Oregon Landlord-Tenant Law 

Oregon is considered a tenant-friendly state, with some of the strongest renter protections in the country. The state enforces statewide rent control, requires notice periods for rent increases, and limits the grounds for eviction in many cases. These laws can make Oregon a very complex environment for landlords to navigate, which is why we are here to cover them in this article.

Oregon’s rental laws can be found in the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS Chapter 90), but this article provides a simplified summary for practical use. Be aware that laws are subject to change, and the summary here is not exhaustive. For specific legal concerns or disputes, consult a qualified real estate attorney in Oregon.

Disclaimer: Innago does not provide legal advice. The content and materials provided in this article are for general informational purposes only and many not be the most up-to-date information.

Oregon Quick Facts

Rights and Responsibilities of Oregon Landlords and Tenants

Oregon landlords and tenants each have specific rights and responsibilities under the law. For example, landlords must provide housing that meets health and safety standards, and tenants are expected to pay rent on time and maintain the premises.

Most of these rights and responsibilities are defined in the lease agreement, but they are only enforceable if they comply with Oregon’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (ORS Chapter 90). Violating these laws can result in legal consequences for either party.

Below is a brief overview of the key rights and responsibilities for landlords and tenants in Oregon:

Oregon landlords have the right to:

• Collect rent as agreed in the lease or rental agreement.
• Screen tenants based on income, credit history, and rental references (but not based on protected class status).
• Require a security deposit, subject to disclosure and return requirements.
• Enter the rental unit with at least 24 hours’ notice for repairs, inspections, or showings.
• Evict tenants for nonpayment of rent, lease violations, or other legal grounds following proper notice and court procedures.
• Set lease terms regarding pets, guests, and smoking, as long as they do not violate fair housing laws or local ordinances.

Oregon landlords are responsible for:

• Providing and maintaining a habitable dwelling, including plumbing, heating, hot water, and weatherproofing.
• Making timely repairs after receiving notice from tenants, especially those affecting health or safety.
• Complying with all state codes and local building and housing codes.
• Returning the security deposit (not including lawful deductions) within 31 days after the tenancy ends.
• Providing written disclosures, including notice of rights, smoke alarm information, and lead-based paint.
• Following non-retaliation rules and fair housing laws.
• Giving written notice before rent increases by at least 90 days for month-to-month tenancies.

Oregon tenants have the right to:

• Live in safe, habitable housing that meets building and health codes.
• Receive written notice of landlord entry by at least 24 hours prior, except in emergencies.
• File a complaint or request repairs without facing retaliation or eviction.
• Use remedies such as repair and deduct or rent withholding if the landlord fails to fix serious habitability issues.
• Receive a written notice before rent increases or eviction actions.
• Have access to essential services like heat, hot water, and functioning plumbing.
• Take legal action if the landlord violates Oregon law or lease terms.

Oregon tenants are responsible for:

• Paying rent on time and as agreed in the lease.
• Keeping the rental unit clean and free from damage beyond normal wear and tear.
• Notifying the landlord of necessary repairs or hazardous conditions.
• Respecting the terms of the lease, including rules about pets, smoking, and occupancy.
• Not engaging in illegal activity on the property.
• Avoiding interference with neighbors' peaceful enjoyment of their homes.
• Providing proper notice before ending the tenancy (typically 30 days for month-to-month leases).

Oregon Required Disclosures

Required disclosures are pieces of information that Oregon landlords must provide to tenants before or at the start of a lease. These disclosures help ensure transparency and protect tenants’ rights by outlining important details about the property, rental policies, and potential hazards.

Below are some of the most important disclosures Oregon landlords are legally obligated to provide:

• Lead-based paint (Title X, Section 1018). Landlords in all 50 states must include information about lead-based paint hazards in the rental agreements for most properties built before 1978. Sellers and landlords must distribute an EPA-approved information pamphlet called “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home” and disclose any known lead hazards in the property. These obligations were established by Section 1018 of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992.
• Security Deposit Receipt (ORS § 90.300(2)(a)). Landlords in Oregon must provide their tenants with a receipt for the security deposit.
• Rental Application Fee (ORS § 90.295(3)). Oregon landlords may not charge a rental application fee unless they disclose the following before accepting the payment: the amount of the charge, the screening criteria, the applicant screening process, the applicant’s right to dispute the accuracy of a screening report, the tenant’s right to appeal a negative outcome (if one exists), any nondiscrimination policy, the amount of rent and any deposits, and whether the landlord requires tenants to purchase renter’s insurance.
• Pending Legal Actions (ORS § 90.310). If any pending legal actions apply to a dwelling unit less than four dwelling units, the landlord must disclose that circumstance in writing before signing the lease. “Pending legal actions” include an outstanding notice of a default under a trust deed, mortgage, etc.; a pending suit to foreclose a mortgage; a pending declaration of forfeiture; or a proceeding to foreclose a tax lien. If a tenant chooses to move as a result of one of the above circumstances that the landlord did not disclose, the tenant may recover twice the actual damages or monthly rent, whichever is greater, in addition to all prepaid rent.
• Shared Utilities (ORS § 90.315). If utility services benefit the landlord or other tenants, the landlord must disclose this in writing before the start of the tenancy. Utility charges for common areas must be described in the written rental agreement separately from the charges for the tenant’s individual unit.
• Recycling (ORS § 90.318). For cities or counties within cities that have multifamily recycling services, landlords who own more than five units must notify new tenants of the opportunity to recycle before the start of the tenancy. At least once a year, landlords should send a recycling notice with a description of the location of the receptacles on the premises, including information about how to recycle.
• Smoking Policy (ORS § 479.305). All residential rental agreements must include a disclosure of the premises’ smoking policy. If smoking is only permitted in limited areas, the tenant policy disclosure must identify these areas.
• Carbon Monoxide Alarms (ORS § 90.317). Landlords should provide all new tenants with carbon monoxide alarm testing instructions.
• Smoke Alarms and Detectors (ORS § 479.270). Landlords in Oregon must provide all new tenants a written notice with instructions for testing smoke alarms and detectors. This notice should be sent prior to when the tenant takes possession of the premises.
• Flood Zones (ORS § 90.228). If a unit is located within a 100-year flood plain, the landlord must notify tenants of this fact in the rental agreement. If the landlord fails to do so and the tenant suffers an uninsured loss due to flooding, the tenant may recover actual damages or two months’ rent, whichever is less.
• Renter’s Insurance (ORS § 90.510(1)(n)). Landlords in Oregon must provide a written statement to prospective and existing tenants disclosing any requirement to purchase renter’s liability insurance. Renter’s insurance policies are regulated by ORS § 90.527.
• Payments for Homeowner Assessments (ORS § 90.302). Landlords may charge a fee for a homeowner assessment if the landlord specifies the assessment requirement in the written rental agreement at the start of the tenancy.

Additional Reading: Oregon Residential Lease Agreement

Oregon Rent and Fees

Oregon has statewide rent control. Landlords in the state are limited with regards to how much they can increase rent and they must follow the procedures specified below. They are also responsible a range of other laws regulating rent payments, late fees, and tenant remedies. For example, Oregon also enforces a statewide mandatory grace period and late fee maximum.

Below are the most important rent and fee laws Oregon landlords should understand.

Rent Payments

• Rent Due Date: There is no statute in Oregon specifying when rent should be due. 
• Rent Increases: Oregon was the first state in the country to enact statewide rent control. In Oregon, landlords may not raise rent by more than 7%, plus inflation, each year (Senate Bill 608). The maximum annual rent increase accounting for inflation is published by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis each year. The maximum rent increase rate in 2023 is 14.6%.
• Grace Period: 4 days (ORS § 90.260(1)(a)).

Fees

• Late Fees: Landlords in Oregon may charge a reasonable fee for late rent. The amount of the fee may either be 1) a reasonable flat amount charged once per rental period, 2) A reasonable amount charged on a per-day basis less than 6% of the flat fee, or 3) 5% of monthly rent, charged once for each subsequent 5-day period that rent is late until the tenant pays rent (ORS § 90.260(2)).
• Application Fees: Oregon landlords may charge a rental application fee equal to the actual cost of tenant screening or the “customary amount charged by tenant screening companies or consumer credit reporting agencies for a comparable level of screening” (ORS § 90.295(2)). 
• NSF/Bounced Check Fee Maximum: If the tenant’s rent check bounces, the landlord may charge a fee of $35 (ORS § 30.701(5)).

