Oregon Room Rental Agreement Generator

Chapter 90 is a comprehensive statute — deposits, screening, disclosures, rent increases, repairs, and terminations are all spelled out, and most provisions cannot be waived by the lease. Federal law, including the lead-paint disclosure for pre-1978 housing, applies on top.

The structure matters as much as the rules: Oregon requires written notice for nearly everything, counts notice periods precisely, and gives tenants statutory remedies that other states withhold — like procuring substitute essential services and deducting the cost from rent. Landlords who run the paperwork correctly are rarely surprised; tenants who document everything have real leverage.

At the state level, Oregon does not limit the size of a security deposit, but the deposit (including any last month’s rent) must be listed in the rental agreement and the landlord must give a receipt. No additional deposit may be demanded during the first year except for a change like adding a pet, and any new or increased deposit must be payable over at least three months (ORS 90.300). Portland caps the total at one month’s rent — or one and a half months if last month’s rent is included.

Within 31 days after the tenancy ends and possession is delivered, the landlord must return the deposit and give a written accounting of any withholding, with a separate accounting for deposits and prepaid rent (ORS 90.300(12)-(13)). Deductions are limited to unpaid rent and fees, repairs beyond ordinary wear and tear billed at a reasonable hourly rate, and cleaning at reasonable rates. A landlord who misses the 31-day window can lose the right to claim the deposit, and a tenant who proves wrongful withholding can recover up to twice the amount withheld.

The practical routine for tenants: complete a unit inventory at move-in, photograph everything at move-out, give a forwarding address in writing, and keep the landlord’s accounting. Landlords: run a documented move-out inspection and send the accounting by day 31.

Oregon allows pet deposits and pet rent with no statutory cap, but a pet deposit is treated as part of the refundable security deposit — it must be accounted for and returned within the 31-day window, minus documented pet damage. No pet deposit or pet rent may be charged for a service or companion animal required as a reasonable accommodation for a disability (ORS 90.300(4)).

House Bill 2070, introduced in the 2025 session, would have banned pet rent and recurring pet fees, but it was not enacted at the time of this writing — check the current law. For now, the clean structure is a refundable pet deposit plus separately stated pet rent, with the deposit handled like any other deposit.

Oregon’s statewide rent stabilization applies to most residential tenancies. A landlord may not raise rent during the first year of a tenancy, must give at least 90 days’ written notice for any later increase, and may raise rent only once in any 12-month period (ORS 90.323). The annual cap is the lesser of 10% or 7% plus the West Region CPI, calculated each year by the state — for 2026 that works out to 9.5%, with a tighter 6% cap for manufactured-dwelling parks and marinas with more than 30 spaces (ORS 90.324). Units certified for occupancy less than 15 years and certain subsidized housing are exempt.

A landlord who raises rent above the cap is liable for three months’ rent plus actual damages, and a notice that misses the 90-day or once-per-year rules is invalid. Tenants should compare every increase against the published state cap; landlords should confirm the current year’s cap from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis.

Oregon bans no-cause evictions once a tenant has lived in a unit for more than a year (ORS 90.427). After that, the landlord must prove tenant cause — nonpayment, material lease violations, or similar conduct — or a qualifying landlord reason, such as demolition, major renovation, owner or family move-in, or a sale to an owner-occupant. Before the one-year mark, a month-to-month tenancy can still end without cause on 30 days’ notice.

For nonpayment, the landlord serves a written notice of 72 hours (from the eighth day of the rental period) or 144 hours (from the fifth day) depending on the option chosen; week-to-week tenancies use a 72-hour notice from the fifth day (ORS 90.394). The notice must state the exact amount of rent needed to cure. Tenants who receive a termination notice should respond immediately and contact Oregon Law Center or Legal Aid Services of Oregon — deadlines in Oregon are strict and miscalculated notices get dismissed.

Oregon landlords must maintain premises in a habitable condition (ORS 90.320), supply and maintain smoke alarms (the landlord is responsible for installing and maintaining them, with tenants testing every six months and reporting defects — ORS 479.270), and provide functioning carbon monoxide alarms where a carbon monoxide source exists. Landlords must disclose their name and address and that of any manager (ORS 90.305), give written notice if the property is in a 100-year flood plain (ORS 90.228), and follow detailed utility-billing rules (ORS 90.315).

When an essential service fails — heat, water, electricity, or similar — the tenant may, after written notice and a reasonable cure period, procure the service and deduct its reasonable cost from rent, claim damages for diminished rental value, or, if the unit becomes unsafe, obtain substitute housing and stop paying rent during the failure (ORS 90.365). A broader maintenance failure lets the tenant terminate on notice if the breach is not remedied within seven days (essential services) or 30 days, with damages and injunctive relief (ORS 90.360). Retaliation for a good-faith complaint is prohibited (ORS 90.385).

Portland layers significant protections on state law: the deposit cap described above, a Fair Access in Renting (FAIR) ordinance barring discrimination on criminal history, income, and credit history, and relocation assistance — roughly $2,900 for a studio up to $4,500 for a three-bedroom or larger — owed to tenants displaced by qualifying terminations or rent increases of 10% or more in 12 months. Eugene and other cities have their own rental-housing programs, so always check the local code.

Oregon small claims handles claims up to $10,000, and claims of $750 or less must be filed there; lawyers appear only with court permission, and decisions are generally final. The Oregon Judicial Department runs a free small claims orientation with mandatory mediation before trial. For help with a deposit or eviction dispute, contact Oregon Law Center, Legal Aid Services of Oregon, or Portland Tenants United.