Eviction Moratorium Extended, Local Resources Available

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December 30, 2020 - The Oregon Legislature has extended the current eviction moratorium in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for qualifying tenants. The action by state lawmakers also creates a Landlord Compensation Fund and allocates money for tenant-initiated rental assistance.

HB 4401 prevents landlords from terminating tenancies for nonpayment of rent or without a stated cause, in most cases, through June 30, 2021.

“The new law also requires landlords and tenants to take specific actions in cases involving nonpayment of rent,” said Tracy Oulman, Housing and Neighborhoods Coordinator. “Many of these actions were not required in previous iterations of the moratorium.”

A notable change includes the tenant’s responsibility to evaluate whether their financial hardship qualifies for eviction protection. If a tenant meets the qualifications, they must sign and return a Declaration of Financial Hardship to their landlord. HB 4401 requires a tenant to attest that one or more of the following reasons have impacted them since March 16, 2020 to qualify for a financial hardship:

  • Loss of household income;
  • Increased medical expenses;
  • Loss of work or wages;
  • Increased child care responsibilities or responsibilities to care for a person with a disability or a person who is elderly, injured, or sick;
  • Increased costs for child care or caring a for a person with a disability or a person who is elderly, injured, or sick; or
  • Other circumstances that have reduced my income or increased my expenses.

For landlords, HB 4401 requires they provide tenants with a Notice of Eviction Protection and a copy of the Declaration of Financial Hardship for Eviction Protection when delivering certain notices, including but not limited to the non-payment of rent notice.

Legal Aid Services of Oregon, in partnership with the City of Corvallis and the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, will host a free webinar that will provide a broad overview of the new law. The webinar will take place on Thursday, January 7 from 7 to 8 p.m.

To register for the free webinar, go to https://www.corvallisoregon.gov/cd/page/eviction-moratorium-webinar-lega...

The City of Corvallis Housing & Neighborhood Services Division continues to maintain housing information and resources online at www.corvallisoregon.gov/cd/page/housing-covid-19-resources.

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