forms changes to help you navigate. Read my article on New Forms and Forms Changes – Part II in my Forms Committee Report later in the newsletter.

    The article also highlights an important change you’re going to see in all of our forms regarding our service boxes, so check it out!

    One of the biggest challenges we face with our online Forms Store is the cost of developing and programming fillable forms. In November, the board accepted the committee’s recommendation to offer some forms on the site that will not be fillable. At a cost of around 10% of what it would normally cost to offer fillable forms, it will enable us to offer many forms we thought would be helpful but were not within our budget to produce. It will also allow us to see if the use of some forms justifies making them fillable in the future. Just like with printed forms, they are copyrighted, so you aren’t allowed to just print one and copy them for the future.

    Remember, what we do costs money and when you unlawfully copy our forms, it impacts our ability to improve our offerings. We work hard to help our members run a successful rental business and appreciate your support, financial and otherwise.

    Watch out for fraud!
    Late last year, a member sent me a very realistic looking letter purporting to approve rent assistance from Catholic Community Services for her renter, but when the member called their office, they had not received an application from the tenant nor approved anything. 

    Fraudsters are getting better all the time. If your tenant claims to have applied for assistance or been approved for assistance, even if they have official-looking documents you should contact the agency to check.

    No meeting this month
    Remember, there is no January meeting, so we’ll see all our delegates in Bandon in March. Looking forward to work and play.

    Property Management Palooza!
    This year’s Property Management Seminar is being held in beautiful Hermiston, Oregon, Friday May 17, 2024. The Palooza is our way of highlighting a smaller chapter and helping them boost their finances. In this case we’re working with all our eastern Oregon folks and while the distances are vast, it’s a beautiful drive. So please mark your calendars for an all-day seminar. If you can’t make it in person, we will be offering virtual attendance options as well, but we encourage you to come in person if you can. Remember, when you travel for business it’s a tax deduction! 

    There’s a lot to do in Hermiston and the surrounding areas and Eastern Oregon is spectacular in the Spring. In Hermiston, there’s the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center, Butte Park with a great view if you hike to the top of the Butte, the Hermiston Raceway, Desert Lane Bowling Alley & Arcade, and Winery Tours.

    The town of Hermiston has long been a stopover for travelers. The Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery passed the distinctive outcropping of Hat Rock, now a state park, and wrote about it in their journals. The town site in the 1860s was known as an overnight spot for horseback travelers who frequented an Old West hotel and bar here. The Maxwell Siding Railroad Display recalls a former time when rail was king. Visitors can view the early 20th-century rail cars and collection of railroad memorabilia. (Tours are available by appointment.)

    Umatilla is only a 12-minute drive from Hermiston and offers their own array of things to do. Head down to the river at the Umatilla Marina R.V. Park, a great spot for boaters, and the McNary National Wildlife Refuge, with walking paths around the ponds and sloughs that provide key habitat for migrating and resident water birds as well as other wildlife. Visit the nearby Pacific Salmon Visitor Information Center at McNary Lock and Dam to learn about the life cycle of salmon and the history of hydropower in the Columbia. Don’t miss your photo op with the giant cowboy sign outside the Columbia Harvest Foods store. Then head west toward the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge, where you can look for burrowing owls, overwintering eagles, mule deer and badgers. 

    We hope to see you there!

    Tia Politi, President
    Oregon Rental Housing Association

  • Saturday, January 06, 2024 3:08 PM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi, ORHA Forms Committee Chair
    January 2024

    Senate Bill 1069

    Service of notice by email-and-mail
    In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find an educational article on Senate Bill 1069, written by Eugene attorney Brian Cox. In November, I let you know that considering the new law allowing service of notice by email and mail, the board would be deciding what to do with the Service Boxes on our forms. The Forms Committee provided 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 board voted unanimously for option 3 and here’s why. We already have many issues with our members serving notice improperly. I am an eviction specialist and staff five landlord helplines around the state as part of my business, and 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. We don’t recommend it for the casual landlord. What if you forget to email one of the tenants? What if their power is out? What if they lost their internet? SB 1069 was presented as something wonderful for landlords, but many of us disagreed.

    The changes to our service boxes will happen over time, and existing forms are still usable. 

    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. 

    If you still wish to serve legal 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 you will send or receive email notice and from which email addresses the tenant 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. The agreement must also include a state disclosure warning tenants about the consequences of their decision. Use Agreement to Exchange Notice by Email and Mail – ORHA form #O17. Please remember you may not copy our forms.

