Oregon Landlord-Tenant Guide — Rights & Rules

Receiving an official notice starts a legal clock that directly affects your rights. In Oregon, you have 10 days to cure a nonpayment notice by paying in full. Similarly, for lease violations, you have 14 days to fix the problem after receiving a 30-day notice. If you recently exercised a legal right (requesting repairs, reporting code violations), retaliation is prohibited. Even under a valid notice, your landlord cannot change locks, remove belongings, or shut off utilities — that is illegal self-help and carries a penalty of a tenant who is unlawfully removed or excluded, subjected to serious attempts or threats to do so, or subjected to willful diminution of essential services may recover damages set by statute (confirm the current amount with a lawyer), and reasonable attorney fees at trial and on appeal may be awarded to the prevailing party [§ 90.255]. Do not ignore any notice — even if you believe it is defective, responding within the deadline preserves your ability to raise defenses in court.

Eviction in Oregon is called forcible entry and detainer (FED). A landlord cannot remove a tenant without going through court — Self-help eviction (changing locks, removing belongings, shutting off utilities) is prohibited.

For nonpayment of rent, the landlord must provide 10 days' written notice §90.394. Tenants have 10 days to cure (pay) after receiving a nonpayment notice §90.394.

For lease violations, 30 days' notice is required §90.392. The tenant has 14 days to cure the violation.

Oregon's security deposit limit is no statutory limit §90.300. After move-out, the landlord has 31 days to return the deposit with an itemized list of deductions.

Oregon recognizes an implied Warranty of habitability. Landlords must maintain the property in a condition fit for human habitation, including running water, hot water, heat, electricity, sanitation, weatherproofing.

The landlord has at least 7 days for minor-defect repair-and-deduct; reasonable time for essential services (48-hour notice terminates the agreement for imminent and serious threats) to make repairs after receiving written notice. Oregon allows tenants to repair and deduct from rent under certain conditions §90.368.

Retaliatory eviction is prohibited §90.385.

Self-help eviction is illegal. If a landlord changes your locks, removes your belongings, or shuts off utilities, the penalty is a tenant who is unlawfully removed or excluded, subjected to serious attempts or threats to do so, or subjected to willful diminution of essential services may recover damages set by statute (confirm the current amount with a lawyer), and reasonable attorney fees at trial and on appeal may be awarded to the prevailing party §90.255.

Landlord-tenant cases are often decided on notice periods and deadlines. Missing a deadline — whether it is responding to a notice, filing an answer, or requesting a hearing — can result in losing rights that would otherwise be available. Preserving written evidence (photos, texts, emails, receipts) is critical.