PTU is an all volunteer tenant union dedicated to building power and solidarity among the tenant class. You can read about our mission here. We have limited capacity to work with tenants one on one to work through housing issues.
Below are some common resources and places you can go for support:
- Eviction: If you are being evicted or threatened with eviction You can call or email the Oregon Law Center at (888) 585-9638 and [email protected], or you can call or text The Commons Law Center at 503-850-0811
- Rental Assistance: If you need help with rental assistance, please call 211
- Inspections: If you have a habitability or ongoing maintenance issue, you can contact the Portland Neighborhood Inspections Program: (503) 823-2633
- Other questions: If you have a question about tenants rights or have another issue you are working through, please contact the City of Portland Rental Services Office [email protected] or call 503-823-1303 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9 - 11 a.m. and 1 - 4 p.m.
- Other Resources: You can find other tenant info and resources like tenant friendly lawyers and mediation on this page
Reporters: Please email [email protected]
If you want to organize your building and form a tenant association, please email [email protected]
For general questions about PTU email [email protected]
To volunteer email [email protected]
To join visit https://www.pdxtu.org/join_the_union
If you’ve exhausted other resources and need support, please contact us to explain what’s happening:
PTU cannot give legal advice and we do not have money to help people pay rent
Email: [email protected]
Send us a private message on Facebook or Twitter
If you have an urgent need you can text us at (503) 461-0369 (we've gotten reports that our text line isn't working, we're trying to resolve the issue)
Other Resources:
Topics:
- Eviction specific
- Tenant Rights Information
- Free or Low-Cost Legal Help
- Mediation
- Repairs and Contacting Inspectors
- Housing and Rent Assistance
- Other Local Tenant Unions
- Organizing Resources
Eviction specific
URGENT HELP:
If you need urgent support for an eviction or illegal lock out, text PTU at (503) 461-0369, or email us at [email protected]
Get legal support for your eviction
- You can call or email the Oregon Law Center at (888) 585-9638 and [email protected], or you can call or text The Commons Law Center at 503-850-0811 to get free legal help if you are being threatened with an eviction or received a termination notice or court summons.
- Make sure to attend your court hearing! If you would like to attend virtually, you can find your video link, or you can join by phone: 503-388-9555; Access Code: 146 407 9791
The eviction moratorium has expired
OregonLawHelp.org has a page dedicated to housing protection during COVID-19.
Tenant Rights Information
For general questions, contact the City of Portland Rental Services Office: [email protected] or call 503-823-1303 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9 - 11 a.m. and 1 - 4 p.m.
-
oregonlawhelp.org - Detailed, understandable, and accurate information about landlord-tenant law
- Legal Aid booklet - a run down from Legal Services of Landlord Tenant Law in Oregon
- ORS 90 - The Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, contains most important statewide landlord-tenant law
- Portland Rental Services Office: (503) 823-1303 or [email protected]
-
Community Alliance of Tenants Renters Rights Hotline: (503) 288-0130
- Specifically check out their CAT's Know Your Rights information
- Manufactured Communities Resource Center: (503) 986-2145 or [email protected]
- PDX Renters Unite! - Facebook group where you can share your stories with fellow renters, many of whom have gone through the same things
Free or Low-Cost Legal Help
-
Legal Aid Services of Oregon: (503) 224-4086 [Only serves low-income clients]
- Oregon Law Center: 1-800-672-4919 [only serves low-income tenants, usually requires referral from Legal Aid]
- Oregon law Center has a special eviction defense intake line at (888) 585-9638 or you can fill out this webform
- The Commons Law Center: 503-850-0811 (call or text) or fill out this web form [Free for tenants facing eviction for people making under 400% the federal poverty line]
- PCC CLEAR Clinic Eviction Legal Defense Program - 971-722-5981
- Portland Defender: (503) 592-0606 or [email protected] [Pro bono]
- Garcia Law LLC: 541-604-8718 or [email protected]
- Oregon State Bar Modest Means Program: (503) 684-3763 or [email protected] [Sliding scale]
- Fair Housing Council of Oregon: (503) 223-8197
- Disability Rights Oregon: (503) 243-2081
Eviction Expungement is available for free through the PCC CLEAR Clinic on Fridays 12-4pm
Mediation
Sometime people don't want to pursue legal channels, or are for whatever reason unable to. In those cases, mediation might be an effective tool to resolve a conflict with a landlord. Resolutions NW has a program to support tenants with mediation.
