As of late January 2026, SB 1523 is fresh at the Senate Desk, waiting for first reading. No individual sponsors are listed yet, and there are no amendments or hearings scheduled. The introduced text is short and clear: it defines a "tenant portal" as any online platform we provide for applications, rent payments, maintenance requests, lease viewing, or notices. The key change? Tenants and applicants can choose not to use it—or pay by card or ACH—and we must offer reasonable a

The full introduced text is available on the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS), linked below. The catchline gets right to the point: it allows residential landlords of multifamily housing to convert the premises to nonsmoking for existing tenants with 90 days' written notice...

The full introduced text is available as a PDF on the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS), linked below. The catchline and summary are straightforward: the bill allows a retail electricity consumer to install and use portable solar photovoltaic energy devices with a total maximum generating capacity of 1,200 watts. What exactly are we talking about here? Portable solar photovoltaic devices are those plug-and-play systems—think small panels you can set up on a balc

The 2026 legislative session is just getting underway, and House Bill 4123 has already landed on our radar. Introduced in late January 2026, this bill is titled "Relating to landlord disclosure of confidential information; prescribing an effective date." Its core purpose, as stated in the official catchline, is to limit the circumstances under which a landlord may disclose confidential tenant information...

As we roll into 2026, things feel a bit uncertain. Back in September 2025, HUD withdrew its key 2020 guidance (FHEO-2020-01) on handling these requests. No replacement has dropped yet, so we're back to case-by-case evaluations under the core FHA rules. Oregon follows the federal lead here—no major state changes in 2025 or 2026—and Portland aligns too. The obligation to accommodate remains firm, but the old checklists are gone. My advice? When in doubt, approve and manage the

I’ve been knee-deep in Oregon rental properties for nearly two decades now, managing thousands of units, teaching classes to thousands of landlords, and learning every lesson the hard way at least once (usually involving a tenant who thought “no pets” meant “just one Great Dane won’t hurt”). Today, I’m pulling together some of my favorite Oregon landlord best practices—the real-world tips, policies, and efficiency boosters I share in my classes and use in my own portfolio....

If you’ve been scrolling through industry news lately (or dodging panicked texts from colleagues), you’ve probably heard about Portland’s new ordinance banning algorithmic rent-setting software. Yes, the one that went after tools like RealPage and similar “AI-powered” pricing platforms. As of January 2026, it’s in full effect, and enforcement has already begun. Don’t worry—I’m not here to debate the politics. I’m here to help you stay compliant, keep your properties filled,

Why now? Well, late 2025 brought a big shift when HUD withdrew its key guidance document, FHEO-2020-01, on assessing assistance animal requests. That old notice spelled out pretty strict rules on what landlords could ask for in verification. With it gone, we've got more breathing room to dig into questionable requests—think those sketchy online ESA letters that seem to pop up overnight. But here's the big caveat, and I can't stress this enough: the core Fair Housing Act (FHA)

As the holiday season kicks into full gear here in the Portland metro area and across Oregon, many landlords start hearing from tenants about special requests. Extra guests coming to town, strings of lights going up, maybe a Christmas tree in the living room or a menorah on the windowsill—these are all normal parts of the season. But as landlords and property managers, we also have to protect our investments, stay compliant with Oregon law, and keep things fair for everyone.