The City of Portland's ombudsman has recommended that city leaders relax penalties for certain short-term rentals. The ombudsman, part of the office of City Auditor Simone Rede, argued that large fines and no-warning approach for first-time violators are disproportionate, particularly compared to other cities. This comes after Portland was plagued by unlicensed short term rentals, operators who ignored limits on their rentals, and a dispute with platforms like Airbnb over data sharing. Portland Planning & Development has increased its enforcement activity over the past two years but has moved too far in the opposite direction, according to the ombudsman's report. The recommendations for simplifying enforcement and reducing maximum fines were made.