Oregon Landlord-Tenant Laws: Key Rental Rules (2026)
Security deposits, notice periods, landlord entry, and other key rental rules in Oregon, each linked to the state law it comes from.
By the ListMyHomes.com™ Editorial TeamPublished Last reviewed
This page summarizes the main landlord-tenant rules in Oregon. Each rule in the table below links to the law it comes from.
Key rules at a glance
| Rule | Oregon |
|---|---|
| Where these laws apply | Oregon's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (ORS chapter 90) applies to rental agreements for dwelling units located in Oregon, wherever the agreement was made. Unless set up to avoid the Act, it does not govern: residence in an institution incidental to detention or medical, geriatric, educational, counseling, religious or similar services (but off-campus nondormitory housing is covered); occupancy of up to 90 days by a buyer before closing or a seller after closing under the sale agreement; occupancy by a member of a fraternal or social organization; transient occupancy in a hotel or motel; squatters; vacation occupancy; an employee whose right to occupy depends on employment in and about the premises; condominium owners and cooperative proprietary lessees; premises used mainly for agriculture; and residence in certain licensed programs, facilities or homes. ORS 90.505 to 90.850 apply (apart from one exception for converted rental spaces) only where the tenant owns a manufactured dwelling or floating home and rents the space for it in a facility (a manufactured dwelling park or marina); residential tenancies not subject to those sections, including any recreational vehicle, are subject to ORS 90.100 to 90.465. ORS 90.105; 90.115; 90.110; 90.113; 90.120(3), (5) |
| Security deposit limit | No limit on the amount in ORS chapter 90 (2025 Edition). No pet deposit may be charged for a service or companion animal that a tenant with a disability needs as a reasonable accommodation. During the first year of the tenancy the landlord may not require a new or increased deposit, except an additional deposit tied to an agreed change in the rental agreement (such as allowing a pet); after the first year, the tenant must be given at least three months to pay a new or increased deposit. ORS ch. 90, 2025 Edition (no provision); ORS 90.300(4), (5) |
| Where deposits are held | No rule on the account or bank where the deposit is held in ORS chapter 90 (2025 Edition). The landlord must give a receipt for the deposit and hold it for the tenant; the tenant's claim to it comes before the claims of the landlord's creditors, including a bankruptcy trustee. A written rental agreement must list the deposit, and whoever holds the landlord's interest in the premises when the tenancy ends is responsible to the tenant for it (except as provided in ORS 86.782(10)). ORS ch. 90, 2025 Edition (no provision); ORS 90.300(2), (3) |
| Returning the deposit | Within 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession, the landlord must return the deposit, or the part not claimed; to claim any of it, the landlord must give a written accounting stating specifically the basis of the claim (separately for security deposits and for prepaid rent). The accounting and refund go by personal delivery or first class mail, or by email where a written addendum to the rental agreement allows email notices; under an addendum signed after the tenancy begins and the tenant has moved in, the refund may be paid electronically to a bank account or other financial institution the tenant designates. If the landlord does not return the deposit as required, or withholds it in bad faith, the tenant may recover twice the amount withheld without a written accounting or in bad faith. A last month's rent deposit must be applied to the last month's rent when either side gives a termination notice (other than a notice for nonpayment of rent), when both agree to end the tenancy, or when a fixed-term tenancy ends under the written agreement. ORS 90.300(9), (12)-(14), (16); 90.155(1)(d) |
| Deposit deductions | Only the amount reasonably necessary to remedy the tenant's defaults under the rental agreement, including unpaid rent, and to repair damage caused by the tenant, not including ordinary wear and tear; the deposit can be claimed only if it was required for these purposes. The landlord need not make a repair before deducting its cost; labor for cleaning or repairs must be charged at a reasonable hourly rate, which may include the landlord's own work. Carpet cleaning with a carpet-cleaning machine may be deducted only if the carpet was cleaned or replaced after the previous tenancy (or its most recent significant use) and before the tenant took possession, and the written rental agreement allows the deduction whether or not the tenant cleans the carpet; loss of use during timely cleaning or repairs the tenant is responsible for may also be deducted. A landlord may not keep a deposit or prepaid rent because a month-to-month tenant did not stay a minimum number of months. ORS 90.300(6)-(8) |
| Interest on deposits | |
