Landlord Compensation Fund

The Landlord Compensation Program has ended and is closed at this time.

Oregon's Landlord Compensation Fund (LCF) Program was designed to provide relief to residential landlords who have been unable to collect rent due to tenant hardships. During the Third Special Session of 2020, the Oregon Legislature enacted an eviction moratorium and established the Landlord Compensation Fund (HB 4401). The Legislature allocated $200 million in rent assistance to support tenants and landlords, which includes $150 million for the Landlord Compensation Fund. This program was designed to provide relief to landlords who have tenants living in their homes who have been unable to pay rent at any point since April 2020 due to a financial hardship. The program will also eliminate the rent owed for those tenants experiencing a hardship. Learn more about the Landlord Compensation Fund.

Overpayment Reconciliation - For Landlords

To provide immediate relief, a program was established quickly which necessitated that lengthy program review measures be implemented after program close in June 2021. As part of the LCF program review process, OHCS is contacting landlords who received an overpayment of compensation. This may have been due to duplicate applications covering the same debt, compensation for ineglible items, an application error or some other reason that was a cause for an incorrect reimbursement.

A very small percentage of landlords received overpayment. If you did not receive an email or letter from OHCS, you do not have to do anything. For those who did receive an email or letter, please see more information below.

Overpayment Codes

Downloadable document: Overpayment Codes

As part of our compliance process, OHCS has identified a number of payments made through the Landlord Compensation Fund application process that appear to be duplicative, ineligible for payment or appear to have been requested in error. Below are some of the most common reasons that OHCS has determined an overpayment exists.

Repayment Code #1 - A duplication of benefits is evident – This can include, but is not limited to, any of the following:

The application(s) submitted includes multiple rounds covering the same applicant with months that overlap.
There are multiple applications covering the same property for the same round and/or months.
The same tenant and/or months appear on multiple applications at the same property or multiple times on the same application.

Repayment Code #2 - An ineligible payment was made – This can include, but is not limited, to any of the following:

The application included utility costs which were statutorily not eligible for program relief.
The Applicant was a family member of the tenant which was statutorily ineligible unless a Reasonable Accommodation was requested and approved.
The owner applied for themselves
The Applicant included tenants without a documented Declaration of Hardship form which was statutorily required.
The application requested rent relief for months not covered by the program.
A request was made for commercial property (only residential property was eligible for LCF).

Repayment Code #3 - Application Error - This can include, but is not limited, to any of the following:

The information provided on the rent roll or the tenant ledger did not align with the funding request.
Applicant made an error in the system and the request did not match the tenant amount owed
Tenant moved out or was not in the unit during months requested in the application.

Repayment Code #4 - Other – This can include, but is not limited to, any of the following:

OHCS has evidence of duplicate assistance received by the tenant from another rent assistance program covering the same time period.
Applicant has self-reported an overpayment of some kind

This list is not all encompassing but will be inclusive of nearly all overpayment requests.

FAQ

Why did I receive this e-mail or letter?

We received an application from you for reimbursement from the Landlord Compensation Fund in 2021 and compensation was issued for rental debts owed by tenants during the eligible program period. A post-program review of your application has indicated an overpayment was made. The email or letter you received signifies the amount of the overpayment and the reimbursement the State of Oregon is requiring be repaid as a result of this overpayment.

What is the Landlord Compensation Fund?

The Landlord Compensation Fund was a fund created in a Special Session of the Legislature in 2020 through House Bill 4401. It allowed for payment of unpaid rental debt from April 1, 2020, through June of 2021 for tenants that signed a Declaration of Financial Hardship. Applications were made through Oregon Housing & Community Services' Landlord Compensation Fund Program and paid out accordingly.

What is an Overpayment?

An overpayment is compensation received from the Landlord Compensation Fund that was duplicative, ineligible, received in error or for some reason should not have been paid to the applicant. Examples include multiple requests for the same month of rent owed from the same tenant or including utility expenses in your application as utility expenses were not eligible under program rules. Please see the Overpayment Explanation Form sent with the mailed copy of your letter or linked to your e-mailed correspondence.

Why am I receiving this notice now?

The LCF program was set up quickly to respond to the immediate needs of the community at that time. Due to the emergency nature of the program, measures to assure quality control and compliance with program rules were conducted after the program ended. Because of the number of applications and complexity of the program, which included multiple phases and multiple legislative measures, it has taken OHCS some time to complete its compliance reviews.

What was the specific issue associated with my application to cause the overpayment?

The reasons for the overpayment designation vary. However, OHCS has grouped them broadly to assist you in determining why your application was determined to have received an overpayment reimbursement. Please refer to your letter in the middle section of page 1. You should find a code associated with your overpayment. You can use this code to refer to the Overpayment Explanation Form that would have accompanied your mailed letter or linked to your email version of the letter. If you need more information or disagree with this determination, send an e-mail with documentation to HCS.LCFSupport@hcs.oregon.gov. Please be specific about why you disagree with the overpayment assessment.

How long do I have to repay my overpayment?

90 days from the day you were notified. This information is also on your invoice.

Are there any circumstances in which I would not have to make this repayment?

OHCS is a steward of public funds and takes this role very seriously. However, if there are special circumstances in which repayment of this overpayment would cause you a hardship, you are welcome to request that OHCS consider these circumstances. To make this request, the best way is to send an email explanation of this hardship to HCS.LCFsupport@hcs.oregon.gov. If you are unable to do this, we may also take this information from you over the phone at 1-888-491-3635. Please note that phone lines will only be open for a short period of time.

Why did this letter or e-mail come to me?

You are listed on the LCF application as the Landlord and/or Owner of the property that received LCF funds.

What is the process for nonpayment?

OHCS will refer overpayment's that are not returned to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) for additional collection efforts or to the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) as policy and procedures require.

Questions?

General Questions

Email:HCS.LCFsupport@hcs.Oregon.gov

Call: 1-888-491-3635 or 503-498-6594

Customer service staff are on hand to provide support Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Need a Reasonable Accommodation?

Please click here to learn more about and request a Reasonable Accommodation.