The basic rule of fair housing: “In most real estate transactions, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of a `protected class`. This means that discrimination in the housing market is illegal if a person is treated differently because they belong to a protected group or class of people covered by fair housing laws. In the United States, and most likely under Oregon law, it is illegal for tenants or sellers of real estate to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national origin, color, or religion. This can impose severe civil penalties on an owner. Nor can they discriminate on the basis of physical disabilities. Tenants with a physical disability who are otherwise qualified to rent an apartment (they are able to pay, have good credit, etc.) have the right to make reasonable modifications to the apartment to make it more accessible to them, and the landlord generally cannot prevent a tenant from doing so until the changes are too significant. and are reversible. However, the landlord may require the tenant to remove the changes at the tenant`s expense when the tenant moves. Tenants are essentially entitled to a habitable apartment. After all, that`s what they pay for. Landlords in Washington County, Oregon, are required to ensure that the units they rent to tenants are suitable for human habitation. Many different defects can make an apartment uninhabitable, such as .B.

severe infestation and other sanitation problems, lack of running water or electricity or failure to provide adequate protection from external elements. No one is allowed to take any of the following actions based on the protected classes listed above: All Americans enjoy protection under the Federal Fair Housing Act. This legislation is designed to ensure that no person is denied housing because it: While a household may otherwise be eligible for housing, loan, insurance or most other housing-related transactions, the law states that they have equal access to that transaction and cannot be denied access because of their protected class status. The purpose of the law is to ensure equal access to housing of choice. House Bills 4204 and 4213 were released on September 30. June 2020 during the first special session of the Oregon Legislature in 2020. Landlords and tenants almost always prefer to avoid conflicts. In a perfect world, tenants would pay the rent on time and landlords would still provide the services for which they are paid. As we know, the world is not perfect. If circumstances show the imperfection of the world, a real estate attorney in Washington County, Oregon, can help you, whether you`re a landlord or a tenant. The most basic right of landlords is the right to have the rent agreed upon by their tenant paid.

Obviously, renting apartments is how landlords make a living, so they have the right to collect the rent that the tenant has accepted. In addition, landlords are entitled to compensation for damage caused intentionally or negligently by a tenant to a rented unit. Landlords have the right to deduct repair costs from the tenants` depot, unless the damage was caused by the usual wear and tear for which the tenants are not responsible. For fair housing assistance, please call the Fair Housing Council of Oregon at 503-223-8187 or visit the website at www.FHCO.org. In addition, tenants are entitled to reasonably safe and hygienic common areas. The common elements of an apartment building would include entrance halls, laundry rooms, stairwells, hallways and emergency exits (essentially any part of the building that all tenants can access). In Washington County, Oregon, these areas must be kept reasonably clean and safe. The following links are intended to help you answer some of your questions about landlord and tenant law. The information provided here does not cover all situations and should not be used as a substitute for specific legal advice.

Please also note that there have been many recent changes in this area of law in Oregon and some of the issues are currently being reviewed by our pro bono counsel. Each topic below includes a date so you can see when it was last reviewed. Landlords and tenants have several rights and obligations. Below you will find a partial list of the rights of landlords and tenants and the corresponding obligations of the other party. After all, tenants in most states have the right to be safe from unfair evictions. In general, leases last for a certain period of time and both parties are bound by this contract. Landlords cannot arbitrarily evict customers as long as the lease is still in effect. Washington County and the cities of Beaverton and Hillsboro have partnered with the Fair Housing Council of Oregon to produce five short educational videos on fair housing. The videos are designed to be informative and raise awareness of the discrimination against housing that is common and obvious for ambiguous and unclear cases through the prism of a family`s rental life cycle.

If you believe you have experienced housing discrimination, please call the Fair Housing Council of Oregon at 503-223-8295. All calls are confidential and can be confidential. The State of Oregon and the City of Beaverton have added additional protections that state that people cannot be denied shelter because they:. .