The relocation law passed by City Council in February requires landlords to pay between $2,900 to $4,500 in relocation fees to tenants when they've a) raised rents by 10 percent or more, or b) issued a no-cause eviction notice. The law was challenged, and it was announced today that the court agreed with the City on every point and held that the ordinance (1) is not preempted, and (2) does not unconstitutionally impair the obligations of contracts.
"This moment is very important for the City of Portland. At a time when we can’t get the support we need from our own state legislature, relocation assistance gives us a measure of hope that we can stand up and defend vulnerable tenants on a local level. With this victory, our next steps will be to focus our efforts on gathering data and refining this law so that it becomes an innovative model for securing tenant protections in Oregon and across the country." -Commissioner Chloe Eudaly