    Refunding money by electronic means
    There was another better change that came with SB 1069, an allowance for landlords to refund moneys owed to the tenant by electronic means. This is fantastic for both parties. How many times have you mailed a check the tenant never got? It’s happened to me - not a lot - but it’s a hassle when it happens, and the tenant is always mad even though it’s not your fault. 

    Just like the allowance to email-and-mail notices, the agreement to refund money by electronic means must be signed after the tenancy has begun and the tenant has taken possession of the unit. We have a great new form available. Agreement to Accept Electronically Transferred Funds - ORHA form #O16. Please remember you may not copy our forms.

    Childcare in Rental Properties
    One of the most concerning legislative changes from the 2023 long session is the requirement for landlords to allow tenants to operate a for-profit daycare in the rental property. See my article later in the newsletter for specifics on the new law, and hopefully you will be somewhat reassured. Becoming a registered or certified family child care home is complicated – only the most responsible of renters will be able to meet the requirements. 

    For landlords whose tenants meet those requirements, we have developed a new form In Home Child Care Agreement – ORHA form #MO7. Please remember you may not copy our forms.

    Application to Rent
    Form S1 has been updated to comply with the requirements of HB 2680 adding gender identity as a protected class and providing the required disclosure for landlords who assess an applicant screening charge. As I mentioned in November, if you don’t charge for screening the old forms are still usable, but if you do you must replace your forms, or you will be out of compliance with ORS 90.295 and may incur a fee of twice the amount of the screening charge plus $250. 

    Eugene Lease Renewal Notification – ORHA Form MO8EU
    This new form meets the requirements of the Eugene Rental Housing Code Ordinance 20694 that requires landlords whose tenants are in the first year of a fixed-term lease of less than one year to provide notification to the tenants of their right to request a renewal of their lease or receive relocation expenses of two months’ rent. 

    The form can be provided at the time of move in or no less than 90 days prior to the expiration of the fixed term. Beware, the penalties for not serving the form are severe. Please remember you may not copy our forms.

    Happy New Year!

    Tia Politi, ORHA Forms Chair

  • Saturday, January 06, 2024 2:23 PM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi
    January 2024

    With the passage of SB 599, effective January 1, 2024, landlords are now required to allow child care in their rental homes:  https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB599/Enrolled 

    What I hope you may find reassuring is that your tenant can’t just open their door and watch however many children or babies they want under any circumstances. There are strict state requirements they must meet.

    The Early Learning Division of the Office of Child Care oversees the licensing and statutory requirements for licensed child care in Oregon. The new law allows residents to perform child care as either a Certified or Registered Family Child care Home. There are different rules for each type. Registered child care homes have somewhat less stringent requirements than Certified child care homes, and you’ll need to know which type your renter is wanting to provide.

          329A.290 Qualifications of applicant for certification. A person applying for a certification for a child care facility shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Office of Child care that:
          (1) The moral character and habits of the person will not endanger the well-being of children for whom the person is to provide care.
          (2) The attitude of the person toward children and understanding of their needs qualify the person to care for children.
          (3) The person is physically and mentally capable of caring for children.
          (4) The facility and its operation are adequate to protect the health, the safety and the physical, moral and mental well-being of the children to be cared for in the facility, including but not limited to:
          (a) Adequate staffing by suitable persons qualified by education or experience to meet their respective responsibilities in the care of children.
          (b) Adequate physical facilities for the care of children, such as building construction, sanitation, plumbing, heating, lighting, ventilation, maintenance, indoor and outdoor activity areas, and fire protection.
          (c) A program of activities conforming to recognized practices in the areas of child welfare, education, and physical and mental health to provide opportunity for development and recreation.
          (d) Exclusion from the facility of individuals whose presence may be detrimental to the welfare of children, including exclusion of any individual with a criminal record indicating conviction of any crime which would bar the individual from operating or being employed in a child care facility under ORS 329A.260. [Formerly 657A.290] 

    All child care providers must be checked for criminal history through the FBI’s nationwide criminal records check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation and must be continually registered in the Central Background Registry.

