Tell Portland City Council: Stop the Rental Software Ban

On Wednesday, the Portland City Council will vote on a new ordinance – Section 30.01.088: Prohibited Anti-Competitive Rental Practices – that would ban the use of standard property-management, pricing software, and other common-sense tools that housing providers rely on every day.

Even with a new amendment carving out small housing providers, the proposal still goes too far. It:

Targets behaviors, not tools, creating confusion for property managers who oversee multiple properties for different owners.
Imposes large financial penalties and an unrealistic five-year statute of limitations, leaving housing providers vulnerable to false claims.
Discourages investment, innovation, and housing stability across Portland.

These are everyday business tools that help property managers analyze public and operational data – like vacancy rates and turnover trends – to make informed, independent decisions. The ordinance’s vague language is so broad that it could even sweep in basic analytic programs housing providers use for budgeting, forecasting, and planning. Taking those tools away won’t create fairness – it will create confusion and instability.

Tell Mayor Wilson and City Council to stop this ordinance and focus instead on policies that strengthen housing stability, not weaken it.

Dear [Lawmaker],

I’m writing to urge you to reject the proposed addition of Section 30.01.088 – Prohibited Anti-Competitive Rental Practices and stop this ordinance from moving forward.

Even with the latest amendment exempting small housing providers, this proposal remains deeply flawed. It bans the use of standard property-management and pricing software that housing providers rely on to analyze public and operational data like vacancy rates, neighborhood trends, and lease expirations.

By targeting “behaviors” rather than tools, the ordinance could wrongly penalize property managers who oversee multiple properties for different owners and use their own data to make independent business decisions. The language is so broad it could even restrict common-sense business systems that providers use every day to manage budgets, track expenses, and plan responsibly.

The penalties are excessive, and the five-year statute of limitations creates unrealistic exposure for housing providers acting in good faith. Portland’s housing challenges won’t be solved by banning the tools that keep rents stable and predictable.

Please vote no on this ordinance and work with housing providers to craft informed, balanced policies that support housing stability for Portlanders.

Sincerely,
______

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