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Rental Group Opposes Eviction Ordinance

BEND, OR -- City Councilors voted this week to extend the amount of time some renters are given before they can be evicted without cause. The ordinance change would only impact month-to-month leases with tenants who have lived in a place longer than one year.
 
Arleigh Santoro is the President of the Central Oregon Rental Owners Association which opposed the move. She says it could mean a sharp cut in the number of available month-to-month rentals, "And, [renters] will be faced with higher security deposits and potentially being put on to leases where they may face lease-break fees in the future should they not be able to maintain that lease." She believes the change is unnecessary. "Typically, when I give a 60-day, which has been most often the case because the tenant’s been there longer than a year, the tenant immediately goes out and starts looking for housing. And, in every case I’ve had this year, they’ve turned around and given me a 30-day notice; Or, in a couple cases, have been asked to be let out right away." She admits low-income families have more difficulty finding affordable housing.
 
Councilors approved the first reading of the ordinance; 5-to-2, saying expanding notice from 60 to 90 days is necessary to give renters more time to find a new place in a tight rental market. Santoro tells KBND News, "Certainly, if it does go through, we will be advising our members immediately of any law change so they are making sure to be compliant with the law. My expectation is there will be, probably, increases in security deposits and maybe a tightening of those screening guidelines." She would have preferred city councilors wait to see what changes may come next year at the state level. 
 

 

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