Rental Owners Association Lane County |
Rental Owners Association (ROA) in Lane County
consists of over 1,200 landlords and property managers with over 20,000 rental units!
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March NEWS UPDATE from your ROA PresidentGoodbye, Pam Dietz
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to give a big Thank You to realtor Pam Dietz for her service to the Lane ROA Board of Directors. Pam served our board for more than five years, but other life commitments are pulling her away for now. We appreciate your service, Pam, and hope you can continue to provide great insights on the local real estate market for our bulletin as time permits.
Welcome, James Gardner
I’m pleased to announce that Eugene real estate attorney James Gardner was elected to serve on the board at the February board meeting. He received his B.A. in 2004 and J.D. in 2008, both from the University of Oregon, has practiced law in Eugene for more than 13 years and is licensed to practice law in the states of Oregon and Idaho. James is also an U.S. Army veteran of Iraq, Judge Advocate, and like his brother Allen a second-generation attorney in Eugene, where his family has practiced law since 1959. He has a multitude of experience in various areas of the law including as a civil litigator, prosecutor, public defender, and United States Army Judge Advocate.
In 2016, James founded the Veterans Defense Resource Center in Eugene, Oregon to assist Veteran defendants and educate defense attorneys statewide. James also earned his L.L.M. in 2018 from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. He continues to serve our country in the National Guard. James primary areas of practice and specialties are landlord-tenant, estate planning, business, and real estate as a partner in the law firm of Gardner, Beckley, Meadows.
James is the proud dad of two lovely daughters and in his spare time enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing, and travel, which includes long solo motorcycle rides to get away from it all! Welcome, James, we’re glad to have you and appreciate your involvement.
Eugene Rental Housing Code
I hope you Eugene landlords took the time to provide feedback to the Eugene City Manager’s interpretive rules for Ordinance 20694. It’s making for much more complicated scenarios for you who are subject to the code. Before you do something that could result in painful consequences, please call the Helpline to discuss.
I keep hearing more from landlords getting out of the Eugene market, what a surprise (insert sarcastic tone here), but there are a lot of apartment units coming online, just fewer single home options for renters and maybe that’s their purpose, who knows? They operate in an echo chamber that only hears the voices of tenant advocates, not listening to reasoned arguments from the other side to create balance and not discourage the biggest contingent of small business owners in the city. Oh well, there’s lots of other places to invest in.
If you are holding rental units in Eugene and don’t have plans to sell, just screen very well and don’t rent to someone who wants a second chance or because you’re trying to be nice or feel sorry for them. You can’t afford to be a second-chance landlord in Eugene anymore. You must do everything perfectly to avoid problems.
You also cannot afford to be an accidental landlord in Eugene. Unless you’re holding properties that are dedicated rentals, if you may want to do something else with a property in the future, consider a week-to-week tenancy which are exempt from the rules (but only if you claim your exemption timely and properly in accordance with the new rules, which are quite complex).
You can also claim exemptions as allowed under the code under specific circumstances and again, only by claiming the exemption timely and properly. If the rules pass as indicated in the draft, we will need to make some changes to the Eugene Landlord Exemption Notification – ORHA form # MO6EU and the Eugene Lease Expiration Required Disclosure – ORHA form #MO8EU, so again, call before you send things out. At the time I’m writing this I have no idea whether all the rules will pass as written, so proceed with caution.
The month of March will be ROA’s 1st in-person General Meeting. We will be able to hold the meeting at Tall Firs, once known as Along Came Trudy, which has since sold and is now operated by new management - and it will include a dinner buffet and plenty of parking. Pre-registration is required a week in advance for a buffet dinner count – payment not accepted at the door. I’m looking forward to seeing you in-person again!
Regarding ROA classes: In the month of January, I held four sessions of an updated Landlord Boot Camp. If you were not able to partake, the ROA office has all four sessions available now on the website, to purchase as recording links – very easy to watch in your own time: www.laneroa.com/store.I begin on March 7th with “The Eviction Process – Taking Back Possession of Your Property (FED’s)”. March 14th is “The Small Claims Process – Getting Paid!”, and on March 21st I will be instructing “Trial Prep”. All three of the classes are webinars, held from 11am to 1pm on Thursday’s.
I encourage you to read all my latest articles. Log into the website, www.laneroa.com, click on the MEMBER tab, then do a search with key words on what the article is about to find and view them. Example: “Serve it Right.”Did you know…March 29th is National Mom and Pop Business Owner’s Day
- a day for celebrating the small businesses that support our economy the world over. Originally a day commemorated in the US, it’s a great day to support your local family-owned businesses or shout out about them on social media.
A Message from Tia Politi, Lane ROA President: February 2024
Eugene UpdateReminder Eugene landlords with leases expiring in the first year of occupancy. You must serve ORHA form #M08EU at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the lease or potentially suffer a five-months’ rent penalty!!! I recommend that you provide it at the time of move in so you don’t forget. And remember, this only applies to leases of less than a year. If you create a lease of more than one year, there is no need to serve the notice.
Spread the Word
Get the word out to other landlords who may not be a part of Lane ROA and remember you get $20 off your next renewal when you refer a new member. Realtors we offer you a one-year membership gift certificate that you can give as a gift to a new investor/owner for only $99.Helpline Woes
I staff five landlord helplines which can get frustrating at times, and lately I think I’ve been letting it show. Mostly to those with sad tales of woe brought on by not doing things properly, but also those who are too busy to get educated. In my experience, virtually all bad situations in landlord v. tenant are caused by the landlord’s willful ignorance, impatience, laziness, and sometimes almost pathological frugality.If you’re ignorant of proper procedures and rental housing law, you will pay. If you’re impatient to get your place rented and don’t screen or handle move in properly, you will pay. If you’re too lazy to inspect or enforce the terms of the rental agreement, you will pay. If you’re too cheap to use proper forms or properly maintain your rental, you will pay. And you should.
