URGENT ACTION - Stop Security Deposit Theft

Tell City Council: Vote no on the FAIR settlement

On June 29th, Portland City Council will vote on a settlement related to the FAIR Ordinance. FAIR is one of the most innovative policies in the country, and has made progress is stopping discriminations and security deposit theft. It was crafted specifically to address discrimination faced by Black Portland renters.

This settlement will destroy key provisions around the security despot, allowing landlords to once again engage in practice we've seen too often: using security deposits to replace old appliances with new and expensive ones, allowing landlords to determine the condition of the house without the tenant there, and making the the penalties so small that many landlords won't hesitate to try to get around them.

Please send Portland City Commissioners a message, telling them to vote NO on this settlement. If you have a personal story of security deposit theft, please include that as well.

Pass the Tenant Protection Ordinance

Call Commissioner Ryan and demand that he introduce the Tenant Protection Ordinance to stop landlord harassment!

Commissioner Dan Ryan Phone number: 503-823-3589

Phone script for talking with the Dan Ryan and his staff

Send an email to all Portland Commissioner demanding the Tenant Protection Ordinance!

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Phone script

Hi, I’m [name] and I’m calling to urge you to introduce the Tenant Protection Ordinance for a Council vote.

Portlanders who rent their homes have been suffering from landlord harassment at an unprecedented rate. This harassment is not recorded the way evictions and rent increases are, so we don’t have the same kind of data, but tenant advocates hear harassment stories every day, and surveys show the problem affects many tenants. BIPOC tenants, tenants with disabilities, LGBTQ tenants, seniors, and women experience even higher rates of harassment.

This is a crisis and we need city leaders to take action now! 

Portland Tenants United has proposed the Tenant Protection Ordinance, modeled after similar policy in about a dozen other West Coast cities. The Tenant Protection Ordinance will empower tenants to address and stop landlord harassment.

Over 25 local organizations support this policy in addition to PTU. A majority of Portland City Commissioners have expressed their support as well, but they want Commissioner Ryan to introduce the policy as head of the Housing Bureau.

I urge you to bring the Tenant Protection Ordinance before City Council immediately, so we can protect vulnerable tenants and stop tenant harassment!

Eviction Defense Response Team

Emergency Assistance: Text: (503) 461-0369 if you or someone you know needs urgent support with an eviction.

You can also message us on facebook or email us at [email protected]

Join the Eviction Defense Response Team

As the COVID eviction protections are lifted, landlords are beginning to ramp up evictions. A patchwork of policy at the city, county, state, and national level offers some protection but we need to support tenants facing evictions now, and to prepare for the wave of evictions that are sure to hit as more protections expire.

PTU is preparing volunteers to knock on doors for tenants with an eviction filing, for court support, protesting and direct action around the city, and resisting evictions directly at people's homes.

Join our list to find out about upcoming trainings, and so we can contact you when the need arises:

Fill out our eviction resistance form OR

Text RESIST to 33777

THANK YOU to everyone that has already signed up

Check out our Eviction Resistance page to learn more about the work we've been doing

Emergency Assistance: Text: (503) 461-0369 if you or someone you know needs urgent support with an eviction.

You can also message us on facebook or email us at [email protected]

Join Portland Tenants United as a tenant member or as a supporting member.