Portland Oregon Apartment and Home Rental Information

Portland Apartment & Home Rentals
THIS PAGE IS OFFERED AS A RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE LOOKING FOR A RENTAL (APARTMENT, CONDO, OR DETACHED SINGLE-FAMILY HOME). YOU ARE WELCOME TO REVIEW THE VARIOUS SUGGESTIONS AND LINKS ON THE PAGE. GENERALLY SPEAKING, REALTORS’ ACCESS TO RENTAL INFORMATION IS SIMILAR TO WHAT RENTAL SEEKERS FIND. I DO NOT HANDLE RENTALS AS MOST OREGON REALTORS ARE LICENSED TO WORK ONLY WITH BUYERS AND SELLERS. ________________________________________ October 2011: Portland area apartments faring well In a dim economy, apartments are a bright spot for landlords and investors. Rents are up, vacancies are down and potential tenants are plentiful as a result of the foreclosure crisis. The report is based on a survey of the managers of 757 properties, and it reflects what most of them already knew: demand for apartments is higher than its been since 2007. In most parts of the Portland area, apartment vacancy is below 4 percent. Only two markets -- east Vancouver and Oregon City -- are at or above the 5 percent that is considered balanced, and most close-in neighborhoods of Portland are closer to 2.5 percent. For the average two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit, an 8 percent hike would be a $55 hike to the new average rent of $743. And in downtown Portland, the most expensive market, rents increased nearly $96.25 since last fall. In the Portland area, analysts expect permits will be issued for about 1,500 apartments by the end of the year. That would be an increase from 1,100 last year, though well below the average of 4,000 a year for more than a decade before the crash. The underlying market for apartment investment properties is heating up, too. The number of Portland area transactions for the year is on track to surpass 2009 and 2010, and dollar volume is already the highest seen since 2008. Source: "Portland area apartments faring well, but landlords worry about new development," by Elliot Njus, The Oregonian. Published October 19, 2011. May 2011: The Portland-metropolitan area has the lowest apartment vacancy rate of any metropolitan statistical area in the USA According to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau, the Portland-Beaverton-Vancouver, Wash., MSA apartment vacancy rate fell to 4 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2011. Portland narrowly beat out the Easton, Pa., MSA (4.1 percent) and the Grand Rapids, Mich., MSA (4.2 percent). Portland’s neighbor to the north, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue MSA, ended the first quarter of 2011 with a 6.8 percent vacancy rate, the 15th lowest rate in the nation. Conversely, Orlando, Fla., MSA (22.6 percent), Jacksonville, Fla., MSA (19.1 percent) and Detroit, Mich., MSA (18.9 percent) have the highest apartment vacancy rates in the nation.
A Guide to Finding Out More About a Neighborhood
	It's not easy to finding a place to live in a city if you're just moving into the city. I have done this a number of times so I can relate to the difficulties. Here are some ideas that will help you in your search. The suggestions are targeted for living within the city of Portland. A good place to start your search for a rentals is Housing Connections. It has 43,000 plus rental units in its database. Its goal is to bring together people who need low/moderately priced or accessible housing and property managers/owners who have places to rent or sell. Listings are free for landlords. The site contains information on apartments, duplexes and triplexes, condos, and single family houses for rent. Housing Connections covers most of Multnomah County as well as some addresses in Clark County (Vancouver), Washington County, and Clackamas County. Portland Maps Once you have obtain an address from an ad or by searching different rentals Web sites such as Craig's List, visit Portland Maps to learn more about the neighborhood and community. All you have to do is insert the address and you can obtain a wealth of information. Information provided: neighborhood data, crime statistics, aerial photos, elevation, schools, parks, zoning maps, water/sewer, natural hazard, etc. School Report Cards The quality of the schools in a neighborhood will tell you a lot about the neighborhood so make certain you check out the school report card at the Oregon Department of Education Web site. Each property in Portland Maps will show the public schools (elementary, middle, high school) associated with the address. You should also visit The Oregonian's Web site as it has a online reference guide where visitors can search by a number of variable to obtain test scores, federal ratings, school demographics, staffing, and finances. City of Portland Neighborhood Information There are 95 officially recognized Portland, Oregon neighborhoods. Each is represented by a volunteer-based neighborhood association which serves as a liaison between residents of the neighborhood and the city government, as coordinated by the city's Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI). You will find the following at city Web site: directory of contacts for neighborhood association, business district associations, map of the 95 neighborhoods, individual map of each neighborhood association, and links to neighborhood associations Web sites. Public Transportation Visit the Portland area regional transit system called TriMet and use their "Trip Tools" to determine public transportation (MAX Light Rail and Bus) routes and times. Just insert your starting address, destination address, and time you want to travel. Sex Offenders ORS 181.592 authorizes the Oregon State Police to make information about registered sex offenders available to the public. Information is only provided for sex offenders who have been designated as predatory, as provided in ORS 181.585, who have also been determined to present the highest risk of re-offending and to require the widest range of notification; or found to be a sexually violent dangerous offender under ORS 144.635. Visit the public Web site at S ex Offenders Oregon. An address of a property is needed to complete a search. Apartment by Commute Time Walk Score has a new feature on their site that helps you find apartments by commute time. Whether you prefer driving, public transit, walking, or biking, Walk Score can help you find a commute that fits your lifestyle. Enter your work (or school) address, select your preferred mode of transportation, and set the time slider to how long you’re willing to commute. Apartment listings from craigslist are automatically sorted by estimated commute time and can be further filtered by Walk Score, price and size. If the above suggestion are of value to you or if you can suggest improvements, please let me know by emailing me at susan@movingtoportland.net.