    The rules for both types cover everything from application, registration, background checks, training, supervision of children, guidance and positive discipline, activity programs, mandatory abuse reporting nutrition, health, safety, sanitation, record keeping, and night care. There are rules for handwashing, nutrition, napping, field trips, playing, checking children in and out, parental notification, supervision, fire safety, providing emergency evacuation routes, reporting death or injuries of children under care and much more. Providers may not consume or be impaired by drugs or alcohol while caring for children. No illegal drugs may be stored on the premises. None of the child care children may be younger than six weeks of age.

    Registered Family Child care Home Requirements Guidebook 
    https://oregonearlylearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/OCC-0086-Rules-for-Registered-Family-Child-Care-Homes-EN.pdf 

    • One provider per household.
    • Must be the provider’s principal residence.
    • A registered family child care home may care for up to 10 children, not including the provider’s own children when establishing capacity or adult to child ratio requirements if the children are between 10 and 12 years of age, unless a child has special needs or disabilities and requires a level of care that is above normal for the child’s age.
    • Of the 10 children, no more than six may be younger than school age, and no more than two may be 24 months of age or younger. 
    • The provider may not hold a medical marijuana card, may not grow, or distribute marijuana, but may possess marijuana or derivatives if kept locked away from children.
    • A provider may have only two children under 24 months in care. This number includes the provider’s own children under 24 months.
    • The provider must display license and all serious valid complaint and serious non-compliance letters for 12 calendar months.
    • No square footage requirement.
    • Federal background checks for all applicable persons over the age of 18.
    • 10 hours of training within 2 years for renewal of license.
    • Minimum of 1 unannounced visit annually.
    • Must possess and maintain current certification in first aid and infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The certifications must be current with practical hands-on instruction. CPR courses that involve an on-line component with hands-on instruction may be accepted. Strictly online CPR training is not acceptable.
    • Must complete a minimum of two hours of training on child abuse and neglect specific to Oregon law.
    • Must possess and maintain current food handler’s certification, if preparing or serving food to children.
    • Must complete Introduction to Child care Health & Safety Training.
    • Must complete OCC-approved safe sleep training.
    • Must complete OCC-approved child development training.
    • Biennial renewal requires a minimum of eight hours of training related to child care during the most recent registration period.


    Certified Family Child care Home Requirements Guidebook
    https://oregonearlylearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/OCC-0085-Rules-for-Certified-Family-Child-Care-Homes-EN.pdf 
    Certified providers operate under more stringent requirements.

    • One certified child care license per single family home.
    • An owner can have multiple sites under the following conditions:
      • If the owner is the provider/operator in one of the homes, the owner can have two certified family child care homes.
      • If the owner does not directly care for any children, the owner can have more than two certified family child care homes.
      • If the owner is the provider/operator in a home certified for more than 12 children, the owner may be the provider for only that certified family child care home. The provider may be the owner of other facilities. See OAR 414-350-0030(5)
    • May care for up to 16 children not including the provider’s own children when establishing capacity or adult to child ratio requirements if the children are between 10 and 12 years of age, unless a child has special needs or disabilities and requires a level of care that is above normal for the child’s age.
    • The home itself is subject to more intense requirements for zoning and fire safety and specific square footage requirements.
    • The ratio of ages of children allowed is dependent on the number of qualified caregivers.
    • Zoning approval is sometimes required.
    • Qualifying experience needed.
      • The provider shall be:
        • a)     At least 18 years of age if the facility is certified for 12 children; or at least 21 years of age if the facility is certified for more than 12 children; and
        • b)     Responsible for the operation of the certified family child care home, including those duties ordinarily considered to be administrative. These include, but are not limited to, financial management, maintaining records, maintenance of the building and grounds, meal planning and preparation, compliance with certification requirements, communication with OCC, and correcting deficiencies.
      • The provider shall have:
        • a)     At least one year of qualifying teaching experience, as specified in OAR 414-350-0010(28) in the care of a group of children in an ongoing group setting such as a kindergarten, preschool, child care center, certified family child care home, registered family child care home, or Head Start program; or prior to applying to be certified for up to 16 children, completed one year of successful operation as a certified family child care facility for 12 children if the qualifying teaching experience is based on registered family child care; or
        • b)     Completion of 20 credits (semester system) or 30 credits (quarter system) of training in a college or university in early childhood education or child development; or
        • c)     Documentation of attaining at least step eight in the Oregon Registry.
      • The provider shall provide evidence of the following training prior to being certified:
        • a)     A current certification in first aid and infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CPR training must have practical hands-on instruction; therefore, strictly online training is not acceptable. CPR courses that involve an on-line component with hands-on instruction may be acceptable.
        • b)     A current food handler certification.
        • c)     Have completed a minimum of two hours of training on child abuse and neglect that is specific to Oregon law.
        • d)     Completed OCC approved safe sleep training.
      • Prior to a facility providing care to more than two children under 24 months of age, the provider shall have at least 30 clock hours of training specific to infant and toddler care. 
        • a)     The provider of facilities certified on or after October 15, 2002, who are providing care for more than two children under 24 months of age must have documentation of 30 hours of prior training in infant and toddler care or a plan, approved by OCC, that shows how the training will be attained.
      • The provider/operator shall be on-site at least half of the hours of operation that are reflected on the certificate. If the facility is certified for more than 12 children, the provider shall be on site at least 2/3 of the hours of operation that are reflected on the certificate. The hours shall be calculated on a weekly basis, except for planned vacations and emergency absences.
      • The provider shall have no other employment, either in or out of the home, during the hours the provider is directly caring for children.
      • The provider, or a substitute caregiver, shall be present during all the hours the certified family child care business is conducted and substitute caregiver qualifications are also strictly regulated.
    • Annual training requirements vary based on position.
    • The provider must display license and all serious valid complaint and serious non-compliance letters for 12 calendar months.
    • Minimum of 1 unannounced visit annually.
    • Annual environmental health inspection.
    • Annual renewal.


