The City Council appointed the Rent Board members at its March 15, 2021 meeting following interviews that were conducted by the Nominating Committee.
Portland Rent Board Members
District 1: Christopher Moore, Tenant (Term to Expire 03/30/2022)
District 2: Michelle Dunham, Landlord (Term to Expire 03/30/2022)
District 3: Elliot Simpson, Tenant (Term to Expire 03/30/2024)
District 4: Ian McCracken, Landlord (Term to Expire 03/30/2023)
District 5: Austin Sims, Home Owner (Term to Expire 03/30/2024)
At-Large: Elias Kann, Tenant (Term to Expire 03/30/2023)
At-Large: Barbara Vestal, Landlord (Term to Expire 03/30/2024)
about the rent board
The Rent Control Ordinance, approved by voters at the November 6, 2020 election, establishes the January 1, 2021 base rent of most rental units in Portland to the rent charged in June 2020, and caps the amount by which landlords may increase that rent annually. This ordinance is applicable to both long-term rental units and short-term rental units.
In addition, the Ordinance provides various protections to tenants, including notice of rent increases, additional notice or payments before evicting certain tenants, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of funding (such as Section 8 or GA), and notice of tenants’ rights to new tenants.
Lastly, this Ordinance established the Rent Board to conduct hearings in response to tenant complaints, mediate disputes between tenants and landlords, and consider landlords’ requests for rent increases outside the scope of this Ordinance.
The Rent Board is staffed by Jessica Hanscombe, the Director of the Permitting & Inspections Department.
