Eugene Eviction Laws & Process

Oregon landlord guide — notices, timelines, court filing & local rules

Eviction Laws in Eugene, Oregon

Eugene is one of Oregon’s largest cities — about 177,000 residents — the seat of Lane County, and home to the University of Oregon. It is a renter-majority college town: roughly 52 percent of households rent (the highest renter share in this guide), vacancy is very tight at around 3 percent, and the student population pulls the median household income down to about $62,000 while leaving many renters cost-burdened. The market is driven heavily by the university. Crucially for landlords, Eugene is one of the few Oregon cities that — like Portland — layers its own local renter-protection rules on top of the statewide regime. Eviction cases are filed as Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) actions in the Lane County Circuit Court.

Oregon eviction law is set by the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 90), with the court process governed by the FED statutes (ORS 105.105–105.168). A landlord must serve the correct written notice before filing. Since 2019, Oregon has had statewide rent control and just-cause eviction protections under Senate Bill 608, and recent legislation (SB 611 in 2023 and HB 2001 in 2023) tightened the rent cap and reshaped the nonpayment process. Self-help eviction — lockouts, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant’s belongings — is illegal and carries significant statutory penalties.

The single most important statewide number for a Eugene landlord is the rent cap: for 2026, the maximum allowable rent increase under Oregon law is 9.5 percent. That figure is recalculated and published by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services every September 30, so confirm the current year’s number before issuing any increase — and note that Eugene’s own ordinances may be triggered at a far lower increase, as explained below.

Eugene & Lane County — Local Rules That Affect Landlords

Statewide Rent Control — the 2026 Cap Is 9.5%. Under SB 608 (2019) and SB 611 (2023), annual rent increases are capped at the lesser of 7 percent plus inflation (CPI) or a 10 percent hard cap — 9.5 percent for 2026. The cap applies to units 15 years or older (newer construction is exempt), you may raise rent only once in any 12-month period, no increase is allowed in the first year, and you must give 90 days’ written notice. Raising rent above the cap exposes you to liability for three months’ rent plus the tenant’s actual damages.

Eugene’s Local Renter Protections — Confirm Before You Act. This is what sets Eugene apart from most Oregon cities. Eugene maintains a local Rental Housing Code (Eugene Code Chapter 8.415) and has adopted and expanded local renter-protection rules that go beyond state law — reported measures include caps on security deposits, limits on screening/application fees with applications processed in the order received, eviction-data reporting, and a displacement-prevention (relocation) assistance requirement triggered when a tenant is no-cause evicted or when rent is increased by 5 percent or more in a 12-month period and the tenant chooses to move, with assistance reported at roughly three times the HUD market-rate rent, alongside a small-landlord compensation fund. The exact provisions and amounts have been moving through the city’s process, so confirm the current Eugene ordinance with the City before issuing a notice or a rent increase. The headline for landlords: Eugene’s relocation trigger can be as low as a 5 percent increase — far below Portland’s 10 percent — so a routine increase that is fine statewide can still trigger a Eugene obligation.

Just-Cause Eviction After 12 Months (ORS 90.427). During the first 12 months you may end a month-to-month tenancy without cause on 30 days’ notice. After 12 months you need a qualifying reason — tenant-based (nonpayment, lease violation) or a qualifying landlord reason (landlord/family move-in, sale to an occupying buyer, demolition, major repairs), the latter requiring 90 days’ notice and one month’s rent relocation assistance for landlords with more than four units. With Eugene’s high student turnover, many tenancies turn over before the 12-month line — but plan around it and document the reason.

Nonpayment of Rent — Mind the Procedure. Rent has a mandatory 4-day grace period before a notice can be served. You then serve a 10-day notice (on or after the 8th day of the rental period) or a 13-day notice (on or after the 5th day), and the notice must include the mandatory HB 2001 (2023) “eviction for nonpayment” disclosure with rental-assistance information in multiple languages — courts dismiss FED cases that omit it. The court must dismiss the case if the tenant pays in full or rental assistance is received before judgment. You cannot evict for unpaid late fees alone, and accepting partial rent can invalidate your notice.

The University of Oregon Student-Rental Market. UO shapes Eugene’s rental economy, especially near campus. Student leasing follows the academic calendar, so plan turnover and re-leasing around it; use creditworthy parental guarantors where the student lacks income or history; and remember that roommates on a single lease are jointly and severally liable, so a nonpayment case generally names every signatory. High turnover also means deposits, move-in/move-out documentation, and the 31-day deposit-return deadline come up constantly — keep that process tight.

A Renter-Majority, Low-Vacancy Market. With renters in the majority and vacancy around 3 percent, demand is strong, but the tenant base — students and lower-income households — is price-sensitive and frequently cost-burdened, so nonpayment risk is real. Disciplined screening and tenant retention matter.

Source-of-Income & Expanded Fair Housing. Beyond the federal protected classes, Oregon law (ORS Chapter 659A) bars discrimination based on source of income — you cannot refuse a Section 8 voucher or other subsidy — plus sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, survivor status (domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking), and, under SB 599 (2025), immigration or citizenship status. Apply the same standards to every applicant.

Security Deposits. Statewide, you must return the deposit with a written itemized accounting within 31 days of the tenancy ending (ORS 90.300), and normal wear and tear is not deductible. Note that Eugene’s local rules may additionally cap the deposit amount — confirm the current city limit.

Self-Help Eviction Is Illegal. Lockouts, removing belongings, and utility shut-offs are prohibited (ORS 90.375) and expose you to substantial damages. Only the sheriff, under a court-issued writ, can remove a tenant.

Free Legal Help & Rent Assistance. Legal Aid Services of Oregon and the Oregon Law Center assist qualifying low-income tenants, and Lane County and Eugene programs (and a long-running local tenant hotline) offer rent assistance and renter support. Because a nonpayment FED must be dismissed if rental assistance arrives before judgment, connecting a behind-but-stable tenant with assistance early is often faster and cheaper than a contested case.

Lane County Circuit Court — Where Eugene Landlords File

Eugene landlords file FED (eviction) actions in the Lane County Circuit Court at the Lane County Courthouse, 125 East 8th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97401 — confirm the current filing location and FED procedures with the court before filing. The FED filing fee is roughly $88, and Oregon’s FED process is fast — a first appearance is typically set about a week after filing. If the tenant contests, the court schedules a trial; if the landlord prevails, the court issues a judgment of restitution and the sheriff executes the writ. Remember that the case will be dismissed if the mandatory HB 2001 nonpayment notice was not attached, or if the tenant pays in full or rental assistance is received before judgment. And because Eugene layers local renter-protection rules on top of state law, confirm you have met any city requirements before serving notice. Self-help eviction is illegal — only the sheriff may remove a tenant under a court-issued writ.