Tenant Remedies

• Withholding Rent/Repair and Deduct: If a landlord fails to make repairs or supply essential services, the tenant must first notify the landlord and wait a reasonable time. If the landlord fails to remedy the condition within a reasonable time, the tenant may arrange for the repair and deduct the cost from rent (for “minor habitability defects” that cost less than $300), recover damages based on the diminution in the fair rental value of the unit, or, if the unit is rendered unsafe, may find comparable substitute housing and cease rent payments (ORS § 90.365, 90.368). 

Oregon Security Deposits

Oregon law grants landlords flexibility when collecting and managing security deposits, but certain rules still apply. Landlords must follow strict guidelines regarding how and when deposits are returned, and they must provide itemized statements for any deductions.

Below is an overview of Oregon’s security deposit regulations:

• Deposit Limit: There is no limit on security deposit amounts in Oregon. 
• Interest: Landlords in Oregon are not required to pay interest on security deposits. 
• Return Within: 31 days (ORS § 90.300(12)). 
• Deposit Location: Oregon security deposit laws do not require landlords to keep security deposits in a separate bank account. 
• Withholding: Landlords may withhold funds from the security deposit for unpaid rent, other lease breaches, and damages unrelated to ordinary wear and tear. These deductions must be itemized and delivered to the tenant with the remainder of the security deposit (ORS § 90.300(7, 14)). 

Oregon Tenant Screening and Fair Housing Protections

What actions are considered housing discrimination?

Tenants in Oregon are protected under both federal and state law from unfair housing practices. The Federal Fair Housing Act (Title 24 USC § 3601-3607) prohibits discrimination in all aspects of the rental process. Housing discrimination occurs when landlords make decisions based on a tenant’s protected class status when:

• Accepting or rejecting rental applications
• Advertising available units
• Setting rental rates, deposits, or lease terms
• Providing maintenance and services
• Offering discounts or credits
• Enforcing rules or penalties
• Initiating evictions or refusing to renew leases
• etc.

What are the protected classes in Oregon?

Federal law protects tenants from discrimination based on the following seven classes:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Gender
• National origin
• Familial status
• Disability

In addition to these federal protections, Oregon state law (ORS § 659A.421) extends protection to tenants based on:

• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Marital status
• Source of income

Oregon landlords must comply with these laws at all stages of the rental process. Violations can result in legal penalties, including fines and civil liability.

Use of Credit Reports

Oregon landlords are subject to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) (15 USC § 1681), which outlines the responsibilities of landlords to protect tenant credit information. According to the Act, landlords may not share tenant credit information with anyone without a legal reason to view it. They must also investigate disputed information, dispose of credit reports after use in tenant screening, and notify applicants when their credit score or history was the reason for their denial. 

Use of Criminal Histories

A new law signed in 2021 limits the rights of Oregon landlords to use criminal background checks during tenant screening. Landlords may only consider previous arrest records if the arrest resulted in a conviction or if the charges are pending and presently illegal in Oregon (Senate Bill 291).

Oregon landlords should also follow this Fair Housing Council of Oregon and Legal Aid Services guide for using criminal background checks fairly. This includes avoiding blanket policies for denying applicants with criminal convictions, assessing applicants and their criminal histories on a case-by-case basis, and only denying an applicant when they demonstrate a risk to the safety of other residents or the property. 

Additional Reading: Oregon Background Checks & Screening Online

Oregon Landlord Entry Laws

Before entering a rental unit, Oregon landlords must follow state laws that protect tenant privacy and define when and how entry is permitted. Below is an overview of Oregon’s landlord entry laws.

• Advanced Notice: 24 hours’ (ORS § 90.322(1)(f)). 
• Permitted Times: If the tenant submits a written request for maintenance, the landlord may enter without advanced notice or consent. Otherwise, entry must be at a reasonable time. Landlords may enter for inspections, repairs, decorations, alterations, improvements, maintenance, or showings (ORS § 90.322(c)). 
• Emergency Entry: In case of an emergency, landlords may enter without prior notice or consent. If the emergency entry is made in the tenant’s absence, the landlord should inform the tenant within 24 hours afterward. This notice should include the date and time of the entry, the nature of the emergency, and the name of the person who entered (ORS § 90.322(1)(b)). 

Oregon Eviction Notices 

Evictions are complex legal processes often poorly understood by both parties. Before pursuing eviction in Oregon, consider hiring an experienced real estate attorney and be sure to review the Oregon eviction process in more detail.

