Rental Property Manager Manager & Owner Newsletter | Spring 2025
Greetings, Corvallis Rental Property Managers and Owners! My name is Chloe and I’m the newest addition to the City of Corvallis Housing & Neighborhood Services Division. I got started as the Housing & Neighborhood Coordinator late August of last year. I’m excited to be here and serve our community. Thank you for your patience as I continue to learn the ins and outs of rental housing in Corvallis.
I aim to be a resource for both property managers and tenants, offering training, resources, information, and referral services that I hope will empower the folks in our community to better understand the law and their rights pertaining to rental housing.
The City of Corvallis Rental Housing Program
- Helps community members navigate rental information and questions
- Educates on fair housing regulations and periodically conducts testing for potential violations of the Fair Housing Act.
- Collects data to better understand local rental housing trends for community planning and education efforts.
If you have any questions, you can reach me on the phone at (541) 766-6552 or via email at Chloe.Stewart@corvallisoregon.gov or housing@corvallisoregon.gov.
Upcoming Fair Housing Training:
At least twice a year, the City of Corvallis Housing & Neighborhood Services Division invites the Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) to lead trainings about fair housing law—and the 2025 spring training is coming up soon!
Tuesday, May 20th, 6-8pm is the upcoming training. We will cover the fundamentals of fair housing law, including both federal and state protected classes with a focus on protections for individuals with disabilities, including service animals. Both FHCO and Housing and Neighborhood Services Division city have seen a recent influx of questions on the subject of service animals, so we prioritized this subject for the upcoming training.
For more information, visit: Spring 2025 Fair Housing Training for Housing Providers | Corvallis Oregon
To register for the webinar, visit: Webinar Registration - Zoom
Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool:
Benton County (lead) , the City of Corvallis, City of Philomath, and Community Services Consortium (CSC) are part of a pilot program sponsored by Oregon State House Bill 4123 to support a coordinated response to homelessness. The Coordinated Homeless Response Office (CHRO) provides coordination and facilitation to help support local service providers in efforts to address issues surrounding housing and homeless in Benton County.
As part of this initiative, Benton County has launched the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP), a program aimed at rehousing individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The FHSP supports stable landlord-tenant relationships by offering assistance that benefits both property managers and tenants, ensuring smoother rental experiences.
The FHSP provides prompt referrals to fill vacancies, ensures on-time rental payments throughout the duration of the lease, and a dedicated point-of-contact case manager to help navigate any renter issues and provide wraparound supports.
Within the first 8 months of starting up this program, Benton County partnered with property managers to lease 40 units, housing 49 adults and 44 children for a total of 93 people.
We need your help! Please consider working in partnership with the Coordinated Homeless Response Office by setting aside some of your rental units to help unhoused families/individuals have a place to call home.
For more information, check out this informational flyer: FHSP Property Manager Flyer
Or email FHSP@bentoncountyor.gov
Visit: Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool - Benton County Health Department, Oregon
For more information about the CHRO, visit: Coordinated Homeless Response - Benton County Health Department, Oregon
Maximum Annual Rent Increase:
Oregon law requires Oregon's Department of Administrative Services to calculate and post the maximum annual rent increase percentage allowed by statute by September 30 for the upcoming calendar year.
The allowable annual rent increase for calendar year 2025 is 10.0%. Only one rent increase may be issued in any 12-month period.
Note: The maximum rent increase limit does not apply if: (a) The first certificate of occupancy for the dwelling unit was issued less than 15 years from the date of the notice of the rent increase; or (b) The dwelling unit is regulated or certified as affordable housing by a federal, state or local government and the change in rent: (A) Does not increase the tenant’s portion of the rent; (B) Is required by program eligibility requirements or by a change in the tenant’s income.
View historical data related to the maximum rent increase over time on the Department of Administrative Services webpage.
New Program Aims to Expand Energy Efficiency for Commercial Buildings:
A new financial incentive aimed at encouraging commercial investments in energy efficiency and sustainability is rolling out in Corvallis and Benton County this month. The Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) Program is just the sixth program of its kind in Oregon and the first in the mid-Willamette Valley area.
CPACE is a real estate finance tool that connects commercial property owners with loan programs to fund property improvements related to clean energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, and seismic upgrades.
The primary goal of CPACE is to promote resilience and sustainability in commercial buildings. Most types of for-profit and nonprofit commercial properties are eligible, including office, industrial, agriculture, hotels, multi-family housing, affordable housing, and mixed-use developments. In many cases, CPACE financing can cover up to 100% of qualifying improvements through a low-cost, long-term loan.
The program will be administered locally by the Corvallis-Benton County Economic Development Office, with property assessment services managed by Benton County. Applications open April 11. Read more and apply online at www.yescorvallis.org/incentives.
For more information about the CPACE program, contact the Corvallis Benton County EDO at 541-766-6339 or Economic.Development@corvallisoregon.gov.
Common Housing Related Questions:
The Housing and Neighborhood Services team has received numerous inquiries from housing providers and tenants regarding a variety of important topics listed below. If needed, please take a moment to reacquaint yourself with these topics, as they represent some of the most frequently asked questions we receive.
Security Deposits
ORS 90.300 – Security deposits; prepaid rent
Assistance Animals
ORS 90.300 (4) “A landlord may not charge a tenant a pet security deposit for keeping a service animal or companion animal that a tenant with a disability requires as a reasonable accommodation under fair housing law.”
ORS 90.390 – Discrimination against tenant or applicant; tenant defense
Assistance Animals - Fair Housing Council of Oregon
Assistance Animal Brochure - Fair Housing Council of Oregon
Assistance Animals | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Landlord access to premises
ORS 90.322 – Landlord or agent access to premises; remedies
Corvallis Livability Code
The City of Corvallis Municipal Code includes a section (Chapter 9.02) titled Livability Code. This chapter includes certain requirements and standards that rental housing in our community must meet to be considered appropriate and eligible for occupation, how those requirements are to be monitored/enforced (i.e., a complaint-based program), and what procedures apply if a dwelling is found in violation.
Here is a link to the Livability Code (available on the City website): TITLE 9 - BUILDING SAFETY AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS | Code of Ordinances | Corvallis, OR | Municode Library
And here is a link to Report a Problem Online, a tool on the City website that community members can use to submit concerns to the City: Report a Problem Online | Corvallis Oregon
There are a number of menus/options within Report a Problem designed to ensure that submissions make it to the right division.
General Housing Related Resources:
ORS Chapter 90 – Residential Landlord and Tenant
Fair Housing Council Of Oregon - Home
City of Corvallis Municipal Code: Chapter 9.02 Livability Code
Report a Problem - Livability Code and Rental Housing
Landlord Resources | Corvallis Oregon
Register or Update a Rental Property | Corvallis Oregon
If you have questions about your rental registration or billing, please reach out to: FINARBillings@corvallisoregon.gov
Rental housing related questions can be directed to: housing@corvallisoregon.gov
