Portland, Oregon has a Residential Rental Registration to keep track of who is renting out which properties. The rental registry gives the government more ways to see what’s happening in the market, track violations of the law, and get revenue to fund rental services.
- The city got landlords to register by sending out a letter to every property owner in the city.
- The registration is coupled with the City Business Tax Filing too, so that more people who are filing taxes that indicate that they are renting a property are also joining the registry.
- They have over 75% compliance, of landlords registering with the program.
- The registration fee is $60, and goes to cover rental services (including around eviciton protection).
- The city government’s data team is checking the data to see if it corresponds to other records. It’s procuring a new data platform to host the registry, to make it easier for both filers, for other government agencies (like permitting programs, rental assistance, and other programs).
The rental registry information can help better government services:
- More targeted landlord education and outreach about programs like ERAP.
- More ability to track trends, problems, legal violations.
- Checking existing assumptions about where renters are, and where outreach should be
The funding from the rental registry fees can support programs to help with rental services, eviction prevention, and other housing stability programs. See the Renter Services Office in the city, for what kinds of programs are supported.
