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What To Do If Repairs Need To Be Made At Your Rental Property

One of the most common things that tenants will experience is needing to have repairs made at their rental property. .

Sadly, in some cases it’s no uncommon for some landlords to not respond to their tenants when repairs have to be made and this usually leaves tenants frustrated or confused about what to do next.

Thankfully, there is a process that tenants can follow for determining what to do when repairs need to be made.

Step 1 – Check Your Lease Agreement

In some cases, the repairs that need to be made at your rental property could be your responsibility and the only way to know this for sure is to check your lease agreement.

The lease agreement should set the expectation for who is responsible for the repairs and what the tenant needs to do to inform their landlord about the repairs that need to be made.

Step 2 – When Tenants Should Pay For And Attempt Repairs Themselves

Tenants shouldn’t hesitate to make repairs to the rental property themselves if the damage is minor, and can be repaired easily.

Example: replacing burnt out light bulbs, stained carpet, chewed mini blinds, clogged toilets or smells left over from cigarette smoking.

Major repairs, especially repairs that have caused a habitability issue, should be brought to the owner’s attention immediately because it’s the owner’s responsibility to make sure that the property is a habitable place to live.

Place 3 – What To Do When A Landlord Doesn’t Make Repairs

Sadly, some landlords may refuse to make repairs themselves, in these cases a tenant is within their rights to withhold rent, especially if the property can be repaired for $300 or less (Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 90.368).

If a tenant doesn’t want to withhold rent and make the repair themselves, they are also within their rights to notify their landlord of breach of contract and give their landlord a 30-day notice to terminate if they don’t fix the problem.

Contact Rent Portland Homes – Professionals

At Rent Portland Homes – Professionals, we specialize in neighborhood property management.

For more information about the services that we can offer you, contact us today at (503) 447-7735 or click here.

Oregon Landlord-Tenant Law 2021 – What Is A Habitable Rental Property?

Owning rental property is a great way to generate monthly cash flow for investors but when it comes to following Oregon Landlord-Tenant Law in 2021, the properties that the landlord invests in must be habitable.

What exactly is a ‘habitable’ rental property in Oregon? In this article, we will answer this question, plus provide landlords and tenants insight into what it means to have a habitable rental property in our state.

Oregon Tenant Law And Habitable Rental Properties

When it comes to managing a habitable rental property in Oregon, these properties are classified as homes, or rental units where the landlord is taking care of basic needs.

The basic needs that landlords must monitor and improve include: repairing and maintaining plumbing, cooling, heating, electrical, and roofing.

Besides the basic needs, landlords must also make sure that the property is safe to live in, critter-free, and a place that families can live in without potentially harming themselves or their children.

What If A Property Is Not Habitable?

Let’s say that rental property in Oregon is not habitable, in this case, Oregon Landlord-Tenant Law states that a tenant has the right to repair and deduct.

Tenants who are considering repair and deduct as a means to make their property more habitable must communicate with their landlords so that the landlord has enough time to fix the problem for their tenant.

If the Oregon Landlord doesn’t fix the problem, the tenant has the right to get the issue repaired then deduct the money from their monthly rent.

Contact Rent Portland Homes – Professionals

At Rent Portland Homes – Professionals, we save landlords in Portland Oregon, and the surrounding areas, the time and hassle of managing their properties themselves.

Our team is also experts at Oregon Landlord-Tenant law as well. For more information about the services that we can offer you, contact us today at (503) 447-7735 or click here.

Oregon Rent Increases Are Capped At 9.9% For 2022

he Oregon rental market has been this hard during the COVID-19 pandemic so it’s no surprise that rent increases are coming to Oregon in 2022.

Thanks to recent news from state economists, we know that rents are going to be increasing by 9.9% in 2022 and this will be just in time for many landlords who have been struggling with staying afloat financially during the Pandemic.

Sadly, rent increases are going to hit most tenants hard as incomes have been slow to catch up following a long period that’s seen many locals in the PDX area, and nationwide, lose their jobs during lockdowns are change careers due to quarantines and strict regulations.

Anticipating Rent Increases In 2022

he rent increase only applies to homes that were built 15 years ago or more. Newer homes are exempt, a carve-out intended to keep the rule from discouraging the construction of new rentals.

The state determines the rate of inflation each year using the Consumer Price Index, which measures changes in the average costs of hundreds of items that a household buys, such as food, gasoline, medicine, cars and homes.

State economist Josh Lehner said that the rent increase number is calculated based on a 12-month average. The past six months have seen a higher rate of inflation, but Lehner said that won’t be fully reflected until next year’s rent increase is calculated.

Oregon rents have climbed steadily over the past 22 years, according to state data, with annual increases fluctuating within a margin of just four percentage points. The lowest annual increase during that time period was 7.1%, in 2010. And the highest over the past two decades was 11%, in 2002 and again in 2009. The average rent increase price over that time period is about 9.3%.

Contact Rent Portland Homes – Professionals

At Rent Portland Homes – Professionals, we offer local property management that saves landlords the time, money and hassle of managing their properties themselves.

If you own rental properties in Portland Oregon, or the surrounding area, learn more about the excellent service that we can offer you by calling (503) 447-7735 or click here to connect with us online.