| Landlord entry notice | At least 24 hours' actual notice, and entry only at reasonable times, unless the landlord and tenant agree otherwise about a specific entry; the tenant may deny consent after receiving the notice. In an emergency the landlord may enter without consent or notice at any time, but must give the tenant actual notice within 24 hours after an entry made in the tenant's absence. A tenant's written repair request allows entry for those repairs without further notice; the authorization ends after seven days unless the repairs are in progress and being completed with reasonable effort. The landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant, and the tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent; for an unlawful entry, a lawful entry made in an unreasonable manner, or harassing repeated demands for entry, the tenant may recover actual damages of at least one week's rent (week-to-week tenancy) or one month's rent (all other tenancies). This rule does not apply to rented space for a manufactured dwelling or floating home in a facility (a manufactured dwelling park or marina) under ORS 90.505 to 90.850. ORS 90.322(1), (2), (3), (8) |
| Notice to end a month-to-month lease | Month-to-month: the tenant may end the tenancy at any time with at least 30 days' written notice; the landlord may end it without cause with at least 30 days' written notice only during the first year of occupancy. After the first year, the landlord may end it only for a tenant cause or a qualifying landlord reason: at least 90 days' written notice to demolish the unit or convert it to a non-residential use, to make repairs or renovations when the unit is or will be unsafe or unfit to occupy, for the landlord or an immediate family member to move in (when the landlord has no comparable unit available in the same building), or after accepting an offer from a buyer who will live there; 60 days' notice in the buyer case if the landlord also pays one month's rent in addition to any payment otherwise required. A notice for a qualifying landlord reason must state the reason and supporting facts, and the landlord must pay the tenant one month's rent when delivering it, unless the landlord has an ownership interest in four or fewer residential dwelling units; a landlord who ends a tenancy in violation of these qualifying-reason rules owes three months' rent plus actual damages. If the unit is in the same building or on the same property as the landlord's own home and there are no more than two units, the landlord may end a month-to-month tenancy after the first year without cause with 60 days' written notice, or 30 days after accepting an offer from a buyer who will live there. Week-to-week: either side may end the tenancy with at least 10 days' written notice. A notice served by first class mail alone gets three extra days, which the notice must include. These rules do not apply to month-to-month tenancies of rented space for a tenant-owned manufactured dwelling or floating home outside a facility (ORS 90.429) or to rental agreements under ORS 90.505 to 90.850 (space for a tenant-owned manufactured dwelling or floating home in a manufactured dwelling park or marina). ORS 90.427(2), (3), (5), (6), (8), (9), (13); 90.429(1); 90.155(2) |
| Rent-increase notice | Week-to-week tenancy: at least 7 days' written notice. Other tenancies: no increase during the first year of the tenancy; after that, at least 90 days' written notice before the effective date, and no more than one increase in any 12-month period. The notice must state the amount of the increase, the new rent, the effective date and, for an increase above the statewide maximum, the facts supporting the exemption. This rule does not apply to tenancies under ORS 90.505 to 90.850 (space for a tenant-owned manufactured dwelling or floating home in a manufactured dwelling park or marina). ORS 90.323(1)-(3), (7) |
| Late fees | A late charge is allowed only if the rent is not received by the fourth day of the weekly or monthly rental period and a written rental agreement states the tenant's obligation to pay it, its type and amount, and the dates rent and late charges are due. The charge may be a reasonable flat amount (the customary amount for that rental market) once per rental period; a reasonable daily amount starting on the fifth day, of no more than 6% of that flat amount per day, through that rental period only; or 5% of the periodic rent for each five-day period, or part of one, that the rent is late, starting on the fifth day, through that rental period only. In periodic tenancies the landlord may change the type or amount of the late charge with 30 days' written notice. A late charge may not be deducted from a later rent payment to make that payment late, and an unpaid late charge alone is not grounds for a termination for nonpayment of rent (it can be grounds for a termination for cause). Since June 5, 2026, a landlord must allow payment by check or other commercially reasonable methods, may not require electronic payment, and may not charge a late fee or end the tenancy for nonpayment if it refuses such a payment offered by the tenant (2026 Or. Laws c. 23, § 3, added to ORS chapter 90). ORS 90.260(1)-(4), (6); 2026 Or. Laws c. 23, § 3 |
