Contact Us

Contact PTU:

[email protected]

Or send us a private message on Facebook or Twitter

If you have an urgent need, you can text us at (503) 461-0369

***PTU is an all-volunteer union.  We will try to respond to your message as quickly as possible, especially if you and others in your building are trying to form a union and fight for your rights.  We DO NOT give legal advice and DO NOT have any money to help pay your rent.  If you have general questions about your rights as a tenant or need legal help or rent assistance, please contact the resources below***

Other Resources:

Topics:

 

COVID 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]

If you received a court summons for a non-payment eviction, you can stop it!

  • You will need to apply for rental assistance
  • If there are a few days left before your first appearance, try to get legal representation. 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
  • 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, but you can still be protected by applying for rental assistance!

  • Tenants in Oregon are protected against non-payment eviction through June 30th 2022 if the have a pending rental assistance application. Apply here for rental assistance
  • Call 211 if you need help applying.
  • You cannot be evicted for rent due between April 2020 and June 2021. You have until March 2022 to settle those accounts.

OregonLawHelp.org has a page dedicated to housing protection during COVID-19.

Tenant Rights Information

 

Free or Low-Cost Legal Help

 

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. 
*Disclaimer: Mediators are not advocates. We will not talk to the other party to convince them of your position. We can, however, talk to the other party in an attempt to "bring them to the table" to have a conversation all together. In order to take on a mediation, all parties must agree to go into the conversation willing to have a dialogue. Mediation is a voluntary process, meaning all parties are choosing to be there.
Resolutions NW has a landlord tenant mediation pilot program funded by the City. To see if you can get mediation through their program you can email [email protected] or call (503) 595-4890. You can read more about their program here.

Getting Repairs made

Oregon Law help help has a great Renter's Handbook on Repairs 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

 

Housing and Rent Assistance

 

Other Local Tenant Unions 

PTU operates throughout the Portland Metro area.  Check out some of these groups operating on different scales:

 

Organizing Resources

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