Oregon House Passes No-Cause Eviction Bill

SALEM, OR – The Oregon House narrowly passed a bill Tuesday that provides tenants some protection from no-cause evictions and allows city governments to establish local rent stabilization ordinances.

Passed by a 31-27 vote, House Bill 2004 now heads to the Senate.

If passed by the Senate and signed by Gov. Kate Brown, the bill would make it more difficult for landlords to issue renters no-cause evictions after six months of tenancy –– and landlords could only then evict or terminate a month-to-month rental agreement for the standard tenant fault-based causes, state officials said.

The bill provides landlords a handful of options for lawfully terminating a rental arrangement, however, when the reasons for doing so are either personal in nature or related to business with the rented property.

For example, if the landlord chooses to make repairs or renovations to the property the tenant may be removed, but the landlord would need to offer the rental unit back after the work is completed. Additionally, a landlord could legally issue a no-cause termination if the rental is set to be demolished or converted into a non-residential space, has been sold to another party who chooses to move in themselves, or if the landlord or an immediate family member plans to make the rental a primary residence.

Under those circumstances, landlords would still need to provide 90-day notice and also pay one month’s rent back to the tenant for moving expenses. Landlords could be required to pay three months rent if no reason is specified.

Exceptions exist for landlords who own four or fewer rental properties, and for landlords who live on the same property as the renter and own two or fewer rentals.

The Senate is scheduled to conduct its first reading of the bill April 5.

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