ORHA News

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!

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
October 2024

Had a great time in Bend at McMenamins at the September Leadership Dinner and Board Meeting.

On Friday at the Leadership Dinner, committee chairs updated the group on their progress, and we also got an update from our website vendors, Brad and Brandon on the challenges with the forms store. The annual Leadership Dinner was started years ago by former ORHA President Terry Flora Turner and is just what it sounds like – a time for the leaders of the Oregon Rental Housing Association to share updates and enjoy a nice meal to thank them for their volunteer service. This year, Ben Seamans ordered nice padfolios with the ORHA logo on them as a gift for our dedicated volunteers. He also created laminated sheets with important info about ORHA and QR codes to make it easy for the local associations to find what they need.

Association leaders and committee chairs are not compensated for their services with a few exceptions for legislative work, printed forms and the forms store. This event is a great way to encourage them in their work and socialize with the other leaders. This year we had two new people Wendy L. with COROA, and Joann H., vice president of ROA-SWO. Always great to welcome newcomers with fresh ideas and perspectives. With all the activities for the weekend happening at McMenamins we didn’t venture out as they have a great venue and lots of cool places to hang out. Check out our pictures later in the newsletter.

If you want to participate in the future, the first step is to see about joining your local board. Each local association is allowed two delegates (sometimes more if they’re willing to pay for their travel and hotel, but in any case, each association is allowed only two votes) to attend board meetings and in September our Leadership Dinner. Each association’s delegates vote on important decisions at the board meetings which are held five times per year – March, May, July, September and November. November’s meeting is online only, and delegates can attend all meetings virtually, but we recommend trying to come in person to get to know the other volunteers and have some fun amidst the work.

All association delegates are required to actively serve on at least one committee. That’s how the work gets done to serve and support member landlords throughout the state. If you’re interested in joining us for fun and work get connected through your local board!

To learn more about our local associations, please visit https://oregonrentalhousing.com/about.

By: Tia Politi, ORHA President
September 2024

Fun in Bend
September in Bend is the best meeting of the year! The ORHA Executive Committee has a great evening planned for those of you who will be attending our annual Leadership Dinner on Friday, September 19th 6 p.m. in the Rambler Room at McMenamins. The dinner is hosted, but adult beverages are not covered for insurance reasons so bring your wallet if you want to purchase libations.

We’ll be having a luau feast (feel free to wear Hawaiian attire) with committee chairs speaking briefly on their current projects and future visions. We’ll also be hearing from the leaders of our local associations to report on their progress, successes and roadblocks. As our locals go, so we all go. Mentoring is proving very helpful, but only if we know where they need help.

There is a top-secret special event planned, and we have invited a special guest, Hood River Rep Jeff Helfrich who we hope will be joining us to share and learn. We also have special gifts for you, our leaders to thank you for your service.

Since we host the Leadership Dinner in September, we don’t have a Delegate Outing planned for Friday, but Saturday after the Board Meeting, we can roam around beautiful Bend, eat, drink, make merry and bond. Hope to see you there!

Sunday training at this meeting will be on Wild Apricot’s new requirements for stated policies and disclosures that must be completed. If your association has not yet complied, come to the training at the Parrish House 9-10 a.m. Sunday, September 21st either in person or virtually. For those unable to attend, the class will be recorded to allow you to view the requirements and suggestions at your own pace. We have created templates for you to follow so it won’t be a big deal unless you don’t do it!

The Election is Coming
As we get closer to election season, Oregon’s electoral landscape is in serious jeopardy of becoming a Democrat supermajority once again. Please vote and encourage others to vote in favor of legislative balance. We need to return to the Oregon Way! Read ORHA Lobbyist Shawn Miller’s report on the seats that are hanging in the balance and do what you can to help.