Oregon Covid-19 – Support For Tenants and Landlords
Resources & Assistance
ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES FOR TENANTS:
Statewide Eviction Moratorium
There is a new statewide eviction moratorium (HB 4401) that will last until June 30, 2021. This means that, with limited exceptions, landlords cannot evict renters for nonpayment or without cause until July of 2021.
Renters must sign and return a “tenants declaration” to their landlord if they can’t afford their rent.
http://www.livingcully.org/
Instructions and tenant declarations forms are available from Living Cully in English and Spanish.
English Version:
Eviction-Moratorium-Flyer and Form-English.pdf
Spanish Version:
Eviction-Moratorium-Flyer and Form-Spainish.pdf
This form is also available from the following agencies and links:
Oregon Judicial Branch – Oregon Judicial Branch.
Oregon Law Center – Oregon Law Center
Landlord/Tenant Law FAQ
https://www.osbar.org/index.html#
Is there an eviction moratorium in place right now?
Yes. There are three eviction moratoriums that apply to Oregonians right now. The most important one is Executive Order 20-56 (EO 20-56). It states that landlords are mostly unable to end tenancies without tenant cause. Also, landlords are unable to end tenancies for nonpayment from Oct. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020.
The second moratorium is House Bill 4213 (HB 4213) from the Oregon Legislature. HB 4213 allows tenants until April 1, 2021, to pay back any rent or other moneys that were not paid between April 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020. Landlords cannot serve a notice of termination or evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent that came due between April and September until after March 31, 2021.
The third moratorium on evictions is an order from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). If a tenant files a declaration saying:
- They are unable to pay their rent;
- They make less than $99,000 per year;
- They are trying to pay as much as they can, and;
- They are trying obtain all available government assistance, then a landlord cannot terminate their tenancy except for cause until after Dec. 31, 2020.
In most cases, this is weaker than the protection provided by EO 20-56. This makes the executive order more relevant to Oregonians.
Can a landlord evict a tenant for nonpayment?
A landlord cannot serve a termination notice or file an eviction case for nonpayment until after Dec. 31, 2020. This includes nonpayment of rent, late fees or other payments associated with the tenancy incurred between April 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020. Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, unless the law changes, landlords will be able to take action against tenants for missing payments that come due in 2021. This also applies to payments that came due between Oct. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020. There is a grace period through March 31, 2021, for payments incurred between April 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020.
For example, if a tenant did not pay rent in May of 2020 or September of 2020, but paid rent every month after that, the landlord would not be able to take action on the unpaid rent from May and September until April 1, 2021. But, if a tenant kept up with their rent during the emergency period but missed rent in January, a landlord could evict that person in January.
Under the CDC eviction moratorium, which lasts through Dec. 31, 2020, if a tenant files a declaration saying:
- They are unable to pay their rent;
- They make less than $99,000 per year;
- They are trying to pay as much as they can, and;
- They are trying to obtain all available government assistance, then a landlord cannot evict the tenant for nonpayment through Dec. 31, 2020.
The legality of the CDC eviction moratorium order has been challenged, but it is currently good law.
What about other kinds of notices?
None of the above explanations cover terminations “for cause” where the cause is something other than nonpayment. Causes that violate a rental agreement may include:
- Destroying property.
- Smoking where not allowed.
- Allowing other people to move in.
A landlord can give a termination notice and seek to evict the tenant if they fail to move out at the end of the termination notice.
But, termination notices for no cause are prohibited by the state moratorium during the emergency period. A no-cause notice may be for a landlord reason such as wanting to repair the dwelling or convert it to a nonresidential use. However, under EO 20-56, a landlord may give a termination notice asking that the tenants move out in 90 days if the landlord or an immediate family member of the landlord wants to move in. This also applies if the landlord has sold the premises to someone who plans to move in.
Can a landlord still give a 24-hour inspection notice or does that violate social distancing?