    Other requirements
    A tenant who wishes to use the rental property as a family child care home, must pay in advance for costs of any modifications necessary or desirable for the tenant’s use, certification, or registration of the dwelling as a family child care home that are not required of the landlord under ORS 90.320 or the rental agreement.

    The tenant must also provide at the election of Owner/Agent one of the following:

    • Require parents or guardians of children under the care of the family child care home sign a document in which they agree for themselves and their children that the landlord, owner or association, as defined in ORS 94.550 or 100.005, is not liable for losses from injuries to their children or their guests connected with the operation of the family child care facility; and acknowledge that the family home care provider does not maintain liability coverage for losses from injuries to their children or their guests connected with the operation of the family child care facility; or,
    • Require Tenant(s) to carry and maintain a surety bond or liability policy covering injuries to their children and guests that provides coverage of claims for injuries sustained on account of the negligence of the tenant or its employees. Names the landlord, owner, or association, as defined in ORS 94.550 or 100.005 as an additional insured and provides coverage in an amount no less than the amount established by rule by the Early Learning Division in consultation with the Department of Consumer and Business services.
    All the attorneys I’ve spoken with about which option is best lean toward the insurance. Then the question is, how much insurance? So far, the Early Learning Division (ELD) has declined to provide any limits on the amount of insurance a landlord can require, or “reasonable requirements for landlords” but I did have a conversation with my insurance guy who says that most companies limit the number of children to six or it goes to a commercial policy. What’s enough coverage? $500,000? $1,000,000? $5,000,000? There’s no guidance available and he wasn’t even aware of the bill. He said a bond doesn’t make sense because those are not for injury, only financial issues. How much would a Liability Waiver protect you? I don’t know. But interestingly, he did say that any insurance company he knows of would still want waivers signed! Guess the legislators didn’t consult with the insurance industry when they were crafting the bill.

    I hope that landlords around the state are somewhat reassured by the regulatory burden and oversight of child care homes. Only the most dedicated and responsible renters will be able to meet the requirements. And remember, you may revoke permission and terminate the agreement with cause if the tenant falls out of compliance that is not remedied within the timeframes imposed by the Office of Child Care. It falls on you to be aware of the requirements. 

    We have a new form available Child Care Agreement – ORHA form MO6EU developed by Eugene attorney Brian Cox that clarifies the allowance and provides you with the ability to select which type of liability protection you feel is best for you.

    If you have any questions about the requirements of either registered or certified child care homes in Oregon, reach out to:
    Department of Early Learning and Care
    700 Summer Street NE #350
    Salem, Oregon 97301
    1 (800) 556-6616 
    early.learning@delc.oregon.gov 
    https://www.oregon.gov/delc/

    This column offers general suggestions only and is no substitute for professional legal counsel. Please consult an attorney for advice related to your specific situation. 

    Rev 01/2024 

  • Thursday, November 09, 2023 3:54 PM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
    November 2023

    ORH Key PAC
    As we gear up for the 2024 election cycle, it’s a good time to remind you of the good work done by the Oregon Rental Housing Key PAC. Please see the Key PAC message later in the newsletter for all the important reasons we make this annual “ask” and to donate.

