Rental Housing Code

Renter Protections Update:

City Council held a public hearing on the Phase II Renter Protections Draft Ordinance on March 13th at 5:30pm.
The Council packet for the public hearing is available here. Renter Protections is listed as Item 4 on the agenda and begins on page 17.
The March 13th, 2023 public forum recording is available at City of Eugene Public Meetings YouTube channel.
For more information about the Renter Protections process and next steps, please sign up for the  Renter Protections Interested Parties email list or visit the Eugene Renter Protections Process webpage.
The Court determined on January 31, 2023 that the City is preempted by state law from imposing or enforcing a $10 cap on applicant screening charges. 
No additional enforcement language related to the $10 cap has been included in the Phase II draft ordinance in Attachment A of the Agenda Item Summary for Renter Protections.

On July 11, 2022, City Council passed Ordinance 20670 adopting Renter Protections Phase I. Watch the July 11, 2022 session and Review the Agenda Item Summary and Council Materials. On August 13, 2022, Ordinance 20670 went into effect and is enforceable. The accompanying Administrative Rules to Ordinance 20670 are also in effect and include an updated fee. The City of Eugene now provides several forms for landlords and tenants as outlined in Ordinance 20670. The forms can be found below.

Renter and Landlord Forms:

Tenant Education Information

Tenant Reference Form

Move-In Move-Out Documentation Form

Find more information about the Renter Protections Process, including Phase II on this webpage: eugene-or.gov/renterprotections

To be included in the Renter Protection interested parties email list, please email renterprotections@eugene-or.gov

About the Rental Housing Code

The rental housing code was created in 2005 to ensure rental properties in the city are safe by creating minimum habitability standards, and by providing resources for property owners/managers and renters.

The standards cover ten areas:

heating
plumbing
security
electrical
appliances

smoke detection
structural integrity
weatherproofing
carbon monoxide alarms
rats

Mold is addressed through the weatherproofing and plumbing standards.

Have a question?

📞 541-682-8282

📩 rentalhousing@ci.eugene.or.us

Prior Updates to the Rental Housing Code

Effective February 26th, 2017, Eugene City Council adopted proposed changes to the Rental Housing Code Ordinance. The changes were based on recommendations from the Housing Policy Board. The adopted ordinance added language to the Rental Housing code to address carbon monoxide alarms, electrical systems, appliances, and rats. The approved ordinance also removed the sunset clause and added language requiring the City Manager review the Rental Housing Code program and report to City Council every three years.

The full text of the new Rental Housing Code Ordinance can be found here.

Rental Housing Program Updates

Fiscal Year 2021 Update

Fiscal Year 2020 Update

Fiscal Year 2019 Update

Fiscal Year 2018 Update

Fiscal Year 2017 Update

Program Goal

The goal of the program is to help renters and owners communicate with each other so they can resolve their issues without further city involvement or legal action. The program is complaint driven and requires written communication from the renter to the owner/manager at least 10 days before a complaint will be accepted by the City.

Costs for the program are paid by a $20 annual unit fee. The property owner or owner’s agent is responsible for paying the fee.