For Tenants
Are you looking for a great rental? We would love to be your next property manager!
We specialize in servicing high-quality homes here in the beautiful City of Portland, west of 122nd Ave, reaching as far as Beaverton, Milwaukie & Lake Oswego, West Linn and Gladstone.
Renters interested in long-term rental solutions (12+ months) can find a mix of single-family homes, small apartment communities, townhomes, ADUs and privately owned condos in the Living Room rental portfolio. Let us help you find your next living room.
Tenant Portal
Did you know that you can pay your rent online? It’s fast, easy, and secure, so why wait? Below, you’ll find some information on everything the Tenant Portal has to offer.
Benefits
Once you’ve signed up, you can:
- Make easy online rent payments, including the ability to schedule autopay.
- Access to an online ledger and your history of payments
- Submit a service request
- Submit a notice to vacate
- View copies of lease documents, house rules and related addenda
- Submit a secure request to the leasing team
- Purchase or update information on renter’s insurance
- View copies of inspection reports taken before, and after the tenancy
Convenience
Have you ever looked at a calendar and suddenly realized that your rent was due that day? We make it easy to pay online. You can even schedule a payment in advance so your rent is paid automatically.
Security
Your information is password protected and all transactions are both encrypted and securely transmitted.
Our Rental Listings
Ready to make a move? Browse our available rentals on the map below. You can also search a particular area of town or filter by useful criteria like number of bedrooms — even pet policy. You can schedule a showing or apply online when you’re ready.
Applicant & Tenant Resources
Rental Application Forms
Modification & Accommodation Request
Frequently Asked Questions
Moving Out
Log into your Appfolio Tenant Portal, follow the Contact Us menu, and select “Request Notice to Vacate”
Living Room tenants vacating a home in good condition are typically granted the option to buy out of their fixed-term lease agreement with an early termination fee equal to 1.5 times the monthly rent. Paragraph 4, Section B of the rental agreement may be activated if the home is left in poor condition and requires heavy amounts of work before it can be leased to a new tenant. This option may also change if your rental agreement was transferred to Living Room from the owner or another property manager mid-tenancy. Please contact your Portfolio Manager to confirm the buyout options available to you.
Tenants must return one full set of keys/fobs to the Living Room headquarters located at 421 SE 10th Ave, Portland, off SE 10th & Stark (drop-off service is not available at other Living Room locations). Keys should be placed in envelopes or plastic baggies and labeled with the tenant’s last name. For security reasons we ask that you do not include the address with the keys. Additional keys, large remotes, parking permits, storage keys, etc to be left on the kitchen counter. The office staff is available Monday – Thursday between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Friday from 9 AM – Noon. An after-hours mail slot is also available to ensure timely return. Rent will be billed until keys have been received and all items removed from the home. To confirm an alternative method of delivery, contact your assigned portfolio manager.
The move-out inspection is a review and documentation of the condition of the home as received by Living Room from the exiting tenant. It will not reflect any final charges as it will capture basic wear and tear along with conditions of the home that existed prior to the tenant’s occupancy. The team member completing the inspection is not authorized to detail final charges or issue security deposit refund checks during this inspection.
Your deposit will be allocated to unpaid rent, fees, cleaning, utilities, and damages as permitted by law. A check for the remaining balance will be mailed to the forwarding address you provided within 31 days of the vacancy of the home. If you would like your deposit electronically deposited, please contact accounting@livingroomrentals.com to make the request. If the deposit fails to cover these amounts due in full, the remaining balance will be invoiced and due within 34 days of billing.
It is your responsibility to contact each utility company that directly bills you to remove your name from the account. If your utility bill is managed by Living Room and added to your Living Room tenant ledger each month, there is no further action needed once you have formally issued your notice to vacate. Utilities should not be disconnected sooner than the set move-out date. Living Room does not provide refunds for utility accounts that are not properly turned over. Don’t forget your Internet service too.
Best practice is to communicate directly with all of your creditors, medical providers, subscriptions, and family/friends. You will also want to contact the US Post Office to request mail forwarding service for items accidentally delivered to your rental home. A forwarding address should also be shared with your Portfolio Manager to ensure deposits are returned timely.
If it becomes necessary to change your scheduled move-out date, please contact your Portfolio Manager right away. Changes to your move-out date are often granted if there is no interference with vendor scheduling or the new resident’s scheduled move-in dates. All changes must be in writing and approved by management. Management may choose not to extend or cancel a scheduled move-out under circumstances of adverse rental history or at the property owner’s request.
