Renter Protections Process

Phase I Protections Include:

1. Support Services.  Fund a rental housing navigator position; expansion and management of rental housing data collection; code enforcement of the protections; and other tenant support services, such as a tenant hotline and eviction diversion; all with funds from an increased Rental Housing Code door fee.  The rental housing navigator will support renters and landlords, and also assist with solutions and support for a) ex-offenders and other classes of people with similar challenges struggling to qualify for rental housing, and b) community members who need ADA compliant units. 

2. Move-in/out documentation.  Require landlords to itemize and photo document property condition at move-in and move-out, and to itemize and photo document withholdings from security deposit.  The tenant shall receive copies. 

3. Rental History.  Require landlord, at tenant written request, to provide rental history (reference) for a tenant who has not yet given notice. Reference Form HERE.

4. Information on Renters’ Rights/Landlords’ Obligations.  Require landlords to distribute, together with any written rental agreement, an educational document describing Senate Bill 608 with regard to terminations.  The City will be responsible for creating, updating, and posting the educational material.  Any local renter protections will be included plus information about the rental housing code program.

5.  Cap application and screening fees at $10: Require landlords to charge no more than a set application and screening fee to potential tenants.

• A lawsuit in Lane County Circuit Court challenged part of the Phase I protections that Council approved in July 2022. The Court determined on January 31, 2023 that the City is preempted by state law from imposing or enforcing a $10 cap on applicant screening charges. 
• City staff will not be enforcing the $10 cap on applicant screening charges.

Phase I Process:

• The City's Housing Policy Board provided recommended updates in 2021. In November 2021  Council reviewed.  the Housing Policy Board's recommendations on Renter Protections. Council directed staff to assess the feasibility and resources needed to implement the renter protections consistent with the Housing Policy Board’s recommendations, and several additional considerations from Council members. 
• On March 16, 2022, City Council reviewed the Renter Protections Roadmap. At that time, Council directed staff to move one item from Phase III to Phase I, capping application and screening fees at $10. Council directed staff to hold a public hearing on Phase I, and Council action would be anticipated to occur before the end of July 2022. Additional information on the Phase II protections is to come back to Council by November 1, 2022 and Phase III protections by February 1, 2023.   Watch the March 16, 2022 Session and  Review the Agenda Item Summary and Council Materials.  
• On June 21, 2022, City Council held a public hearing on Renter Protections in Phase I of the Renter Protections Roadmap. Twenty-five people provided public comment at the meeting. Watch the Public Hearing and Review the Agenda Item Summary and Council Materials.
• On July 11, 2022, City Council passed ordinance 20670 adopting Renter Protections Phase I. Watch the July 11, 2022 session and Review the Agenda Item Summary and Council Materials.
• In October, 2022, Administrative Order 53-22-08-F  and Administrative Order 53-22-05-F  became effective. 

Renter Protections Committee

• The Housing Policy Board created the ad-hoc Renter Protections Committee to “identify tools and strategies to protect renters and prevent displacement in areas with changing housing market conditions in Eugene” and address the five priorities listed above.    
• HPB appointed ten community members, a mix of tenants, tenant advocates, service providers, housing providers, advocates for the unhoused, and landlords.   
• The Renter Protections Committee met monthly between September 2019 – July 2021 (stopping work between April and December of 2020 due to the pandemic).
• Beginning in 2021 the meetings focused on reviewing the City of Portland’s Fair Access in Renting (FAIR) Ordinance, which became effective March 1, 2020 to establish whether this may be a useful model for Eugene.
• Two subcommittees were formed, one consisting of tenants/tenant advocates and the other of landlords.  
  1. The tenant subcommittee reviewed the FAIR Ordinance and created a report with 13 recommendations.  
  2. The landlord subcommittee did not agree with the tenant subcommittee’s recommendations and made 5 recommendations  
• HPB reviewed the Renter Protections Committee memo with recommendations from both subcommittees during HPB deliberations in the fall of 2021.

Housing Policy Board Recommendation to City Council on Renter Protections

Housing Policy Board Renter Protection Recommendations 2021

The recommendations for renter protections made by the Housing Policy Board are focused on: 

1) Protecting renters and vulnerable populations and

2) Preventing displacement.

August 2, 2021: Housing Policy Board (HPB) received reports from the Renter Protections Committee and started to draft its own renter protection recommendations for Council’s consideration.  

HPB met weekly for four weeks (September 13th, 20th, 27th, and October 4th) to discuss and finalize its recommendations. 

HPB provided recommended updates in November 2021

Public Comment to the Housing Policy Board Came From:

•    Rental Owner’s Association 

•    Springfield-Eugene Tenant Association 

•    Ex-officio members of the HPB who are local affordable housing providers 

The HPB renter protection recommendations include recommendations for enhanced renter protections focused on two stages of renting, the application stage and the move-in/move-out stage, along with a recommended path for funding and oversight.   All the components of HPB’s recommendations are intended to work together to lower barriers to housing access, prevent discrimination, and strengthen protections to stabilize renters within the housing continuum.

In a February 21, 2017, Work Session Council received a presentation from staff about the status of rental housing in Eugene.   

• Council directed staff to conduct additional research and return with more information at a future work session.
• Next steps that emerged included working with the Housing Policy Board (HPB) to conduct outreach to renters to better understand rental housing affordability, availability, access, quality, and stability.   

In 2018, the Housing Policy Board formed a task team to learn more about current market conditions affecting renters, and to identify tools and strategies to protect renters and prevent displacement in areas with changing housing market conditions.   

• The task team created and distributed the Renters’ Experiences Survey and held four listening sessions.   
• A total of 851 surveys were completed and 112 community members participated in the listening sessions.    

• In February of 2019 new state legislation (SB 608/ORS 90.427) became effective and did two important things for renters:

  1)   prohibited most no-cause evictions after the first year of occupancy and  

  2) limited how much landlords can increase rent each year.

March 13, 2019, Work Session  Council held a work session to receive the results of the Renters’ Experience Survey and listening sessions along with the status of the Eugene rental market, issues related to rental housing, and state legislation related to renter protections.

• Council directed staff to come back with more data as well as recommendations on ways to increase rental housing stability, access, and affordability.  
• The HPB identified the following priorities based on the information gathered through the survey and listening sessions as well as Councilors’ questions and comments:
  1. Consider strategies for increasing tenant and landlord awareness of rights, responsibilities, and resources.
  2. Consider challenges and strategies related to application fees and processes (pet rent, security deposits/refunds, screening, housing navigators).
  3. Consider creation of supports (for deposits, first and last months’ rent) and explore potential programs.
  4. Explore options to addressing housing quality and condition concerns raised through renter survey.
  5. Identify priorities for rental housing data and consider strategies for compiling and analyzing data.  

Coming Soon