Rent or Buy? Map it to Find Out!
	In these uncertain times, people weighing rent vs. buy may find help with heat maps on HotPads. Visitors can create customized, color-coded state and city data maps ranging from population density to per-capita income to median rents. One of the most useful heat maps is the rent ratio, which is an area's median home price divided by the median annual rent. The lower the number -- and the bluer the color on the map -- the better to buy. The higher the number -- and the redder the color -- the better to rent. Green and yellow are in between the extremes. To see how the nation's housing bubble affects your area, HotPads offers what it says are the first interactive maps of the crisis. In the Portland area, foreclosure heat maps color the city mostly blue or green, indicating it has mostly escaped the bubble. Newberg, in contrast, is nearly red, indicating a high foreclosure rate. Heat maps are just one of HotPads' features. Mostly, the site maps the locations of houses and apartments for sale or rent. The New York Times has a tool to break down the rent-buy equation. They used real-estate data to compare two similar houses in the same region — one for sale and one for rent. They tried to take into account all the costs and benefits of owning, including property taxes, the tax deduction for mortgage interest, and condo fees where applicable. You’ll find a list of these factors inside their newly updated interactive calculator for comparing renting and buying. More to the point, the calculator will also let you do your own comparisons. If you’re not up for doing the full calculation, you can fall back on a rough rule of thumb. Take the cost of a house for a sale and divide it by the annual rent for a similar house. If this ratio — which we call the rent ratio — is above 20, you should at least consider renting. If the ratio is well below 20, the case for buying becomes a lot stronger. American Bankers Association tells you what size mortgage you could get if your money were going toward a house payment instead of rent.
Referral Services
	Apartments.com The national site that offers apartments in most USA metro areas including Portland. You have to complete a number of parameters (e.g., size, rent price, location, etc.) before you can obtain any listings. The Apartment Finder Magazine with with a Web site that offers interactive maps, virtual tours, and a map-based keyword search tool. The Apartment Guide You can search by cities within Oregon as well as by zip code. Craig's List National site that posts lists (e.g., services, for sale items, events, etc.) in major metro areas in U.S.A. Usually has over 400 rentals in the Portland Metro area. For Rent Magazine The glossy national "apartment guide" you see at the supermarkets. You can view ads online. Most of the rentals are for larger complexes in the suburbs with only a few in the older Portland neighborhoods. Green Rentals GreenRenter™ is an online directory of "green" or environmentally conscious commercial and residential rental property. GreenRenter™ helps renters find properties that meet their environmental requirements. Property owners with green features can create a building profile. It's fast and free. House for Rent You can search by community or county for homes for rent in Oregon. NW Rental Service NW Rental Service is an apartment finding service for the NW neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. They offer a finder's fee based search to help you find a rental in Northwest Portland. ProRent is a nationwide company using a local apartment locator. Their offer their services FREE OF CHARGE to the renter. You have to complete a long form (e.g., number of bedrooms, price, etc.) before ProRent will provide you rental listings. Rental Ads They have about 600 rentals in the Portland metro area. Rental Data They offer a service that matches renters with landlords based on their area, bedrooms, price, dwelling type and pet preference. Over 4,000 listing in the Portland metro area. Smoke Free Rentals The Portland-Vancouver Metro Area Smokefree Housing Campaign is working with landlords and property managers to encourage them to adopt no-smoking rules for their buildings. This Web site will answer frequently asked questions, show you how to make quick fixes, how to talk to your landlord, describe your rights, and help you find non-smoking housing. Fee Based Service Portland Apartment Finder (PAF) is a fee based service. However, in the event the broker is compensated by the property where you lease, your fee will be refunded (up to the amount broker is compensated). PAF currently offer two levels of service. Please note: PAF is a relocation service − they do not provide listings of apartments or rentals.