Many of our condo rentals are managed by an HOA and require tenants to schedule their move-out 7-15 days in advance. To avoid HOA fines it is the outgoing tenant’s responsibility to schedule the physical move-out with the HOA for permissions needed to schedule moving trucks, street access, freight elevator, etc. If you are unsure who to contact, please reach out to contact your Portfolio Manager for information.
If the home utilizes oil heat, it is the outgoing tenant’s responsibility to refill the tank to pre-move-in levels prior to moving out.
Adding and/or Removing a Tenant
In most cases, the answer is yes. With good rental history, newly verified income that meets the screening requirements and the property owner’s approval to make mid-tenancy changes, we can offer tenants the option to make a lease change.
1) Request a copy of the Tenant Add/Remove Request form from your Portfolio Manager. Review the terms with all incoming and outgoing housemates.
2) Sign and submit the Tenant Add/Remove Request form to your Portfolio Manager, who will work with the property owner on approval to make the requested change.
3) Upon owner approval, tenants would pay a $250 change fee and submit updated income verification (pay stubs) to the Portfolio Manager. This verifies that those remaining on the lease meet the income requirements without the outgoing tenant’s contribution.
4) Once step three is verified, all tenants will receive an e-sign document to formally release the housemate from the lease. All parties will need to e-sign the document, including the outgoing tenant.
5) Tenants will be asked to submit an updated renter’s insurance policy, naming all current tenants.
6) A copy of the document will be shared with the tenant portal to confirm the release from all damages, rights to the security deposit on hand, and future rental terms.
1) Request a copy of the Tenant Add/Remove Request form from your Portfolio Manager. Review the terms with all incoming and outgoing housemates. All current tenants must agree to the addition of the new housemate.
2) Sign and submit the Tenant Add/Remove Request form to your Portfolio Manager, who will work with the property owner on approval to make the requested change.
3) Upon owner approval, tenants would pay a $250 change fee and submit updated income verification (pay stubs) to the Portfolio Manager. This verifies that those remaining + plus the newly added tenant, meet the income requirements.
4) All new housemates will receive an emailed invitation to submit an application to Pacific Screening and complete a Pet Screening profile.
5) Once the tenant has been fully screened, meets the screening criteria, and all income has been verified, an e-signature document to add the new roommate will be sent and finalized once all signatures have been collected.
6) Tenants will be asked to submit an updated renter’s insurance policy, naming all current tenants.
Outgoing housemates who exit separately from the household forfeit access to the security deposit held by Living Room. All reimbursements must be taken up in the household and negotiated outside of the funds withheld by the landlord.
There are instances when removing or adding a housemate will change the original approval, requiring the household to pay an additional security deposit. Security deposits will never exceed more than 1.5 times the monthly rent.
Typically, no. Assessing damages while the home is occupied is not ideal. Some property owners will ask us to complete a mid-tenancy condition report that could bring to light damages but we do not consider these conclusive results due to the inability to see the home in it entirety.
If a new roommate is denied tenancy through the screening process, they will be asked to vacate. Unauthorized tenants can result in lease violations, penalties and termination of tenancy as a whole.
By adding your name to an existing lease, you are taking responsibility for the condition of the home as compared to it’s condition when the original tenant moved in. You are also accepting the current lease terms and addenda. It is encouraged that you ask the current tenants to review their copies of the lease and initial move in conditions reports so you are fully aware of your responsibilities. You should be prepared to submit your own renter’s insurance policy if you are unable to be added to the policy in place.
Living Room does not allow for a full lease takeover. To maintain continuity and accountability under the lease agreement, at least one original leaseholder must remain on the lease either until the property is fully vacated or for a minimum of six (6) months following the addition of a new occupant—whichever occurs first.
Renewing Your Lease
If the property owner chooses to extend a renewal offer, you will typically receive it at least 90 days prior to your current lease expiration.
Your current lease, at the current rate, will automatically convert to a month-to-month agreement.
You’re welcome to contact your Portfolio Manager to request different terms. Your Portfolio Manager will work directly with the property owner on any adjustments. Common requests include a more convenient lease end date or a negotiated rate.
Each property is privately owned, and every owner has their own investment goals. Owners may make reasonable accommodations based on current market conditions. Owners are most likely to consider adjustments when a tenancy has been in good standing — on-time rent history, a well-maintained home, and no lease violations all go a long way. Most property owners would genuinely prefer to keep great tenants and will do their best to make it work.
In some cases, an owner may offer a renewal rate above the current market. This is a reflection of their investment goals, not a reflection of you as a renter. If an owner needs above-market returns to make continued rental ownership worthwhile, that’s a business decision on their end — and not personal to you as a tenant.
