Rent Control - Vacancy Control (HB3054) Public Hearing - Talking Points Catastrophic Impact on Your Livelihood

Over the past 25 years that I have been Executive Director of MHCO we have fought numerous legislative battles from bans on 'subsequent sale' to 'rent control'.  We have always tried to be objective and avoid hyperbole.  Nothing has been as bad as the legislation we now face in the 2025 Oregon Legislature.  Limiting rent increases to just CPI and not allowing your rents to go to 'market rate' will drive many of you out of business - that is not an exaggeration - it is a fact.  Without the ability to address rising expenses from insurance, taxes, payroll, utilities, locally assessed

DO Apply Community Rules Fairly and Consistently - DON’T Make Exceptions for Residents Simply Because You Like Them

 

Focus on fairness and consistency when dealing with residents who break the rules. It’s unlawful to treat residents differently because of their race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, disability—or any other characteristic protected under state or local fair housing law. That means you can’t single anyone out for breaking the rules because he—or his family members or guests—are members of a protected class.

2024 Fair Housing Litigation - Cases of Significance - Hostile Environment (1st in a series of 6)

2024 Fair Housing Litigation - Cases of Significance - Single Incident Must Be Egregious to Constitute Hostile Environment Harassment

(First in a series of Six Articles)

Why do landlords need a briefing on fair housing cases? The answer to that question is based on four facts:  

Fact 1: The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) bans landlords and their agents from discriminating against rental applicants and tenants based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, family status, or disability. 

Phil Querin Q&A: Use of Storage Agreements

Question:  A contractor has been buying homes in the community, placing them on Storage Agreement and flipping after improvements.  Can a park owner deny a contractor a storage agreement based on a previous bad track-record in the community - shoddy improvements, bad dealings with new purchasers etc.  Are there any grounds to deny a contractor a storage agreement?  Can the park owner increase the storage fee during the contract and if so with how much notice?  If the property is not being maintained, how does the park owner terminate the storage agreement?

 

DO Be Prepared for Reasonable Accommodation Requests - DON’T Ignore Disability-Related Requests for Exceptions to the Rules

 

Be prepared to handle requests for reasonable accommodations when residents are caught breaking the rules. It may sound like an excuse, but it should alert you to your obligations under fair housing law to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. The FHA requires communities to make exceptions to rules and policies as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities when doing so is necessary to give them an equal opportunity to use and enjoy their dwelling.

Phil Querin Q&A: Landlord Pass-Throughs of Public Service Charges

 

Question: As a park owner we pass through the sewer and water charges to our residents. Currently, they are on 5-year leases, all expiring at various times. The leases address our right to pass through utilities. However, fire and police fees have been attached to the water/sewer bills we receive from the city. May we pass those additional fees through, and if so, how much notice must we give to the residents?

 

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