The Oregon Senate has passed a bill to make it illegal for landlords to inquire about a potential renter’s immigration status, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Calling it a “moral imperative,” the Oregon Senate voted Monday to ban landlords from asking about or disclosing tenants’ immigration status.
The bill now heads to the Oregon House for approval.
The bill would also prohibit landlords from denying to rent a home or apartment to a tenant based on the landlord’s perception of their immigration status. It would also make it illegal for a landlord to retaliate against a tenant, who might ask for repairs or complain about mold, by threatening to disclose their immigration status to federal immigration enforcement officials.
Under Senate Bill 599, Oregon would join at least four other states — Washington, California, Illinois and New York — that have said access to rental housing shouldn’t be contingent on whether a person was born or naturalized into the United States. The Portland City Council approved a similar law in 2019, backers note.
Oregon’s bill would allow alternative forms of identification in the rental application process — stating that in lieu of a birth certificate or Social Security number that immigrants might not have, alternative forms of identification such as an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or a driver’s license would suffice.
An amendment to the bill, however, allows for landlords to inquire about a potential renter’s immigration status if required by a federal government program that offers low-income housing.
Rep. Ricki Ruiz, a Gresham Democrat and sponsor of the bill, told Oregonlive.com it is “deeply personal” to him because his parents immigrated to the United States in search of a better future but also worried about finding a safe and stable home.
The bill has drawn significant opposition from people concerned that it would infringe on landlord rights.
In written testimony, Ruppert Reinstadler of Tigard said further regulating of landlords drives up prices, among other problems.
“Since when do business people (landlords) not have the right to ask questions of their renters?” Reinstadler wrote. “It is a basic tenet of business that you know who your clients are, whether they are trustworthy and whether they are in this country legally.”
