Breaking a Lease in Oregon

Oregon Tenant Rights — Your Complete Renter Guide (2026)

By Oleg Kachko · Updated June 10, 2026

✓ Law Verified June 2026

This guide covers your core oregon tenant rights in plain English — the notice rules, deposit limits, rent-increase protections, habitability standards, and what to do when your landlord breaks the rules. All figures are from Oregon law, verified as of June 2026.

Oregon Tenant Rights: Key Rules at a Glance

Here are the most important oregon tenant rights numbers every renter should know:

Notice to enter 24 hours written notice required before entry for non-emergency purposes such as inspections, repairs, or showings (ORS 90.322). No notice required for emergencies, but landlord must notify tenant within 24 hours after emergency entry stating the date, time, and nature of the emergency. Landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant. If a landlord enters unlawfully, you may seek injunctive relief or terminate the rental agreement and recover actual damages of not less than one month’s rent.
Notice to raise rent 90 days written notice required before any rent increase (ORS 90.323). Rent may only be increased once per 12-month period for the same tenant. Oregon has a statewide rent cap of 7% plus the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a maximum cap of 10% per year under SB 608. For 2026, the maximum allowable rent increase is 9.5% (7% + 2.5% CPI). Exemptions: buildings less than 15 years old, the first tenancy after a vacancy, and government-subsidized housing. Rent increases are generally not allowed during the first year of tenancy.
Notice to end month-to-month For tenants in the first year of occupancy, a landlord may give a 30-day no-cause termination notice (ORS 90.427). After the first year of occupancy, no-cause termination is prohibited — the landlord must have a qualifying cause (such as demolition, major renovation, owner move-in, or lease violation) and must provide a 90-day written notice stating the qualifying reason. Tenants may terminate a month-to-month tenancy at any time with 30 days written notice. Note: Portland, Milwaukie, and Eugene require 90 days notice even for no-cause terminations during the first year. Add 3 days to any notice period if served by first-class mail.
Notice to end yearly lease A fixed-term lease ends on its specified date; either party may give 30 days notice before the end date to not renew. If no notice is given, the tenancy automatically converts to month-to-month, at which point the post-first-year protections of ORS 90.427 apply. Under HB 2134 (effective January 1, 2026), if a landlord delivers a non-renewal or qualifying termination notice on a fixed-term lease, the tenant may respond with their own 30-day notice to terminate early without owing further rent or early termination fees.
Max security deposit Oregon has no statewide statutory maximum on security deposits (ORS 90.300). The deposit must be reasonable. Note: the City of Portland caps base deposits at 1 month’s rent (or 0.5 months if last month’s rent is also collected).
Deposit return deadline 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession of the unit (ORS 90.300). The landlord must provide an itemized written accounting of any deductions, supported by documentation. Permissible deductions include unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, and excessive cleaning to restore move-in condition. If the landlord wrongfully withholds any portion of the deposit, you may recover up to 2 times the amount wrongfully withheld.
Statewide rent cap YES. Oregon enacted statewide rent stabilization under SB 608 (effective February 28, 2019). Annual rent increases are capped at 7% plus the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a hard maximum of 10% per year. For 2026, the maximum allowable increase is 9.5%. Exemptions include buildings less than 15 years old, the first tenancy after a vacancy (initial rent is unrestricted), and government-subsidized housing. Rent may only be raised once per 12-month period, and 90 days written notice is required. Oregon also prohibits local jurisdictions from enacting their own rent control ordinances (state preemption), though the statewide cap applies uniformly.

Habitability & Landlord Obligations in Oregon

YES. Oregon has a strong implied warranty of habitability under ORS 90.320 that cannot be waived by the rental agreement. Landlords must maintain: effective waterproofing and weather protection of roof, exterior walls, windows, and doors; plumbing in good working order; hot and cold running water; adequate heating facilities; working electrical lighting and wiring; clean and sanitary common areas; working locks on entrance doors; carbon monoxide alarms where required; and freedom from fire hazards.

This obligation extends to common areas adjacent to and necessary for access to the dwelling unit. If a landlord fails to maintain habitability, you must give written notice specifying the problem. The landlord has 7 days to remedy essential service failures (heat, water, electricity) and 30 days for all other conditions. If not remedied, you may terminate the rental agreement.

Other landlord obligations: Beyond habitability, Oregon landlords must: provide a written rental agreement; disclose the name and address of the property owner and any person authorized to manage the premises and act as agent for service of process (ORS 90.305); maintain all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems in good working order; provide garbage receptacles and arrange for removal; keep common areas clean, sanitary, and safe; comply with all applicable building and housing codes; not abuse the right of access or use it to harass tenants; provide proper receipts for all payments; and supply carbon monoxide detectors.