| Notice for unpaid rent | Week-to-week tenancy: at least 72 hours' written notice, given no sooner than the fifth day of the rental period. Other tenancies: at least 10 days' written notice given no sooner than the eighth day of the rental period, or at least 13 days' written notice given no sooner than the fifth day. The notice must state the amount of rent to be paid and the date and time by which it must be paid to cure the nonpayment. With any termination notice for nonpayment, the landlord must deliver a copy of the rental assistance and support services notice posted on the Oregon Judicial Department's website. A notice served by first class mail alone gets three extra days, which the notice must include. ORS 90.394; 90.395(2); 90.155(2) |
| Rent control | State law caps rent increases for tenancies other than week-to-week: no increase may exceed the maximum percentage calculated under ORS 90.324, which for these tenancies is the lesser of 10% or 7% plus CPI (the September annual 12-month average change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, West Region). The Oregon Department of Administrative Services calculates the maximum for the following calendar year and publishes it in a press release by September 30 each year. The cap does not apply when the unit's first certificate of occupancy was issued less than 15 years before the notice of increase, or to regulated or certified affordable housing when the change does not raise the tenant's share of the rent or is required by program eligibility rules or a change in the tenant's income. A landlord who ends a tenancy without cause with a 30-day notice during the first year may not charge the next tenancy more than the cap allowed for the ended tenancy, and a landlord who raises rent above the cap owes the tenant three months' rent plus actual damages. Cities and counties may not enact ordinances or resolutions that control rent, except for limits tied to public-benefit contracts for reduced rents for low-income tenants, rent limits during condominium-conversion notice periods, and temporary controls after a natural or man-made disaster that eliminates a significant part of the rental housing supply. ORS 90.323(2)(d), (4)-(6); 90.324(1), (2), (4); 91.225(2)-(5), (7) |
| Required landlord disclosures | At or before the start of the tenancy, the landlord must disclose in writing the name and address of the person authorized to manage the premises and of an owner or a person authorized to act for the owner for service of process and for receiving notices and demands, and keep this information current. The landlord must give the tenant a copy of any written rental agreement and all amendments and additions. The rental agreement must disclose the smoking policy for the premises: whether smoking is prohibited, allowed on the entire premises or allowed in limited areas, and where those areas are (not required for rental agreements under ORS 90.505 to 90.850 for space in a facility, that is, a manufactured dwelling park or marina). If the unit is in a 100-year flood plain, the rental agreement must say so. For premises with no more than four units, before the rental agreement is signed the landlord must disclose in writing any outstanding notice of default or trustee's sale, pending foreclosure suit, pending declaration of forfeiture or suit for specific performance of a sale contract, or pending tax-lien foreclosure. If the unit is subject to an affordability restriction, before charging an applicant screening charge or entering into a rental agreement the landlord must give the applicant or prospective tenant the notice required by ORS 456.788(4) or, if that does not apply, a written notice of the earliest date the restriction could end. ORS 90.305(1), (2); 90.220(3), (4); 479.305(1), (2); 90.228(2); 90.310(1); 90.308 Federal law: For housing built before 1978 (with limited exceptions): before the tenant is bound by the lease, the landlord must give the EPA lead-hazard pamphlet and disclose any known lead-based paint or hazards and any available reports. 42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR 745.107 |
| Fair housing protected classes | Race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, familial status, source of income and disability. Source of income includes federal rent subsidy payments under 42 U.S.C. 1437f and any other local, state or federal housing assistance, but not income from a specific occupation or income derived illegally; a landlord may still refuse based on an applicant's past conduct or inability to pay rent, taking into account the value of housing assistance, where the refusal is consistent with local, state and federal law, including fair housing laws. Sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status and source of income appear in Oregon's law but not in the federal list. ORS 659A.421(1)(d), (2); 659A.145(2); 42 U.S.C. § 3604 |
What this means for renters
Before you sign, compare the lease's deposit amount, rent due date, and late-fee terms with the rules above. At move-in, record the unit's condition with dated photos. When you move out, give the written notice your lease and the rules above call for, leave a forwarding address, and keep copies of everything you send and receive.