Extended Stay Apartments
	A&G Rental Management A&G has a number of units in the downtown area for short-term and long-term rental. One of the buildings is the Harrison Condos which is an ideal location (just south of downtown between 1st and 2nd Avenues on SW Harrison) with the streetcar line running in front of the three buildings. Telephone (503) 241-0676. Bridgestreet Worldwide A corporate housing and furnished apartments company with properties in the US and all around the world. In addition to apartments in the Portland area, Bridgestreet also represents the Kearney Plaza and the Burlington Tower in the Pearl neighborhood. Execustay 222 S.W. Harrison, Suite G02, Portland, OR 97201. Telephone (503) 499-6625 or (206) 889-0866. Fax (503) 499-6626. Execustay, a division of Marriott Hotels, has six locations in the Portland metro area. Oakwood Oakwood is the world's largest rental housing solution company, providing high-quality, furnished and unfurnished accommodations throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. It has over 700 units for rent in the Portland metro area - many are in downtown. Call Mark Holland at (503) 582-9229. Portland Hawthorne Guesthouse There are four guestrooms. Rooms are furnished and carpeted. Linens and towels are included. Each room has a full-size bed, a desk with a chair, a closet and a television set with a DVD player and 70 channels of cable TV. High-speed wireless Internet access is included. The Guesthouse is located at 1235 SE Salmon Street which is just 5-7 minutes from downtown. Relocation Coordinators 7244 S.W. Durham, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97224. Telephone (503) 684-5355. Fax (503) 684-6177. U.S. Suites, Inc. 10220 S.W. Nimbus, Suite K-7, Portland, OR 97223. Telephone (503) 443-2033 or (800) 877-8483. Fax (503) 620-8593.
Property Managers
	American Property Management 2154 N.E. Broadway. Telephone (503) 281-7779. APM offers free apartment information and has more than 300 complexes to choose from. They cover a wide range of neighborhoods in the metro area. Bluestone & Hockley (800) 859-8043 or 503) 222-3800. Office is at 3835 SW Kelly Avenue, Portland, OR 97239-4312. Over 30 years in business and over 1800 residential and commercial management units. Gearin Properties Located in Beaverton. Telephone (503) 626-7544. Home rentals on the west side (SW Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard). College Housing Northwest CHNW is a 501 (C) (3) private, non-profit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon. CHNW provides an educational living environment for students, faculty and staff of PSU and other institutions of higher education. Portland Chapter - NARPM This site is maintained by the Portland Chapter of the National Association of Residential Property Managers. The Greater Portland Chapter represents the management of over 19 property management firms managing over 5,000 housing units in the tri-county area. Free searches for rentals are offered at their Web site. Dwell Management This Portland rental services manages rental properties in and around Portland, Oregon. Rental properties include single bedroom apartments, rowhouses, and large homes. Dwell Management is pet friendly in all of their rental properties. They also manage rental office space. The Management Group (TMG), founded in 1985, is a full service management company for residential and commercial properties, including single family homes, apartment communities, office and retail property. They service the Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon metro areas. You can search for apartments online at their site. Performance Properties Located in 1637 Laurel Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034. Telephone: (503)635-0099. Their tenant screen criteria (credit reports, criminal, civil, rental & employment history) helps finding qualified tenants who will pay rent on time and respect your property.
Downtown Apartments and Condos
	Association for Portland Progress Responsible for promoting downtown living - APP has a page full of rentals. 520 SW Yamhill Street, Suite 1000 Portland, OR 97204. Telephone (503) 224-8684. Fax (503) 323-9186. Mark Spencer A downtown hotel that offers reduced rates for long-term stays. All rooms feature fully equipped kitchens for convenient in-room dining. Walk out the front door of the Mark Spencer and you're on the Portland Streetcar line.
