PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland renters will get another two months to move after being kicked out of their apartment by no fault of their own, thanks to new protections passed by the city council Wednesday.
The council voted unanimously to give tenants 90 days to move for "no-cause evictions," instead of the current 30.
Landlord will also have to provide 90-day written notice if rents will increase by more than 5 percent over the course of a year.
The protections were first proposed by housing bureau Commissioner Dan Saltzman in September.
"This is a new thing for the City of Portland to do and it's appropriate that in a state of emergency, we try some things," said Mayor Charlie Hales.
The announcement comes as many Portlanders are being evicted from their apartments so that landlords can rent to higher-income tenants. Portland is also growing at a rapid pace and vacancy rates are at a record low of 3.2 percent.
"Many families are getting notices to vacate their rental housing with just 30-day notice and that's just not enough time for them to find a new place to live, let alone try to keep their kids in the same school," said Saltzman.
The average monthly rent in Portland has risen to $1,771, according to real estate website Zillow. That's up $500 since the beginning of 2011.
Renters aren't the only ones having trouble. Buyers are seeing housing prices skyrocket in the city, with the average home price increasing by 19 percent in two years. Zillow reports the average Portland home is going for $335,000.
The rental protections will go into effect on Nov. 14.