If you’re considering giving notice based solely on renewal terms, please reach out to your Portfolio Manager first. It’s not a guarantee that adjustments will be made, but we’d love to do everything we can to keep great tenants in their homes.
Reach out to your Portfolio Manager — they may be able to share information or advocate with the property owner on your behalf.
In some cases, the owner prefers to keep the tenancy flexible if they have plans to reclaim possession of the home. More commonly, owners don’t feel obligated to extend a new lease term because market conditions don’t call for it, or they want to offer tenants the flexibility of staying without the commitment of a new term.
It’s important to start this process at least 30 days before your lease ends to allow enough time for the approval process outlined in the Add/Remove Tenant section of this FAQ.
Waiting until the last minute may result in your lease rolling over to a month-to-month agreement. If that month-to-month rate is higher, you’ll absorb that rate until the approval process is complete.
A term lease is a mutual commitment — you promise to stay for a set period, and in exchange, you receive a lower rate. If the term isn’t honored, a lease-break fee equal to 1.5 times one month’s rent applies.
A month-to-month agreement gives you the flexibility to give 30-day notice at any time, but that flexibility comes at a cost to the property owner, who may face unexpected vacancy — especially outside of leasing season. The higher rate is the premium you pay for that flexibility. Think of it this way: instead of paying a lease-break fee if your plans change, you pay a slightly higher rate each month and keep your options open.
Your tenancy will automatically convert to month-to-month. If a premium rate was assigned to the month-to-month offer, you’ll likely absorb that rate for the first month.
If you’d prefer to lock in a term lease at the lower rate, contact your Portfolio Manager as soon as possible — they can request an extension from the property owner and get you converted back to the term offer.
Yes — if you are accepting a new term lease (i.e., a 12-month lease), all adult occupants listed on the lease will need to e-sign a new lease packet. Any missing signatures will result in the tenancy automatically converting to month-to-month. Documents are sent via email through Appfolio, the same system that powers your tenant portal.
We’d love to have you! Contact your Portfolio Manager to schedule a time to sign in person at our office:
421 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Because our team is often out in the field, scheduling ahead ensures the right people and documents are ready when you arrive.
Yes. Fair Housing laws require us to apply occupancy and screening standards consistently for all occupants 18 and older, regardless of their financial contribution to the household. All occupants 18 and older must complete a rental application and be added to the lease as a tenant.
In Portland, a dependent who is not financially responsible for the rent or household income qualification can apply as a Non-Financially Responsible Tenant. They will still need to meet basic screening criteria — criminal background and eviction history — but we won’t require proof of income or a full credit review.
The upside? Once they’re on the lease, they start building rental history — and that’s a meaningful head start when they go out into the world and apply for their first home on their own.
Questions? Reach out to your Portfolio Manager — we’re here to help.
Application Screening
At Living Room, we don’t use the cosigner or guarantor model. Instead, anyone who agrees to be financially responsible for a tenancy is added directly to the rental agreement as a tenant, even if they will not reside in the home. We’ve found this works better for everyone — it gives that person the same access, rights, and communication as the occupying tenants, and creates a cleaner relationship all around.
That means they’ll complete a standard rental application, sign all the same lease documents, and be included on occupancy notifications—service requests, violation notices, notices of entry, and renewal offers. They’ll also receive access to the tenant portal and can contribute directly to the rent account.
One important note: even though this person likely won’t be living in the home, they will still count toward the occupancy total. This matters when determining occupancy limits or if the home’s utility charges are based on the number of occupants.
We accept several forms of documentation for self-employed applicants and gig workers. You’re welcome to submit any of the following:
Bank statements — A minimum of three consecutive months of recent statements, submitted as full PDF documents that include your name, reporting dates, and the last four digits of the account number. Documents go through a fraud review, so please make sure nothing is redacted. Average monthly income is calculated based on total deposits. If your income has seasonal highs and lows, submitting more than three months can work in your favor.
Tax documents — Any of the following are accepted: your most recent federal tax return (1040 with all schedules, particularly Schedule C for sole proprietors), IRS tax transcripts, or 1099 forms from clients or platforms.
Profit & loss statement paired with bank statements — A P&L prepared or reviewed by a CPA, submitted alongside bank statements, often gives the most accurate picture of take-home income — especially when business deductions make tax returns look lower than your actual earnings.
If your bank statements are in your business name rather than your personal name, we’ll ask for a current business license and a Secretary of State business registry printout showing you as the registered owner or agent. Both are straightforward to obtain and easy to verify.