Pearl District Lofts and Condos
	The three buildings below rent lofts in the pearl district: Kearny Plazaza has 131 rental units and is located at 931 NW 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209. They charge $825 a month for a studio apartment to $1,800 a month for a two-bedroom. Telephone (503) 227-5624. Email: kearnyplaza@tcresidential.com Everett Street Lofts has 47 rental units in the Pearl. The building is located at 625 NW Everett Street. Telephone (503) 222-3425. Honeyman Lofts has 89 rental units in the Pearl and prices range from $750 to $2,500 per month for a penthouse loft. Honeyman offers one or two-level units and is located at 555 NW Park Avenue. Telephone (503) 294-0478. Portland Lofts is a source for finding a rental loft. It has listings of properties for sale along with a rare rental. The site has photo links to some of the loft buildings so you can get a "rough idea" of the building from the exterior. Some floor plans are also available online.
Pearl District Apartments
	10@Hoyt Atlanta-based Trammell Crow Residential, in partnership with Vancouver-based C.E. John Company, was the first to build apartments in the Pearl in 2003. Size: 550 to 1,000 square feet. Features: Durable light-gauge steel construction, business center and fitness center. Contact information: (503) 283-5365. Burlington Tower Prendergast and Associates constructed a 155 unit, 10-story building in 2004. It includes one retail floor. See their Web site for more information at www.pearlblock.com. Size: 600 to 2,200 square feet. Features: Across from Jamison Square Park, good views, library, and fitness center. Contact information: info@pearlblock.com South Pearl Gerding/Edlen Development got into the apartment business with this 250 unit, 16-story building located in the Brewery Blocks in 2005. It includes one retail floor. Gerding/Edlen developed The Henry, a high-rise condo in the Pearl that is also located in the Brewery Blocks. Read an overview of the Brewery Blocks. Size: 625 to 1,506 square feet Features: This tall Pearl District apartment building offers some excellent views. Contact information: (503) 525-4995.
Northwest District/Nob Hill Apartments
	Best Portland Rentals has numerous multi-family building in Northwest District (Nob Hill) as well as one unit in Johns Landing. Address: PO Box 10559 Portland, OR 97296-0559. Telephone: (503) 274-4066. Park 19 The building opened in the summer of 2009 and they are located on NW 19th at Hoyt/Glisan.
Pet Friendly Rentals
	Craigs List You can search for apartments in the Portland metro area that allow dogs and cats. Oregon Humane Society The OHS Web site has a link to "Pet-friendly rental properties in the Portland, OR area." The listings includes the name of the rental, address, telephone number, map, and the type of pets allows. Portland Pooch The Web site has a list of apartments (over 300) in the metro area that welcome pets. It also a resource for other pet related items such as hotels/motels that accept pets, boarding of pets, training, vets, etc.
Search the Newspapers Online
	OregonLive This sites is affiliated with The Oregonian (state's largest newspaper). You can search for all types of rentals. Portland Tribune Portland's free publication is on the newsstands every Tuesday and Thursday. They have a few rental properties listed. Willamette Weekly Alternative tabloid-style newspaper published weekly. They have a rental search capability on their Web site.
Apartment Ratings
	ApartmentRatings.com exists to help renters share their renting experiences and give apartment hunters the information necessary to make an informed renting decision. You can search by city or Zip Code. Opinions from renters (and previous renters) are offered as well as pricing reports. The site gives an overall score (percentage of people recommending the building) and ratings are based on the following with scores for each (1 - 5 with one being the lowest) item: Parking Maintenance Construction Noise Grounds Safety
Housing Connections: Search the Web
	Housing Connections has 43,000 plus rental units in its database. Its goal is to bring together people who need low/moderately priced or accessible housing and property managers/owners who have places to rent or sell. Listings are free for landlords. The site contains information on apartments, duplexes and triplexes, condos, and single family houses for rent. Housing Connections covers most of Multnomah County as well as some addresses in Clark County (Vancouver), Washington County, and Clackamas County. The Web site is the result of two years of work led by the Portland Bureau of Housing and Community Development. It contains information on some 19,000 rental units and many of these are publicly subsidized. Many of the units do not have income eligibility requirements. For those that do, the site provides an Affordability Calculator to help you determine your eligibility.
Oregon Housing and Community Services
	Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is the State of Oregon's housing finance agency, providing financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of lower and moderate income. OHCS also administers federal and state antipoverty, homeless and energy assistance, and community service programs. The Consolidated Funding Cycle (CFC) application is an open, competitive process to efficiently distribute limited grant and tax credit funds for affordable, multi-unit, rental housing development. Applications are accepted twice a year, during the Spring and Fall cycles.