- Mediation: Sometimes folks need a third party to help facilitate a difficult conversation. Mediators are not a judge or lawyer and have no ability to determine the outcome. Mediators are "co-partial" meaning they want the best for all parties involved and will work to create a space where hard conversations can take place. Our role is to make sure everyone feels heard and that each party understands where the other is coming from. There may be an opportunity for parties to come to a common agreement. If that is the case, mediators can help work out the details of that agreement.
Getting Repairs made
Oregon Law help help has a great Repairs and Safety webpage that answers a lot of questions as well as fillable templates for letters you can send your landlord.
Here are some key points
- In order to have legal protections for repairs you must tell your landlord IN WRITING. This means either sending first class mail or hand delivering the notice.
- If you tell your landlord about something needing repair, they can enter your home without notice for one week without notice.
- Withholding rent because of repairs is a really risky thing, make sure you consider all options before moving forward. Look through the handbook and consider talking to a lawyer
- If a landlord continues to refuse making repairs that lead to habitability issues, you can contact the city or county inspectors, listed below.
City and County Inspectors - They can force your landlord to make repairs
-
Portland Neighborhood Inspections Program: (503) 823-2633
- For help addressing rats, vermin and pest infestations, contact Multnomah County Vector Control at (503) 988-3464
-
Multnomah County Environmental Health: (503) 988-3464
- The cities of Gresham and Wood Village have their own rental inspection programs. Cities with (more limited) residential code enforcement programs include Fairview and Troutdale.
-
Clackamas County Code Enforcement: (503) 742-4452 or [email protected]
- Cities with (more limited) residential code enforcement programs include Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Happy Valley, Gladstone, and Oregon City.
-
Washington County Code Compliance: (503) 846-4875 or [email protected]
- Tenant mold hotline for Washington County is (503) 648-7723
- The cities of Tigard and Tualatin have their own rental inspection programs. Cities with (more limited) residential code enforcement programs include Sherwood, Beaverton, Hillsboro and Forest Grove.
- Call 211 for a regularly updated list of available housing and rent assistance.
- You can also sometimes find cheap housing through Facebook groups like Portland OR Housing, Portland Housing/Roommates/Sublets/Roomster, Portland Queer Housing, Portland Area Transgender and Queer Safer Housing, or Portland Disabled Housing Network
Other Local Tenant Unions
PTU operates throughout the Portland Metro area. Check out some of these groups operating on different scales:
- North Portland Tenants Collective: [email protected]
- Living Cully's Cully Housing Action Team: (503) 489-8334 or [email protected]
- Green Lents' Lents Strong Housing Team: (971) 319-0444 or [email protected]
- Oregon Renters in Action (formerly SE Portland Renters in Action): 503-995-0250 or [email protected]
- Monmouth-Independence Tenants Union: [email protected]
- Tenants United Corvallis: [email protected]
- Springfield-Eugene Tenant Association: 541-972-3715
- Southern Oregon Tenants Union: (541) 708-3576
- Residents Organizing for Change: [email protected] [Statewide affordable housing tenants union]
- Community Alliance of Tenants: (503) 288-0130 [Statewide organization]
- Manufactured Housing/Oregon State Tenants Association: 1-800-423-9371 [Statewide mobile home park union]
- Tenants Union of Washington State: (206) 723-0500 [If you're just across the border in Vancouver, WA]
- Homes For All: (646) 360-5800 or [email protected] [Nationwide coalition of tenant unions]
- Right 2 Survive: (503) 839-9992 or [email protected] [Because our houseless neighbors need a union, too]
Organizing Resources