• Rent Demand Notices:

  • 13 days to pay or quit. If rent is at least five days late, the landlord may send a notice demanding the rent within 13 days (ORS § 90.394). 
  • 10 days to pay or quit. If rent is at least eight days late, the landlord may send a notice demanding the rent within ten days (ORS § 90.394). 

• Notice for Lease Violation: 30 days to cure or quit. According to eviction laws in Oregon, this notice must specify the violation and state when the lease will terminate. If the violation can be cured, the landlord must give the tenant at least 14 days to do so (ORS § 90.392). 

• Unconditional Notice to Quit: 24 hours to quit. This notice applies when the tenant threatens personal injury to someone on the premises, recklessly endangers another person, inflicts substantial damage to the premises more than once, is shown to have provided false information on their rental application within the past year, or commits an act considered “outrageous in the extreme” (such as illegal drug use/manufacturing) (ORS § 90.396). 
• Pet Violations: 24 hours to cure to quit. If the reason for the issuance of an unconditional notice to quit is because of the actions of a tenant’s pet, the tenant may cure the violation by removing the pet from the premises within 24 hours (ORS § 90.396(2)).
• Drug-/Alcohol-Free Housing Violations: 24 hours to cure; 48 hours to quit. In a drug- or alcohol-free housing unit, if a tenant residing there for less than two years possesses or shares a substance that is prohibited in the housing unit, the landlord may deliver a 48-hour notice to quit with 24 hours to cure (ORS § 90.398).

Additional Reading: Oregon Eviction Process and Laws [2025]

Oregon Squatter's Rights

Squatters are individuals who occupy a property without the legal permission of the owner. In Oregon, like in most states, landlords generally must go through the formal eviction process to legally remove squatters. Self-help actions like changing the locks, shutting off utilities, or forcibly removing a squatter are illegal.

Squatters in Oregon may attempt to claim ownership of a property through adverse possession, but doing so is rare and subject to strict legal requirements. Under Oregon law (ORS § 105.620), to make a successful adverse possession claim, a squatter must:

• Occupy the property openly, notoriously, and exclusively.
• Do so hostilely and without permission from the owner.
• Maintain continuous possession for 10 years.
• Pay property taxes during that period (for certain types of claims).
• Show evidence of actual control and intention to possess the property.

Before filing to evict a squatter in Oregon, be sure to review the relevant statutes and seek advice from a real estate lawyer. When in doubt, rely on expert advice for navigating a squatter situation.

Additional Reading: Oregon Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession Laws [2025]

Other Laws and Facts About Oregon 

• The average rent rate in Oregon according to Zillow is $1,500. 
• The average rent rate in Portland according to Zillow is also $1,500. 
• In Oregon, tenants can sue their landlords for up to $10,000 in small claims court for the return of their security deposit and other damages (ORS § 46.405(3)).

Conclusion

Oregon’s rental laws offer important protections for both landlords and tenants, promoting safe, fair, and transparent housing practices. By understanding the state’s rules around rent control, required disclosures, security deposits, and tenant rights, landlords can avoid legal issues and build stronger tenant relationships.

FAQs

Is Oregon considered a landlord-friendly state?

No, Oregon is not considered landlord-friendly due to its statewide rent control laws, mandatory grace periods, and strict regulations on security deposits and eviction procedures.

What is the maximum security deposit a landlord can charge in Oregon?

Statewide, there is no limit on security deposit amounts. However, in certain cities there are imposed limits, such as Eugene, where under Ordinance 20694, landlords are limited to charging a maximum of two times the monthly rent as a security deposit, excluding pet deposits.

How much notice must an Oregon landlord give before entering a rental unit?

Landlords must provide at least 24 hours' written notice before entering a rental unit for non-emergency reasons. In emergencies, no notice is required.

How much notice should an Oregon landlord give to evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent?

If rent is unpaid, landlords must provide a 72-hour notice to pay or vacate if the rent is eight days late, or a 144-hour notice if the rent is five days late. If the tenant fails to pay within the notice period, the landlord may proceed with eviction.

Does Oregon have rent control?

Yes. Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to implement statewide rent control in 2019 through Senate Bill 608. Landlords cannot raise rent by more than 7% plus inflation in a 12-month period.