SB 799 Extends renter’s termination notice period

This bill requires residential landlords to extend notice periods for terminations 10 days and eviction proceeding based on termination notices for up to 60 days while an application for rental assistance is pending. Courts may postpone dates for first appearance and trial for another 21 days leaving the landlord without rent for 3 months.

Requires public bodies and grantees to inform tenants and landlords regarding rental assistance applications. Requires residential landlord to demonstrate that tenant not appearing at eviction first appearance remains in possession of premises before entry of judgment by default. Requires courts to annually set aside and seal certain inoperative residential eviction judgments. Prohibits residential landlord from enforcing certain guest policies. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

This bill has to potential of forcing small landlords out of business. Landlords have served to educate and inform tenants on concepts of Personal Finance. Forcing rental stock out of small landlords’ control means less affordable housing and more corporate holdings and use of property management firms that may be less likely to be able to respond and address tenant and property issues. Money taken directly from rental owners means less investment back into the property.

Comments

SUSAN ROBISON says:
February 2, 2023 at 8:56 am
I do not support this bill. Landlords are struggling to pay mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and the maintenance that irresponsible tenants cause. This just gives the distraught tenant time to destroy the property out of anger and frustration. Landlords should be able to give cash for keys or the choice of who should be extended time for responsible tenants. Landlords know the difference.

• BJ says:
  February 2, 2023 at 5:03 pm
  SPOT ON Susan! Please be sure to send this comment to the legislators through the link above!!

DEBORAH ROY says:
February 2, 2023 at 10:12 am
Please vote NO on SB 799.

LINDA DYKWEL says:
February 6, 2023 at 8:50 am
I was a landlord in Bend for 20 years and I quit because I had no rights to manage my property, and therefore my income and expenses, as I saw fit. Because of the direction I saw the state going with regard to the rights of the small business person, I vehemently oppose this bill.

BILL MCKEE says:
February 7, 2023 at 4:47 pm
writing laws that continue to erode the power of landlords to remove problem tenants is an attempt to reward irresponsible tenants. Few lawmakers own/operate rentals and diminish the financial and other hardships irresponsible tenants cause by taking advantage of landlords. If maintaining a healthy market for rentals is “good policy”, then the abuse baked into this proposed law by definition is BAD public policy. For a healthy marketplace, we must insist that those who ask to rent a property be responsible for their rent, or move. It may be inconvenient, but is it right for a landlord to pay the rent for the tenant? If so, should landlord provide utilities at no cost to tenant? Meals at no cost? No cost transportation?

This law further makes investing in rentals a ” no go”…. rewards bad behavior, and ends up costing responsible tenants more as landlords must “price in” the added cost for government interference with the market. Bad policy.

SARA SPELLMAN says:
March 4, 2023 at 12:20 pm
I support this bill because of these INSANE degradation of our city of Portland, more homeless people, more evictions means more people destroying our once beautiful city. An eviction on the record means no way of getting housing again and our human tragedy worsening. SB 799 does not state the person will not have to pay but will just have a little bit more time finding assistance to avoid more bodies on our streets, we have enough already and need to help these already living on our sidewalks instead of making it worse. Landlords will still be paid with this bill passed, we need a solution to the human tragedy worsening in our city.

• BJ says:
  March 4, 2023 at 3:47 pm
  Sara, landlords do not file for eviction just because tenants are not paying their rent. The number one cause for filing for eviction is because the tenant is not taking care of the property, or actually doing damage to the property. These damages add up to thousands and thousands of dollars in a very short time so the longer a tenant like this is allowed to stay in the rental, the more damage they are doing to it.
  Laws like this are the reason you are having the insane degradation of your city of Portland with more homeless people; landlords cant afford to keep subsidizing and repairing their rental properties so they end up selling them which reduces the number of rentals available – all thanks to these laws which are giving way more rights to the renters than to the owners of the property.
  You are always welcome to take these people living on the sidewalks and let them live in your home with you.