What this means for landlords who manage their own rental
List the unit with its rent, deposit, and lease terms. Screen every applicant by the same written criteria, within fair-housing law. Collect the deposit and give notices following the rules above, and keep records of the unit's condition at move-in and move-out.
List your rental on ListMyHomes.com for one flat fee, or browse rentals in Oregon listed directly by owners.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Oregon?
No limit on the amount in ORS chapter 90 (2025 Edition). No pet deposit may be charged for a service or companion animal that a tenant with a disability needs as a reasonable accommodation. During the first year of the tenancy the landlord may not require a new or increased deposit, except an additional deposit tied to an agreed change in the rental agreement (such as allowing a pet); after the first year, the tenant must be given at least three months to pay a new or increased deposit. See the source in the table above.
How long does a Oregon landlord have to return a security deposit?
Within 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession, the landlord must return the deposit, or the part not claimed; to claim any of it, the landlord must give a written accounting stating specifically the basis of the claim (separately for security deposits and for prepaid rent). The accounting and refund go by personal delivery or first class mail, or by email where a written addendum to the rental agreement allows email notices; under an addendum signed after the tenancy begins and the tenant has moved in, the refund may be paid electronically to a bank account or other financial institution the tenant designates. If the landlord does not return the deposit as required, or withholds it in bad faith, the tenant may recover twice the amount withheld without a written accounting or in bad faith. A last month's rent deposit must be applied to the last month's rent when either side gives a termination notice (other than a notice for nonpayment of rent), when both agree to end the tenancy, or when a fixed-term tenancy ends under the written agreement. See the source in the table above.
How much notice must a Oregon landlord give before entering?
At least 24 hours' actual notice, and entry only at reasonable times, unless the landlord and tenant agree otherwise about a specific entry; the tenant may deny consent after receiving the notice. In an emergency the landlord may enter without consent or notice at any time, but must give the tenant actual notice within 24 hours after an entry made in the tenant's absence. A tenant's written repair request allows entry for those repairs without further notice; the authorization ends after seven days unless the repairs are in progress and being completed with reasonable effort. The landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant, and the tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent; for an unlawful entry, a lawful entry made in an unreasonable manner, or harassing repeated demands for entry, the tenant may recover actual damages of at least one week's rent (week-to-week tenancy) or one month's rent (all other tenancies). This rule does not apply to rented space for a manufactured dwelling or floating home in a facility (a manufactured dwelling park or marina) under ORS 90.505 to 90.850. See the source in the table above.
How much notice ends a month-to-month lease in Oregon?
Month-to-month: the tenant may end the tenancy at any time with at least 30 days' written notice; the landlord may end it without cause with at least 30 days' written notice only during the first year of occupancy. After the first year, the landlord may end it only for a tenant cause or a qualifying landlord reason: at least 90 days' written notice to demolish the unit or convert it to a non-residential use, to make repairs or renovations when the unit is or will be unsafe or unfit to occupy, for the landlord or an immediate family member to move in (when the landlord has no comparable unit available in the same building), or after accepting an offer from a buyer who will live there; 60 days' notice in the buyer case if the landlord also pays one month's rent in addition to any payment otherwise required. A notice for a qualifying landlord reason must state the reason and supporting facts, and the landlord must pay the tenant one month's rent when delivering it, unless the landlord has an ownership interest in four or fewer residential dwelling units; a landlord who ends a tenancy in violation of these qualifying-reason rules owes three months' rent plus actual damages. If the unit is in the same building or on the same property as the landlord's own home and there are no more than two units, the landlord may end a month-to-month tenancy after the first year without cause with 60 days' written notice, or 30 days after accepting an offer from a buyer who will live there. Week-to-week: either side may end the tenancy with at least 10 days' written notice. A notice served by first class mail alone gets three extra days, which the notice must include. These rules do not apply to month-to-month tenancies of rented space for a tenant-owned manufactured dwelling or floating home outside a facility (ORS 90.429) or to rental agreements under ORS 90.505 to 90.850 (space for a tenant-owned manufactured dwelling or floating home in a manufactured dwelling park or marina). See the source in the table above.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Oregon?
