A TENANT was awarded $16,500 after a court determined his landlord violated a swell of rent control laws.
Bradley Davis took his landlord to court after he noticed a 7% increase in his rent at his apartment in Portland, Oregon.
Bradley Davis is gaining thousands of dollars from his landlordCredit: WGME
A $16,500 settlement was reached involving the Sawyer Street apartmentCredit: WGME
After he approached his landlord, Elizabeth Kane, about the rent hike, Davis said she abruptly yanked his lease, according to CBS affiliate WGME-TV.
Davis had a private settlement with Kane regarding her Sawyer Street apartment.
He had reported his landlord in the spring after she offered him a lease that went against Portland’s rent control ordinance.
Kane had proposed a 7% rent increase, the Portland Press Herald reported.
She revoked the lease offer on the property after he complained.
Following weeks of court hearings, Portland’s rent board found Kane in violation of retaliation, overcharging rent, and not registering her apartment with the city, per WGME-TV.
In June, the board recommended Kane be fined $8,700 plus $200 each day until the violations were corrected.
That same month, Davis said he asked the city for help with settling the case, but they declined.
“We had gone through this whole process, we had proven that city ordinances had been violated,” said Davis, according to the outlet.
“And to be told that the city was not going to help me rectify those violations felt like we were back to square one.”
Since the city’s rent control ordinance went into effect in 2021, Portland has never imposed large fines.
Instead, staff members work with landlords to fix violations and pay back any overcharged rent, according to WGME-TV.
In a memo about the case, Portland’s legal team said it would have taken much longer to resolve if the city had pursued the penalties in court and that any fines would have been paid to the city rather than the tenant, the publication reported.
Wes Pelletier, a tenant’s rights advocate and candidate for Portland’s city council, has called for changes in how the city treats these types of cases.
He said the city should be able to enforce rent control without large settlements.
“This is caused by the city not adequately enforcing the rent control laws,” said Pelletier, per WGME-TV.
“You know, this cost the landlord a lot of money, and this cost the tenant a lot of stress and time to try to defend their home.”
Brit Vitalius, president of the Southern Maine Landlord Association, said he’s thankful the city doesn’t enforce fines that would harm landlords.
“We’ve got one of the strictest rent controls. And the city gives all the power to the tenants and leaves all the costs to the landlords,” said Vitalius, according to the outlet.
Kane did not respond to repeated requests for comment from WGME-TV.
Davis told the outlet he has been able to stay at his apartment for a few more months as part of the settlement agreement but will be moving out on September 1.
In addition to Kane, landlords Cephas Hoffman, Jane Irving, and Patrick Irving are also named in the agreement, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Many have criticized how Portland handles rent ordinancesCredit: WGME
Davis will be leaving his apartment on September 1Credit: WGME