    Property Management Palooza!
    Mark your calendars for our annual ORHA Property Management Palooza on Friday, May 17, 2024. This year’s event is being held in eastern Oregon at the Oxford Suites in Hermiston. Hermiston is gorgeous in the Spring, and they have a fantastic Aquatic Center, so bring the family for a tax-deductible learning trip while enjoying some time away. ORHA committee meetings will be held on Thursday that month, with the Board Meeting happening on Saturday. Planning begins early next year, and we hope to see you all there.

    November Board Meeting Virtual
    Our November Board Meeting is virtual. Look for details in Ben’s Office Report. We have some big decisions to make about form changes and new forms so Forms Committee Members, please prioritize being at our Friday Committee Meeting. We will be asking the board for a vote on direction on several urgent matters ahead of law changes pending for 2024. See the Forms Committee Report later in the newsletter for more information.

    Remember, the board voted to stop meeting in January, so, no board meeting until March 15-17, 2024, in beautiful Bandon at the Best Western Inn at Face Rock. Look for an invite soon!

    Wishing you and yours a Happy Holiday season. Thank you for your support.

  • Thursday, November 09, 2023 3:35 PM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi, ORHA Forms Committee Chair
    November 2023

    New and revised forms 2023 – Part 1 

    Rent Increases
    The enactment of Senate Bill 611, on July 7, 2023, placed further limits on rent increases in the state. Due to the existing limits in the city of Portland and newly enacted restrictions in the city of Eugene, the ORHA Forms Committee has decided to remove Portland Notice of Rent Increase (Form O1PD) and change the existing form Notice of Rent Increase (Form O1) to accommodate the requirements of both cities, while also allowing the form to serve the rest of Oregon.

    If you have older forms, they are still okay to use if you are aware of the new limits which are as follows: 

    1. Rent may not be increased during the first year of tenancy.
    2. Rent may only be increased once per year.
    3. Unless exempt, rent increases are limited to 7% plus the CPI for the West Coast, OR 10%, whichever is less, unless exempt. Properties built within 15 years prior to the date of the notice of increase are exempt from the rent cap but if you’re claiming the exemption, you must provide supporting facts.
    4. For rental properties subject to the requirements of the Portland Housing Bureau, or the Eugene Rental Housing Code, each city has different requirements. In both cities, if a Landlord increases rent by the maximum allowable amount they are liable for relocation expenses, unless exempt.
    a. In Portland, you must provide specific notices with any notice of rent increase, regardless of whether it is to the maximum and regardless of exemption. Visit https://www.portland.gov/phb/rental-services/renter-relocation-assistance for more information.

    b. In Eugene, unless exempt, if you will be raising rent to the maximum, you must provide the entirety of Section 17 in Ordinance 20694 (at the time of publication of this notice, we are still waiting for the Eugene City Manager to provide interpretive rules and the required language in a form). Visit https://www.eugene-or.gov/845/Rental-Housing-Code for more information.

    We have also changed Notice of Lease Renewal (Form O3) to accommodate these changes at the state and local level.

    The Forms Committee is pleased to announce the launch of Late Fee/Renters’ Insurance Change in Terms (Form O15). We will let you know when the form is officially launched. In the meantime, scan this QR code for samples of this new form and the updated Notice of Rent Increase (Form O1) and Notice of Lease Renewal (Form O3) along with instructions for their use.

    Pending new and revised forms for 2024

    Family Child Care Homes
    The committee is working on finalizing In-Home Child Care Agreement (Form O6) for Tenants who wish to operate a Certified or Registered Family Child Care Home in the rental property on or after January 1, 2024, in accordance with SB 599A. Thanks to Eugene attorney Brian Cox, for his work on this form. We will be emailing a sample of the form with instructions just as soon as it’s ready, along with an educational article describing the requirements Tenants must meet to be authorized to offer such services and what Landlords can require. Before you panic, there are hefty requirements for both the property and the Tenant, so only the most responsible of Tenants will be able to meet the standards.

