Oregon Landlord-Tenant Law 2026: The Plain-English Guide
Oregon is one of the few states with statewide rent stabilization — the first in the nation. Combined with just-cause eviction protections that kick in after a tenant's first year, Oregon is tenant-leaning but very much learnable. The 2026 rent-increase cap is 9.5%, and no-cause evictions mostly require you to plan a year out.
Security deposits
- No statutory cap — Oregon sets no maximum deposit amount (statewide). Charge what the market and your risk assessment support.
- Return within 31 days after the tenancy ends, with a written itemized statement and receipts for repair deductions (ORS 90.300).
- Carpet cleaning can only be deducted if specifically mentioned in the lease.
- Penalty: wrongful withholding = up to 2x the amount withheld.
- Portland has additional city-level deposit rules — check Portland ordinances if you rent there.
Use our Security Deposit Deadline Finder and deductions guide.
Rent rules (statewide rent stabilization, SB 608)
- Annual cap: rent may be raised only once per year, capped at a published percentage — 9.5% for 2026 (6% for certain mobile home parks).
- No increase during the first year of a tenancy.
- Newer buildings exempt: properties whose first certificate of occupancy was issued less than 15 years ago are exempt from the percentage cap.
- 90 days' written notice before any rent increase.
See how to raise rent legally.
Eviction in Oregon
Oregon sharply limits no-cause evictions:
- Nonpayment: 72 hours' notice to pay or quit.
- Lease violations: generally 14 days to cure; serious repeat or drug/activity violations can be shorter.
- No-cause termination: allowed only in the first year of a tenancy — 30 days' notice (60 days if the tenancy has lasted over a year), and after year one, no-cause evictions generally require relocation assistance (one month's rent) with 90 days' notice in qualifying situations.
- Just-cause protections are strong after the first year.
Cases go through circuit court. Self-help is illegal. Full process: how to evict a tenant.
Repairs and habitability
- Strong implied warranty of habitability.
- Tenants have repair-and-deduct rights under statutory procedures.
- Retaliation is prohibited.
- Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are required.
Entry rights
Landlords must give 24 hours' actual notice before entering for non-emergency reasons (ORS 90.322) — the notice can be verbal, though written is easier to prove. Entry must be at a reasonable time. Emergencies are excepted.
Discrimination
Federal + Oregon's broad fair housing protections, which exceed federal law in protected classes.
The bottom line
Oregon is high-structure: statewide rent caps, just-cause eviction after year one, and 31-day deposit returns. The year-one planning horizon is the key insight — screen well, document well, and treat the first-year window as your only free no-cause exit. The no-cap deposit rule is the counterweight that makes Oregon pencil out.
This is general information, not legal advice. Portland adds its own layer — consult an Oregon landlord-tenant attorney for specific situations.