My husband says I’m mean (sort of in jest when we’re playing cards) and he’s probably right. But it’s the best people in my life who have had the guts to tell me the hard truths that really cared about me. If you feel these comments apply to you, I hope you will take them in the spirit I intend – that is, I wish only for your long-term success. If you need a finger wag, I’m going to give it to you, but only because I care.
And I don’t say these things because I don’t want you to call, but the landlord helpline is no substitute for in-depth training. Our clacsses are many and only two hours per session. Grab your lunch and carve out some time, your success depends on it!
Please remember, Lane ROA classes are always listed on the back cover of this bulletin, and by the time you read this bulletin, the final Landlord Boot Camp Session may be over, so if you did not register for Sessions 1 through 4 of the UPDATED Landlord Boot Camp, each the four recordings will be for sale in the store at www.laneroa.com/store. I also highly recommend you join me for February’s webinar classes: Tenant Screening, The Move-in Process (Are you making the $6,000 Mistake?), Tenant Non-compliance & Tenancy Termination, and The Move-out Process.
I wish you long-term success.
Annual Rent Increase Percentage – Oregon Rent Increase Information for 2024
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Attention Eugene Landlords...
Phase 2 of Eugene’s renter protection ordinance goes into effect on August 25th, 2023, so if you intend and are eligible to issue a 30-day ‘no cause’ termination notice, a 30-day notice of non-renewal [both within the first year of occupancy] or a 90-day termination notice for qualifying landlord reason and can issue that notice before 8/25/23, you won’t have to pay the city’s relocation assistance required by that new ordinance (if you own 4+ units, you’ll still have to pay one month’s rent with your 90-day notice). From 8/25 on, be prepared to pay relocation assistance equal to two months’ rent.
Oregon Senate Bill 611:
Effective Immediately, New Restrictions on Rent Increases
On July 6, 2023 Governor Kotek signed Senate Bill 611,
which enacts the following restrictions on rent increases:· Housing Providers may only raise rent once in any 12-month period.
· Unless an exemption applies, rent increases may not exceed the LESSER
OF EITHER: 10% OR 7% plus the published Consumer Price Index (CPI).· If a Housing Provider terminates a tenancy without cause in the first year
of occupancy, the maximum amount of rent that may be assessed to the
subsequent renter in that unit may not exceed the maximum amount the
Housing Provider could have charged the terminated tenancy.Because this is an emergency measure, all rent increase notices issued on or after July 6, 2023 must comply with these new rules.
SB 611 expressly does not apply to rent increases that were sent prior to it being signed into law by the Governor.
Please contact your ROA Member Helpline if you have any questions regarding any of these changes.
Renter Protections Phases - Ordinance AIS
Phase 1 of Eugene's New Housing Ordinance PASSED
Signed July 13th and went into effect August 13th, 2022
Click on this link to read Phase 1: Phase 1 - City Council Ordinance Passed 7-13-22
Phase 2 of Eugene's New Housing Ordinance PASSED
Click on this link to read about Phase 2: Mind your Business - Eugene Code Regulations phase II
Working on Your TAXES???
(All Lane ROA Members will be notified ASAP, via email,
when the 2023 Percentage has been computed)
94.5% of your 2022
ROA Regular Membership Dues
ARE Tax Deductible!
A portion of your ROA 'Regular' Membership Dues
are sent to ORHA to support Lobbying on YOUR behalf
through the Oregon Rental Housing Association (ORHA)
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PURCHASING FORMS...
Members and Non-members can purchase blank hard copies of ORHA forms
at the Lane ROA office (4217 Main St, Suite E, Springfield, OR)
or
Members and Non-members can purchase forms ONLINE
at the Forms Store through ORHA at www.oregonrentalhousing.com
~ then click on the Forms Store tab
Note: Lane ROA Members, your discount code to purchase online ORHA forms at a discount is always listed on page 4 in each bulletin.
ATTENTION: ORHA has a new numbering system.
Please read: ORHA New Numbers Explained
The City of Eugene Housing Code FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!
Unit Condition Form:
https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/67411/Renter-Protections-Move-In-Move-Out-Checklist_92022?bidId=
The Tenant Education Information Form you’re required to distribute can be found at:
https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/67409/Tenant-Education-Information-Flyer_92022?bidId=
The Rental History Form you’re required to give can be found at:
https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/67410/Tenant-Reference-Form_92022?bidId=
For more information visit EugeneRentalCode.org
Find more information about the Renter Protections Process on this webpage:
https://www.eugene-or.gov/4885/Renter-Protections-Process
To be included in the Renter Protection interested parties email list, please email renterprotections@eugene-or.gov
READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!
A Landlord Provided Cooling Space Initiative from Energy Trust of Oregon:
NEWS ALERT from Energy Trust of Oregon.pdf
READ: Proposed Protections and Landlord Requirements:
Senate Bill 1536: The Tenant Right to Cooling Bill:
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2022R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB1536/Enrolled
Find out who your legislator is and write to them!
Link: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html
Senate Bill 891 - Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP):
OR Emergency Rental Assist Fund FAQs_SB891_OERAP