The questions owners actually ask.
Including the ones where the honest answer is "it depends" or "that is not up to either of us." Where a question turns on Oregon law, the rule is explained rather than glossed over.
Cost and agreement
What does RENT503 charge?
You get the full itemized fee schedule in writing before you sign anything. That is deliberate: most Portland management companies quote a percentage over the phone and leave the remaining fees to show up on a statement later. Nothing appears on a statement that was not on the schedule you read first. Ask us and we will send the current schedule in full.
Is there a charge for the initial conversation?
No. A consultation, a walkthrough, and a rent assessment cost nothing and carry no obligation. If we do not think we are the right fit for your property, we will say so rather than take the account.
What happens if I want to end the agreement?
The termination terms, including notice period and any remaining obligations, are in the management agreement and we will walk you through them before you sign. We would rather you understand the exit than discover it later.
How and when do I get paid?
Rent is collected, approved expenses are paid, and the balance is distributed to you on a set schedule rather than whenever the paperwork happens to get done. You receive a statement showing what came in, what went out, and what each item was for.
Leasing and residents
How long will it take to lease my property?
It depends on the rent you set, the season, the condition of the unit, and what comparable homes nearby are leasing for. Any manager who gives you a specific number before seeing the property is guessing. What we will do is give you an honest rent assessment based on real comparable listings and tell you specifically what about the property is likely to slow a lease down.
How do you screen applicants?
Against written criteria that are the same for every applicant and are provided in writing before anyone applies. Consistency here is not just fairer, it is substantially safer: screening decisions made case by case are how fair housing complaints happen.
Can I decide which applicant gets the property?
You set the screening criteria with us before the property is marketed, and those criteria decide it. What cannot happen is selecting or rejecting an individual applicant on a basis protected by fair housing law. That is not a RENT503 policy, it is federal and Oregon law, and following it protects you as the owner as much as it protects the applicant.
Do I have to accept housing vouchers or other non-wage income?
Yes. Oregon protects source of income, which means an applicant cannot be refused because their income comes from a housing voucher, Social Security, child support, or similar. Other written criteria still apply, but an income requirement is measured against the share of rent the applicant is actually responsible for after any subsidy, not against the full rent.
Oregon rule, verified August 26, 2026
What happens if a resident stops paying rent?
There is a defined sequence: contact, formal notice with the statutorily required timing, and escalation only if it stays unresolved. Oregon is specific about notice periods and getting them wrong can invalidate the whole process, so it is handled to statute. You are told where it stands at each step rather than after the fact.
Oregon rule, verified August 26, 2026
Money, maintenance, and the property
Will I be told before money is spent on my property?
Yes, above an approval threshold we agree on in advance. Below it, routine work proceeds so a small problem does not sit waiting for a signature. Genuine emergencies, meaning anything unsafe or actively causing damage, are handled first and reported immediately. You see the vendor invoice either way.
Do you mark up repairs?
Whether a coordination markup applies, and what it is, is stated on the fee schedule. If it is not on that schedule, it is not charged.
Who does the actual repair work?
Licensed and insured outside vendors. RENT503 does not run an in-house maintenance crew and has not yet secured its vendor bench, and we would rather tell you that plainly than imply a capability we do not have. In Oregon, any repair job over one thousand dollars in combined labor and materials requires a licensed contractor, and we verify that license rather than take a vendor's word for it.
Oregon rule, verified August 26, 2026
Who holds the security deposit, and how is it returned?
The deposit is held and accounted for according to Oregon requirements, and returned within the statutory window after move-out with a written accounting of any deductions. Deductions are supported by the move-in condition report and photographs taken at the start of the tenancy, which is what makes them defensible if they are ever questioned.
Oregon rule, verified August 26, 2026
How often is the property inspected?
At move-in, at move-out, and periodically during the tenancy. Each one produces a written report with photographs, so the property's condition over time is a record rather than somebody's recollection.
Oregon rules owners get wrong
How much can I raise the rent?
Oregon caps annual rent increases statewide and publishes a maximum percentage each year, so the specific number changes annually and has to be checked against the current year rather than assumed. The rules that do not change: an increase can only happen once in any twelve month period, rent cannot be increased at all during a resident's first year, and many newer buildings are exempt. We confirm the current figure before any increase notice goes out.
Oregon rule, verified August 26, 2026
How much notice do I have to give for a rent increase?
At least ninety days written notice for a month-to-month tenancy after the first year. The notice also has to state specific information to be valid, and for a unit claiming an exemption from the cap that includes the facts supporting the exemption. This is the single most common expensive mistake self-managing owners make, because an improperly served notice can expose you to penalties well beyond the increase itself. We confirm the current requirements before any notice goes out.
Oregon rule, verified August 26, 2026
What changed in Oregon landlord-tenant law recently?
Oregon has made a number of changes over the last two legislative sessions, including rules on returning deposits when a lease never begins because of a habitability problem, and limits on lease termination fees and on collecting rent after a resident gives valid notice. Several of them interact with Portland city ordinances differently than they do elsewhere in the metro. Most individual landlords have not caught up. Tracking them is part of what management is for.
Oregon rule, verified August 26, 2026
Need more than a short answer?
The owner resources pages go further on rent increases and security deposits. More are being written, and each one publishes only once its statements of law have been checked.
This is not legal advice.
The Oregon rules described here were verified on August 26, 2026 and are summarized for general understanding. Landlord-tenant law changes, and how a rule applies depends on the specific property and tenancy. For a decision with real money or a legal deadline attached, confirm against current law or with an attorney.
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