Landlords must also comply with the statewide rent stabilization law and provide proper notice for any changes to the tenancy.

Retaliation & Discrimination Protections

Retaliation: YES. Oregon prohibits landlord retaliation under ORS 90.385. A landlord may not increase rent, decrease services, serve a termination notice, or bring or threaten an action for possession in retaliation against a tenant who: complains or expresses intent to complain to a government agency about building, health, or housing code violations; performs or expresses intent to perform any act to assert rights under federal, state, or local law; or organizes or participates in a tenant association.

Decreasing services includes unreasonably restricting common areas or interfering with your enjoyment of the premises. If your landlord retaliates, you may be entitled to damages and injunctive relief under ORS 90.375, and retaliation is a defense in any possession action.

Additional protected classes in Oregon: Oregon adds the following state-level protected classes beyond federal Fair Housing Act protections: marital status, source of income (including Section 8 vouchers, disability benefits, and Social Security), sexual orientation, and gender identity. Enforcement is through the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Civil Rights Division. Some cities such as Portland may have additional local protected classes.

What You Can Do When Your Landlord Violates the Law

Oregon tenants have several remedies when a landlord violates their rights: (1) Repair and deduct — after giving written notice and allowing reasonable time for repair, you may procure essential services and deduct the actual and reasonable cost from rent, up to one month’s rent per repair (ORS 90.365).

(2) Diminished value — you may recover damages based on the reduction in fair rental value during any period of noncompliance. (3) Substitute housing — if an essential service failure makes the unit uninhabitable, you may obtain substitute housing and the landlord is liable for reasonable costs.

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(4) Terminate the rental agreement — for serious habitability violations or unlawful entry. (5) Counterclaims — in any landlord action for possession or rent, you may counterclaim for any amount recoverable under ORS Chapter 90 (ORS 90.370). (6) Wrongful deposit withholding — you may recover up to 2 times the amount wrongfully withheld.

(7) File a complaint with local code enforcement, BOLI (for discrimination), or your local tenant rights organization. (8) Many tenants may also pursue claims in small claims court for damages up to 10000.

Other Oregon tenant protections: Oregon has several unique tenant protections: (1) No-cause eviction ban after first year — after 12 months of occupancy, landlords cannot terminate a month-to-month tenancy without a qualifying cause such as demolition, major renovation, or owner move-in (ORS 90.427).

(2) Statewide rent stabilization — Oregon was the first state in the nation to enact statewide rent control under SB 608 (2019), capping annual increases at 7% + CPI (max 10%).

(3) Relocation assistance — when a landlord terminates a tenancy under certain qualifying causes (such as demolition or no-cause during the first year in Portland), the landlord may be required to pay relocation assistance equal to one month’s rent.

(4) Source of income protection — landlords cannot refuse to rent to tenants based on their source of income, including Section 8 housing vouchers. (5) HB 2134 (effective January 1, 2026) — if a landlord delivers a non-renewal or qualifying termination notice on a fixed-term lease, tenants may respond with their own 30-day notice to terminate early without owing further rent or early termination fees.

(6) Mobile home park rent cap — parks with 30 or more spaces have a separate 6% annual rent increase cap. (7) Oregon provides free legal information through OregonLawHelp.org and the Community Alliance of Tenants (oregoncat.org).

Explore Your Full Oregon Renter Rights

This overview covers the basics. For the full details on each topic, see the dedicated Oregon guides:

Understanding Your Oregon Tenant Rights

Knowing your Oregon tenant rights is the single best way to protect yourself as a renter. Most landlord problems — illegal entry, withheld deposits, retaliatory evictions — happen because the tenant does not know what Oregon law actually says. This Oregon tenant rights guide gives you the exact rules so you can recognize a violation when it happens and act before your rights expire.

If any part of your Oregon tenant rights situation is unclear, a local legal-aid office can help for free.

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Official Oregon Sources & Resources

This Oregon tenant rights guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Laws change — verify with your state or a local legal-aid office.

More Oregon Tenant Rights Guides

Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal advice. Landlord-tenant laws change and vary by city and county within a state. Verify current rules with your state, your local court, or a free legal-aid office before acting. If you are facing eviction, contact a local tenant attorney or legal-aid organization right away.

Renting? Protect your belongings — compare renters insurance at Home Insure Guide. Divorce involving a lease? See Divorce Help Guide. Unsafe housing / toxic mold injury? Some cases qualify — see Mass Tort Info.