New law would create statewide rent control

(JANUARY 19, 2019) Oregon's state government is considering a new law to help protect people who rent their homes. These renters are called "tenants," and the proposal is called Senate Bill 608. The new law would start statewide rent control. It would also prohibit landlords from evicting tenants (making them leave their homes) without a good reason. If the bill is approved, then Oregon will be the first state with this kind of law.

The new law would have two parts. First, it would limit yearly rent increases to 7% plus inflation. (Inflation means a general increase in prices over time.) This rule is only for people in buildings more than 15 years old. Second, the law would stop "no-cause evictions". A "no-cause eviction" is when a landlord makes a person leave without a good reason. Landlords can still make a person leave if they don't pay rent. Landlords can also make people leave if the landlords are going to make significant improvements to the building, or if they are going to move into the apartment themselves.

Some people are unsure about the proposal. They think new housing is more important than rent control. They say the state should make it easier to build new apartments and homes. For example, the state could allow the development of more farmland. This would make homes more affordable, they say.