Portland Mayor Wheeler Supports Strengthening the City's Relocation Fee Ordinance

The Portland City Council plans to vote on whether to make the city's relocation fee ordinance permanent next month, and Commissioner Chloe Eudaly has been advocating for the removal of the exemption for landlords who own only one rental unit. A recently released study concluded there could be approximately 24,000 units in the city that fall under this exemption, adding some fuel to the debate. Previously, Wheeler had previously said he needed more data before deciding whether to eliminate the loophole, but his spokesman Michael Cox told the Willamette Week on Tuesday that the Mayor now supports keeping the loophole in place only for owners of granny flats and owner-occupied duplexes. Along with the mayor and Commissioner Eudaly, Commissioner Fritz has also come out in favor of requiring relocation fees for all landlords. Read more.