Governor Brown has ordered all businesses to maintain social distancing within the workplace. She has not specifically addressed this issue. Nevertheless, the order suggests that a landlord should not be entering a rented property unless absolutely necessary (like for emergency repairs of leaks, breaks, power outages, etc.). The landlord should only perform an inspection while maintaining a distance of six feet from any other person. The landlord also should not come into contact with the surfaces of the home. If this cannot be done, then the landlord should wait until the state of emergency ends to conduct inspections.
Additionally, ORS 90.322(1)(f) allows a tenant to deny consent to a landlord who wishes to enter the premises with a 24-hour notice. The denial must be in writing and must be posted on the main entrance to the premises. A tenant cannot deny lawful access without risking the termination of the tenancy. So, any denial of entry for COVID-19 related reasons should state so in the written denial posted on the door.
A landlord who insists upon entry when a tenant has denied entry may be subject to civil penalties. In addition, failure to comply with the governor’s social distancing order is a Class C misdemeanor.
Where can a renter go for assistance if they receive an eviction notice?
If you are low-income, contact your local Legal Aid office. You can find your local office at https://oregonlawhelp.org/find-legal-help. If you do not qualify for legal aid services, contact the Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service at (800) 452-7636.
If you are a veteran, disabled, elderly or under a certain income level, additional services may be available in your area. If you need help connecting to services in your area, call 311.
If your landlord tries to forcibly remove you from your home, call your local law enforcement.
The COVID-19 situation is changing on a daily basis. These answers are our best interpretation of the state’s precautions as of Oct. 5, 2020. Please check these websites to monitor changes:
-Elliott Farren, Oregon Law Center, Eugene
ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES FOR LANDLORDS
https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/housing-assistance/Pages/Landlord-tenant-resources.aspx
OHCS Landlord Compensation Fund
The next application round will be opening in late March 2021 and will include another $50 million in assistance.
The Oregon Legislature enacted an eviction moratorium and established the Landlord Compensation Fund (
HB 4401). The Legislature allocated $200 million in rent assistance to support tenants and landlords, which includes $150 million for the Landlord Compensation Fund.
The Landlord Compensation Fund opened in February with a tremendous response through an online application portal to streamline the collection of landlord provided data on rent collections. The first round will fund up to $50 million in requests for unpaid rent. Participating landlords must accept 80 cents for every dollar of qualified rent-owed and this first funding round will include rent owed from April 2020 – February 2021. The program is not a “first come, first serve” basis, please see criteria below.
Please note:
FIRST ROUND DEADLINE: Friday, March 5 at 4:00pm.
If you are experiencing difficulties and have initiated an application and intend to submit it for the first-round funding – we are committed to working through these technical issues with you. If you are working on this application and need additional assistance with technical issues, you must complete the form at the following link by 4pm on Friday to secure your place in Round 1.
For those that would prefer to wait until the next round of funding, which will be open in April 2021, we will have funding to offer for carry-over and new applications submitted for the second round. As a reminder, the first round includes $50 million of the total $150 million in program funds.
As a reminder to all applicants, the deadline for first application round of the Landlord Compensation Fund program is4pm on Friday March 5, 2021.
The next application round will be opening in late March 2021 and will include another $50 million in assistance.
Oregon Eviction Moratorium FAQ For Landlords
Moratorium on residential evictions in Oregon on the basis of nonpayment of rent or terminations without tenant cause. The following information is applicable statewide. View Frequently Asked Questions on this page.
Last updated February 1, 2021
Protections that are unique to tenancies in the City of Portland or Multnomah County are also covered in this FAQ. This includes information about the need for a tenant to complete a written declaration of financial hardship to be protected from eviction for nonpayment of rent.
OTHER RESOURCES
Legal Aid Services in Oregon
Oregon State Bar, Landlord Tenant Law
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Fair Housing of Oregon
Hotline: 1-800-424-3247 (for housing discrimination only)
Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT)
503-288-0130
Multifamily NW
503-213-1281
Manufactured Housing/Oregon State Tenants Association
(Information for mobile park tenants)