    HB 2680 - New Disclosures Required for Assessing Applicant Screening Charges
    Other pending changes coming January 1, 2024, include a change to Application to Rent (Form S1). We are removing specific language regarding Owner/Agent’s ability to charge noncompliance fees and just refer to ORS 90.302 to make room for new language requirements imposed by HB 2680A as follows:

    “If Owner/Agent is assessing an Applicant Screening Charge in accordance with ORS 90.295, promptly after each screening conducted by a tenant screening company or consumer credit reporting agency, Owner/Agent shall provide the Applicant with confirmation of the screening, including a copy of a receipt from the company or agency. If, prior to conducting or ordering any screening an Applicant withdraws their application in writing, Owner/Agent must refund the screening charge within 30 days. If Owner/Agent fails to comply with these requirements, the tenant may recover twice the amount of the screening charge paid plus $250.00.”

    Additionally, gender identity is a new protected class that will be listed on the Application Screening Guidelines page of the form. Chapters will need to replace these forms; however, for landlords who don’t charge a screening fee, the existing forms are still useable. We will notify you when they are ready to order and available at the Forms Store.

    SB 1069 - Change in Allowance for Service of Notice

    In accordance with SB 1069B, beginning January 1, 2024, landlords will have the right to serve notice by email-and-mail. Like post-and-mail, but instead of posting, you email a copy of the notice in addition to sending it by First Class Mail. Like service of notice by post-and-mail, you must meet specific criteria to be able to serve notices by this method. To allow for this type of service, the landlord and tenant must enter into a written agreement after the tenancy has begun and the tenant has taken possession of the unit, so you can’t make it a condition of tenancy. The agreement must list the email address(es) of both parties and allows either party to change their preferred email address with three days’ written notice. The agreement may be cancelled by either party with three days’ written notice. We are currently in discussion with the board and will decide at the November meeting regarding changes to the service boxes of our forms. We will let you know the outcome and send an eblast when the form is ready.

    SB 1069 - Change in allowance for landlord return of moneys owed by electronic means

    This bill also allows for a landlord to refund any amounts due to the tenant by electronic means with the written agreement of both parties after the tenancy has begun and the tenant has taken possession of the unit. We are developing a form to allow for this and will send out an eblast when the form is ready.

    Remember, if you have any suggestions for improvements to our existing forms, or want us to add new forms, you can email your ideas to forms@oregonrentalhousing.com.

    Tia Politi, ORHA Forms Committee Chair

  • Thursday, November 09, 2023 1:36 PM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi
    November 2023

    When I give classes to tenants, I warn them:  Who you choose to be roommates with is only slightly less important than who you choose to marry. Platonic or romantic, relationships can fizzle, and what is normally a private matter between adults can become a landlord’s problem when relationships between tenants go south. In both cases, the roommate relationship creates not only personal entanglements, but legal ones as well. You can avoid choosing sides, but when their break-up drama impacts their tenancy, your involvement may be required.

    Terminate MTM
    Throughout most of my career in private property management, I always thought that in a month-to-month agreement, one or both tenants could simply give their 30-day notice and move out and be released from liability at that time – I was wrong. To remove themselves from a periodic rental agreement requires that all parties agree, including the landlord and the other tenants. If everyone agrees to the release of a party or a tenant swap as often happens in college rentals, we have a great form Add or Release Tenant Rental Agreement Addendum – ORHA form #O8 that can help you accomplish the removal and/or addition.

    The form makes it clear that the person leaving is not entitled to a deposit refund and anyone signing on accepts responsibility for the current condition of the property. Typically, in a swap situation, the incoming roommate will pay the departing roommate some amount of the deposit they paid on moving in and they work it out everyone signs and moves on - but not always. The departing tenant may want all or part of their portion of the deposit returned and may balk at signing an agreement that waives their rights. The remaining tenant may insist that any damage was caused by the other and is therefore not their responsibility or they may not want to release the departing tenant for other reasons.

    But both parties have incentives to cooperate. For the departing tenant they don’t have to give up their right to a deposit accounting and potential refund, but they stay on the hook for money owed at the end for damage, rent or whatever. For the remaining tenant, they don’t have to sign a release, but the departed tenant retains the right to reoccupy the unit and can veto adding anyone else to the agreement.

    Depending on the terms of your rental agreement, you may have the right to have everyone move out based on notice given by one tenant. Sometimes the revolving door gets old, and you just want to start over, or maybe it’s your opportunity to do something different with the property. Whatever the reason, if your agreement states that notice given by one is binding on all, you can make the decision to require everyone to vacate. If you are in this situation where one person provides their notice and you want everyone to move, you might consider sending a Confirmation of Tenant’s Notice to Terminate – ORHA form #T12. This form gives move out instructions and the date of move out which is sure to initiate a conversation with the other tenants who have not given notice. The others may be unhappy with the decision so be ready for some push back.

