Portland housing office staff to present rent control changes to City Council

Portland housing office staff to present rent control changes to City Council

 

By Rachel Ohm

Jun 23, 2023

 

The Portland City Council may put more changes to the city’s rent control ordinance before voters this November.

A proposal generated by city staff would allow the Rent Board to approve increases beyond the current 10% annual cap, put in place a new 60-day deadline for tenants to file complaints and eliminate a two-tiered fee on landlords who register their apartments late. ...

Some city councilors contacted Thursday said they weren’t expecting staff to bring this forward Monday.

“My initial reaction is I’m surprised to see it come up,” said Councilor Anna Trevorrow, who plans to find out more about the proposal before declaring a position. ...

The proposal comes less than two weeks after city voters rejected a landlord-initiated proposal to eliminate a 5% cap on the rent increase allowed when a tenant voluntarily vacates an apartment. Question A failed 67% to 33%. ...

City code says that any ordinances passed by referendum cannot be changed by the City Council for five years, except through another referendum. The council will be asked whether to send the proposal to voters, who would likely see it in the November election.

Monday’s agenda item is just a first read, with council action on the proposal not expected until July 17, at the earliest. ...

 

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