Oregon State Bar shares resources for landlords, tenants as rent moratorium comes to end

The end of Oregon's moratorium on rent is in sight — June 30, 2021.

On July 1, for the first time since Gov. Kate Brown's first executive order pausing rent payments in March 2020, renters will be expected to pay their rent, regardless of their financial situation. However, they have until Feb. 28, 2022, to pay back rent accumulated over the course of the pandemic.

Ahead of the deadline, the Oregon State Bar assembled a resource page online at osbar.org/public. 

The state bar is concerned about Oregonians’ ability to access legal help, as lawyers specializing in landlord/tenant law report being fully booked and unable to take on new clients, according to a news release. Even if they can find one, many Oregonians may not have the financial means to hire a lawyer.

“Pre-pandemic, nearly 90% of landlord/tenant cases saw people trying to navigate the law alone,” OSB spokesperson Kateri Walsh said in the release. “Add to that the moratoriums, and other constantly shifting rules, and it’s a recipe for trouble.”

The page contains written details, videos and information in multiple languages. Alongside Oregon’s legal aid providers and landlord representatives, the bar also will host a live webinar at noon Thursday, June 24 to give further answers and current updates for both owners and renters. It will be available through the same link and will remain on the website after the program.

Tenants cannot be evicted for back rent until March 1, 2022. Landlords cannot charge fees for unpaid rent during this time and cannot report past due rent from April 1, 2020-June 30, 2021, to a consumer credit reporting agency. A renter's unpaid rent during this time period cannot be used against them in future rental applications.

More resources

Landlords may apply to the Landlord Compensation Fund and receive up to 80% of their owed rents from the state if they forgive their tenets' remaining 20%. The deadline for landlords to apply for the third and final round of assistance was extended to Wednesday June 23, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Landlords can get information about the Landlord Compensation Fund from Oregon Housing and Community Services.

The Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program for tenants is now accepting applications for help paying rent and utility bills. Tenants can get up to 12 months of rent (including three months of future rent) paid directly to landlords and utility companies. More information and applications are available at oregonrentalassistance.org.

Lane County will also offer rent assistance to those who qualify. Pre-applications will reopen at 9 a.m. Friday, June 25 and close at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 27. Those who have applied for rent and utility assistance through the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program don't need to reapply.

There will be two additional rounds of pre-applications accepted in July and August. Renters can apply online at LaneCounty.org/RENT and call 541-682-3776 for help filling out the online form. 

Contact reporter Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick at Tatiana@registerguard.com or 541-521-7512, and follow her on Twitter @TatianaSophiaPT. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.