Rental Property Manager & Owner Newsletter | Fall 2025
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 Fall 2025 training is coming up soon!
Tuesday, November 4th, 3-5pm 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.
The training is online only, and prior registration is required.
Please note: Continuing Education (CE) credits will be available! If you would like to receive credit for this course, enter your license number when you register for the webinar.
For more information, visit: Fall 2025 Fair Housing Training for Housing Providers | Corvallis Oregon
To register for the webinar, visit: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LyOdNrplQY6R6zD5TyIWgQ#/
Introducing Corvallis Connect:
The City of Corvallis has launched Corvallis Connect, an online service portal that helps community members report problems, find resources, and engage with city services. The new portal is available online at www.corvallisoregon.gov/corvallisconnect.
The new service portal is the next step for the popular Report a Problem service, which has been a fixture on the City website for nearly a decade as a convenient way for community members to report potholes, clogged storm drains, and many other common municipal service requests. Corvallis Connect offers the same reporting features, combined with informational resources and a dashboard that lets community members view the status of their requests.
Over the years, the online service portal has proven to be one of the most popular digital tools on the City website. Since 2017, the portal has received nearly 10,000 requests. Nearly a decade after it was developed, the City is upgrading the service to better meet the community’s needs.
More Options, Better Customer Service
With the upgrade to Corvallis Connect, community members will be able to submit requests easily and create a free account to view the status on their reports.
The portal invites users to select from a menu of common issues, then enter a location, followed by contact information that staff can use to request more information if needed.
On the backend, City staff can assign the report to specific work groups and send out automated status updates as they work to resolve the issue. Managers can track reports over time to examine trends and help to direct City services more proactively.
“The new system gives staff more capabilities for organizing and tracking requests in order to spend more time working on issues and maintenance. It also allows us to better provide the community with answers and resources for common request topics or questions we receive,” said Abbie Alexander, Innovation Manager for the City of Corvallis. “We’re excited about the improved customer service capabilities of this new service portal. And of course, all of the popular service categories will still be there, plus a few new ones that folks have been looking for.”
The City of Corvallis maintains an extensive network of public infrastructure, including hundreds of miles of surface streets and bike lanes, thousands of underground water valves and hydrants, and a vast inventory of trees and vegetation in parks and public areas. Timely reports from the community can help the City identify and respond to urgent maintenance requests, which keeps the overall system operating efficiently and enhances community livability.
Annual Maximum Rent Increase for 2026:
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 2026 is 9.5%. Only one rent increase may be issued in any 12-month period.
The lower maximum rental increase established by HB3054 (6%) at the legislature this year is only applicable to manufactured home parks and floating home marinas containing more than 30 spaces.
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.
Legislative Update:
The Oregon State 2025 Legislative Session came to an end in late June. This session saw the passage of several laws that may impact property managers and owners. To stay up to date, please review this Legislative Summary Report on Housing, Development, and Homelessness:
Legislative Summary Report: Housing, Development, and Homelessness
Additionally, here is a link to a Legislative Session Summary including investments from Oregon Housing and Community Services: Oregon Housing and Community Services : 2025 Legislative Session Summary Presentation : About Us : State of Oregon
Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP):
The Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) is a Benton County program that helps get people out of homelessness and into housing. They fill gaps and remove barriers to housing for our most vulnerable community members.
How does the FHSP benefit property managers and owners?
Individualized Housing Placement: Dedicated staff at Benton County match financial resources and supportive services with eligible households. The FHSP does an extensive assessment for all tenants and consults in partnership with community organizations to make successful matches with the right housing location.
High Occupancy, Low Turnover: Reduced unit turnover cost and lower vacancy loss. Targeting long-term tenancy and housing stability.
Reliable Rent Payment: The FHSP ensures on-time rental payments to property managers throughout the duration of the lease. The FHSP has financial resources for first and last month’s rent and security deposits.
Ease of Management: Dedicated point-of-contact for tenant issues. Intensive case management and wrap-around services to support tenants and promote housing stability. FHSP staff are there to help support both the tenant and property manager, assisting with potential lease violations and supportive services.
For more information, click here.
If you are interested in partnering with the FHSP, contact: FHSP@bentoncountyor.gov
Common Questions:
The Housing and Neighborhood Services team has received numerous inquiries from housing providers and tenants regarding a variety of 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.
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
Mold
Oregon Health Authority : Mold in Your Home : Toxic Substances : State of Oregon
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 Corvallis Connect, a tool on the City website that community members can use to submit concerns to the City: Report a Problem with Corvallis Connect | Corvallis Oregon
There are a number of menus/options within Corvallis Connect designed to ensure that submissions make it to the right division.
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 with Corvallis Connect | Corvallis Oregon
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