    Terminate FTL
    When a fixed-term lease expires, however, any single tenant can terminate their tenancy and not be held liable on and on. They have the right to leave at the end with proper notice. In this case, there’s no requirement for the landlord or other tenants to release them, they may demand their portion of the deposit back, and you may have to provide it. Just like with a MTM agreement, if your contract has the proper language, you can require that everyone move out and start over, or work with the remaining tenants to add a new household member.

    Back in the day when I was managing private property, I had a group of tenants in a lease where one wanted out at the end and insisted on the full return of her deposit. Because the others wanted to stay, they elected to refund her portion of the deposit, and the remaining three never replaced her and just took responsibility for the extra rent. The remaining tenants accepted that she wasn’t being charged for carpet cleaning, etc., but it did save us all a lot of hassle, so in that situation it worked for all concerned.

    In another situation, I had a group of three campus tenants, two of whom wished to renew their lease for another year and one of whom wanted to move out at the end of the lease term. Even though she wasn’t required to, the departing tenant signed a lease renewal with her remaining roomies for another year, but they had another applicant who we approved and who took the departing tenant’s place. The departing tenant also agreed to work out the return of her portion of the security deposit with the incoming tenant, so my job in this case was easy – add one tenant and remove another on the lease renewal. They dealt with the security deposit on their own, and we released her from any claim for or responsibility to the new lease. This scenario only worked because everyone agreed in writing.

    In the event that a departing tenant to a fixed-term lease is not okay with this scenario, and you can’t or don’t want to force everyone out, you and the tenants will be faced with a few choices: 1) Refund the departing tenant’s portion (best have confirmation that everyone agrees to the amount) of the deposit paid on move in, and allow the remaining tenants to find a new qualified roommate who will repay that portion of the deposit to you when all parties sign a new lease; 2) Collect a new deposit from the tenants who wish to remain as well as the ones who will be moving in. Then, when the current lease expires, do a walk through with both the departing and remaining tenants. Account for any visible damages and charge those to the current tenants’ deposit, provide a written accounting and refund any remaining balance in the names of all the tenants within 31 days as the law requires. 3) Have all of the tenants move out, do the work to turn the property, and reconcile their deposit issuing any refund in all their names. The remaining tenants can then pay a new deposit and move back in on a new lease. This is the cleanest option but is a huge hassle for all concerned.

    And you don’t have to agree to release or add anyone if you don’t want to unless a lease is being broken for other reasons. Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking (and effective January 1, 2024, victims of bias crimes as well), have special termination rights under landlord-tenant law, and so do active-duty military servicemembers who are being deployed. Otherwise, a tenant can choose to leave the property and not live there but they remain liable until the lease ends.

    I dealt with a situation where two men rented a two-bedroom campus apartment, but apparently did not know each other very well. One of the tenants started smoking pot in the unit and inviting his friends over for marathon video game sessions. The other tenant wanted to sleep and study and had done everything he could to get his roommate to get along, but in the end, he chose to move out rather than try to keep working on the situation. With multiple complaints from neighbors about pot smoking and loud music, we issued a Warning Notice followed by a 30/14 – a Notice of Termination with Cause. The behavior of the remaining tenant improved for a while, but in the end, we evicted for failure to pay rent and his continuing to smoke pot in the unit. Because all an eviction decides is possession, the eviction papers only named the remaining tenant who remained in the unit; however, because we declined the opportunity to release him from the lease, the departing tenant and his co-signer remained liable for the unpaid balance and damage to the unit, including eviction costs for his pathetic roommate. It was a harsh lesson.

    Abandonment
    I’ve also had situations where one roommate just moved out and moved on without a word to their roommates or me, their manager. What I’ve always wondered about is whether at some point they could be considered to have abandoned the rental unit. ORS 90.147 Delivery of Possession talks about a landlord receiving possession of their property by abandonment if they “reasonably believe under all the circumstances that the tenant has abandoned the unit and no longer intends to assert a right of possession.” This statute deals with the landlord recovering possession of the unit, but can it apply to one tenant only when the landlord does not get possession of the unit and the tenancy continues? Sometimes reaching out to let the departed tenant know they’re still on the hook can get a response, but sometimes not. Can you just remove them? Allow the remaining tenant to add another? I don’t know. This may be a good time to seek some legal advice.

