Portland council passes resolution requesting that staff fully enforce rent control

Portland City Council Approves Resolution to Tighten Rent‑Control Enforcement

Portland, Maine – September 15, 2026
In a tightly‑voted session Wednesday, the Portland City Council adopted a resolution that calls for a sweeping overhaul of the city’s rent‑control enforcement system. The measure, drafted by the Portland Tenants Union, directs city staff to verify the base rents established under the 2020 rent‑control ordinance, create an online rental‑registration database that flags incomplete or inaccurate listings, and push the housing and economic‑development committee toward ordinance amendments that could impose mandatory fines on landlords who violate the law.

The vote, which passed 7‑2, saw the resolution amended by Councilor Kate Sykes. Sykes removed language she said was “not grounded in fact,” including provisions that would have mandated fees for no‑cause evictions. Mayor Mark Dion and Councilor Regina Phillips were the only members to oppose the final version.

Why the push for stronger enforcement

The city’s rent‑control ordinance was approved by voters in 2020 and capped rent increases at 1.5% annually, with a 3.5% “summer spike” for the months of July through September. Since then, tenants have reported illegal rent hikes and other violations that push renters out of their homes.

“Tenant protections exist to shield us from rent gouging and exploitation of our basic need for housing, yet here we are six years after we voted on rent control, still waiting to see it put into full effect,” said Selene Geisler, a Portland Tenants Union member.

Union representative Griffin Sinclair‑Wingate echoed that sentiment. “These are simple solutions that will help stop illegal rent increases before they happen,” he said.

The resolution also asks the city’s housing and economic‑development committee to advance ordinance changes that would make penalties for non‑compliance more predictable and enforceable.

Landlord concerns

Many landlords opposed the way the proposal was presented, arguing that the process was “far from democratic.” Executive director of the Rental Housing Alliance of Southern Maine, Sara McKee, said, “This is not how housing policy should be made.”

Owners who have struggled with the ordinance’s ambiguities also weighed in. Lou Simms, who rents out a three‑bedroom house on Brighton Avenue, recounted a costly mistake that could have left him liable for $14,000 in back rent. “This ordinance exposes every landlord to enormous financial risk,” Simms warned. “There’s no incentive for people to do it.”

Despite these fears, some landlords believe the changes could reduce inadvertent violations. “The language proposed would prevent those types of mistakes from happening, and that landlords should welcome the changes,” said union member Bradley Davis.

The council’s debate

The council chamber was packed on Wednesday, with more than a dozen tenants union members sporting colored T‑shirts and a handful of landlords in attendance. Mayor Dion originally wanted to send the resolution to the housing and economic‑development committee rather than bring it to a floor vote, but the motion failed 4‑5.

Councilor Wes Pelletier, who helped craft the 2022 rent‑control referendum, argued that the city has been able to ask landlords for information not expressly required by law. “It’s a savvy political move to not enforce a law and then say ‘what a mess’ five years later,” Pelletier said. “If staff wanted this to happen, it could happen.”

Dion sharply disagreed, saying he “strenuously” objected to Pelletier’s characterization of the staff’s role.

Other councilors noted the importance of including landlords in drafting any changes. Ben Grant said the resolution’s presentation set a bad precedent for future business. Pelletier, however, maintained that if the council cannot implement the needed reforms, voters may return the issue to the ballot.

Implementation challenges

City Manager Danielle West said the resolution’s requests would require the city to collect data that is currently not mandated by code. “Enforcing the city’s ordinance in court has been extremely difficult,” West noted. She also said a consultant would need to be hired to build the online database.

City attorney Michael Goldman warned that some of the ordinance’s provisions cannot be altered until late 2027, due to a five‑year pause that follows a referendum. “Some of the ordinance provisions will not be changeable until late 2027,” Goldman said.

The resolution instructs staff to make the proposed operational changes by July of next year. Whether the city can legally compel landlords to provide the requested data remains a question that will likely be tested in the coming months.

Looking ahead

The resolution underscores the tension between tenants who are still waiting for effective enforcement of rent‑control protections and landlords who fear punitive repercussions for inadvertent mistakes. As Portland’s council moves forward with the plan, the city will need to navigate legal, fiscal, and procedural hurdles to bring the ordinance’s intent into reality.

For now, the resolution has set the city’s rent‑control enforcement on a new path—one that seeks to protect both renters and landlords by tightening data verification, streamlining compliance, and making penalties clear. Whether the proposed changes will ultimately hold up in court or gain the necessary support from all stakeholders remains to be seen.