Week-to-week tenancy: at least 7 days' written notice. Other tenancies: no increase during the first year of the tenancy; after that, at least 90 days' written notice before the effective date, and no more than one increase in any 12-month period. The notice must state the amount of the increase, the new rent, the effective date and, for an increase above the statewide maximum, the facts supporting the exemption. This rule does not apply to tenancies under ORS 90.505 to 90.850 (space for a tenant-owned manufactured dwelling or floating home in a manufactured dwelling park or marina). See the source in the table above.
How much can a Oregon landlord charge for late rent?
A late charge is allowed only if the rent is not received by the fourth day of the weekly or monthly rental period and a written rental agreement states the tenant's obligation to pay it, its type and amount, and the dates rent and late charges are due. The charge may be a reasonable flat amount (the customary amount for that rental market) once per rental period; a reasonable daily amount starting on the fifth day, of no more than 6% of that flat amount per day, through that rental period only; or 5% of the periodic rent for each five-day period, or part of one, that the rent is late, starting on the fifth day, through that rental period only. In periodic tenancies the landlord may change the type or amount of the late charge with 30 days' written notice. A late charge may not be deducted from a later rent payment to make that payment late, and an unpaid late charge alone is not grounds for a termination for nonpayment of rent (it can be grounds for a termination for cause). Since June 5, 2026, a landlord must allow payment by check or other commercially reasonable methods, may not require electronic payment, and may not charge a late fee or end the tenancy for nonpayment if it refuses such a payment offered by the tenant (2026 Or. Laws c. 23, § 3, added to ORS chapter 90). See the source in the table above.
How much notice must a Oregon landlord give when rent is unpaid?
Week-to-week tenancy: at least 72 hours' written notice, given no sooner than the fifth day of the rental period. Other tenancies: at least 10 days' written notice given no sooner than the eighth day of the rental period, or at least 13 days' written notice given no sooner than the fifth day. The notice must state the amount of rent to be paid and the date and time by which it must be paid to cure the nonpayment. With any termination notice for nonpayment, the landlord must deliver a copy of the rental assistance and support services notice posted on the Oregon Judicial Department's website. A notice served by first class mail alone gets three extra days, which the notice must include. See the source in the table above.
Does Oregon have rent control?
State law caps rent increases for tenancies other than week-to-week: no increase may exceed the maximum percentage calculated under ORS 90.324, which for these tenancies is the lesser of 10% or 7% plus CPI (the September annual 12-month average change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, West Region). The Oregon Department of Administrative Services calculates the maximum for the following calendar year and publishes it in a press release by September 30 each year. The cap does not apply when the unit's first certificate of occupancy was issued less than 15 years before the notice of increase, or to regulated or certified affordable housing when the change does not raise the tenant's share of the rent or is required by program eligibility rules or a change in the tenant's income. A landlord who ends a tenancy without cause with a 30-day notice during the first year may not charge the next tenancy more than the cap allowed for the ended tenancy, and a landlord who raises rent above the cap owes the tenant three months' rent plus actual damages. Cities and counties may not enact ordinances or resolutions that control rent, except for limits tied to public-benefit contracts for reduced rents for low-income tenants, rent limits during condominium-conversion notice periods, and temporary controls after a natural or man-made disaster that eliminates a significant part of the rental housing supply. See the source in the table above.
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