    Adding Tenants
    If you are amenable to adding others to an existing agreement, in addition to signing the Add or Release form, I recommend that any addition to the household also sign the existing rental docs, or if your agreement is older, it can be a great opportunity to update your docs and you can have everyone sign an updated agreement and addendums.

    This column offers general suggestions only and is no substitute for professional legal counsel. Please consult an attorney for advice related to your specific situation.

    Rev 10/2023

  • Monday, October 09, 2023 8:31 AM | Anonymous

    By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
    October 2023

    Meeting report
    We had a fantastic turnout for our Bend meeting this year and a record number who stayed for Teams training on Sunday morning. Since we only meet in person four times a year, we need to make the most of it and we sure did. The Leadership Dinner was great, and Committee Chairs shared their updates for the year. We then headed back to McMenamins Parish House for fun and games. After the board meeting Saturday, we headed back to the house and out the back door to the patio where we ate, drank, and made merry while listening to lively Irish music.

    We are working diligently to include fun with the work!

    The board voted to approve bylaws change related to profit sharing for the Forms Store. Sharing will now happen once per year instead of twice. The formula will remain the same, but some chapters were noting that the twice per year formula was having a negative impact on their sharing amounts as some six-month periods were falling when they had fewer members. Associations will now receive one annual payment at the end of each fiscal year that will more accurately measure membership levels. Checks for chapters who are eligible for profit-sharing will be sent no later than August 31 of each year.

    Upcoming meetings and meeting changes
    Since our board has grown, the Executive Committee is making some changes to how our meetings will run. With a larger group it’s more challenging to keep things on track so our meetings will be much more formal moving forward. We will be strictly following Roberts Rules of Order because meetings aren’t as productive if we don’t stay on track. Past President Jason Miller has agreed to serve as Parliamentarian to help me keep things running smoothly. There will be a reminder at the beginning of each meeting so we’re all on the same page.

    Our November meeting is online only, and barring any unforeseen emergencies, no meeting in January. Our March meeting will be held in beautiful Bandon on March 15-16, 2024. Look for an announcement from the office about reserving your space, and in May, we’re heading east for a Property Management Palooza in Umatilla. Stay tuned for more info.

    Fentanyl
    I got a call from a Lane member last month, here’s his story:

    We entered an apartment after a Sheriff lockout. Upon entry the police notified us about a bunch of drug paraphernalia scattered throughout the apartment. Needles, foil, bongs, and pipes. We wore gloves and proceeded to clean the unit out by carefully removing the bigger items that we could not use a shovel to remove first. We then used scoop shovels to clean the remaining apartment. Once cleaned out, we proceeded to remove the carpet. Upon removing and disposing of the carpet into the dump trailer, one of my employees started feeling dizzy and nauseous. We helped him to the ground and called 911.

    With the knowledge of the apartment condition, we were concerned he may be experiencing some kind of drug exposure – likely fentanyl. The EMT’s showed up, administered Narcan, and he immediately started to feel better. We then took him to the ER for testing to make sure it wasn’t some other kind of health emergency. Upon further testing his health was good but his urine screen showed trace amounts of opioids (he is not a drug user).

    So, what we learned is: We should have had masks on, disposable paper suits on, and worn safety glasses. I have been in this business for over 20 years. We have cleaned out and removed carpet from hundreds of apartments. I learned that we as honest hard-working people cannot take things for granted any longer. The things people are putting in their bodies can hurt or kill us without even knowing it’s happening. Luckily, he wasn’t working alone and was able to get help immediately. We will always have paper suits, masks, gloves on for carpet removal and clean-outs from here on out. This small exposure did affect him for about three days mentally and physically. Be safe out there!

    It seems that Narcan should now be part of the standard maintenance supplies you keep on hand. I looked it up online and you can purchase Narcan at any pharmacy like Walmart or CVS. So awful that we must do this. Check out the DEA fact sheet – click here.

<< First  < Prev   1   2   3   4   5   ...   Next >  Last >> 

© 2015-2024 Oregon Rental Housing Association - All Rights Reserved
PO Box 20862, Keizer, OR 97307
Contact ORHA (click here)
ORHA Support Team: support@oregonrentalhousing.com
ORHA Office: office@oregonrentalhousing.com

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

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software