Tenants union urges rent rollbacks, fines and audits after alleging hundreds of rent‑control violations at two Portland buildings

Trelawny Tenants Union representatives and dozens of tenants pressed the Portland Rent Board on May 28 to hold landlord Jeffrey Rice and his management company accountable for repeated rent‑control violations at multiple properties, particularly 655 Congress Street (the Trelawny) and 59 State Street.

The union, represented by Ethan Strimling (organizer) and other members, told the board it had found “more than 230 violations” across Rice‑related properties and alleged at least 164 violations at the two buildings that are the immediate focus of the hearing. “From what we know, among his many properties, he’s overcharged tenants at least $330,000 just in the documented cases we know about,” said Abigail (Trelawny Tenants Union organizer). The union asked the board to roll rents back at the affected properties to December 2022 levels, to forfeit any banked allowable rent taken since then, to impose fines (the union proposed $250 per violation), to order a full audit of 59 State Street and to schedule…