Oregon Landlord-Tenant Laws: Rights and Duties for Both Sides

Oregon's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requires 24 hours of notice before most entries, lets tenants fix small habitability problems and deduct the cost, and bars retaliation for good faith complaints. Screening charges and late fees are tightly regulated.

Oregon landlord-tenant rights at a glance

Rule	Oregon	Law
Notice before entry	Except in an emergency, after a tenant's written repair request or by agreement, the landlord gives at least 24 hours of actual notice and enters only at reasonable times.	ORS 90.322
Tenant repair remedies	After written notice, a tenant may fix a minor habitability defect that costs no more than $300 and deduct the cost from rent, and has further remedies when essential services are not supplied. Dollar limit checked on the official code on October 29, 2026. Mold, radon, asbestos and lead paint are excluded from the repair and deduct remedy.	ORS 90.365 and ORS 90.368
Retaliation protection	A landlord may not raise rent, cut services, serve a termination notice or threaten an eviction because a tenant made a good faith complaint to the landlord or a government agency or joined a tenant group.	ORS 90.385
Late fees	A late charge is allowed only if the written rental agreement sets it and rent has not been received by the fourth day of the rental period; a daily charge can begin on the fifth day.	ORS 90.260
Grace period	Oregon effectively builds in a short grace period, because no late charge may be imposed until rent is still unpaid on the fourth day of the rental period.	ORS 90.260
Deadline to return the deposit	The landlord has 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant gives up possession to return the deposit or the part not claimed.	ORS 90.300

Repairs and habitability

Every residential tenancy comes with a duty to keep the home safe and livable. Put repair requests in writing and keep a dated record of each step.

Tenant repair remedies. After written notice, a tenant may fix a minor habitability defect that costs no more than $300 and deduct the cost from rent, and has further remedies when essential services are not supplied. Dollar limit checked on the official code on October 29, 2026. Mold, radon, asbestos and lead paint are excluded from the repair and deduct remedy. (ORS 90.365 and ORS 90.368)

Entry and privacy

Notice before entry. Except in an emergency, after a tenant's written repair request or by agreement, the landlord gives at least 24 hours of actual notice and enters only at reasonable times. (ORS 90.322)

Retaliation

Retaliation protection. A landlord may not raise rent, cut services, serve a termination notice or threaten an eviction because a tenant made a good faith complaint to the landlord or a government agency or joined a tenant group. (ORS 90.385)

Rent, late fees and grace periods

Late fees. A late charge is allowed only if the written rental agreement sets it and rent has not been received by the fourth day of the rental period; a daily charge can begin on the fifth day. (ORS 90.260)

Grace period. Oregon effectively builds in a short grace period, because no late charge may be imposed until rent is still unpaid on the fourth day of the rental period. (ORS 90.260)

Applications and screening

Federal fair housing law applies everywhere: apply the same written criteria to every applicant, and never screen on a protected characteristic.

Application fees. A screening charge may cover only the landlord's actual screening costs, requires written screening criteria and a receipt, and only one charge is allowed per applicant in any 60 day period. An applicant charged in violation can recover twice the fee plus a statutory sum. (ORS 90.295)

Screening rules. Before taking a screening charge, the landlord must give the applicant the written screening criteria and explain how the screening will work. (ORS 90.295)

Disclosures to include with the lease

Disclosures are easiest to get right at lease signing. Other disclosures may also be required by your city or by the property itself, so check before you sign.

Required disclosures. Homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet. (Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. 4852d))

Required disclosures. If the unit lies in a 100 year flood plain, the rental agreement must say so; a tenant who suffers an uninsured flood loss without that notice can recover damages up to two months' rent. (ORS 90.228)

Required disclosures. Any security deposit paid or required must be listed in the written rental agreement. (ORS 90.300)

Security deposits in brief

Deposit limit. Oregon does not generally set a dollar or months limit on security deposits, though a landlord cannot add or raise a deposit during the first year except for an agreed change such as a pet. (ORS 90.300)

Deadline to return the deposit. The landlord has 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant gives up possession to return the deposit or the part not claimed. (ORS 90.300)

Mistakes to avoid

• Entering a unit without the notice the lease or the law requires.
• Letting a written repair request sit without a reply or a plan.
• Leaving required disclosures out of the lease packet.
• Applying screening criteria differently from one applicant to the next.
• Raising rent or ending a tenancy soon after a complaint without a documented, unrelated reason.