Gresham Eviction Laws & Process

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

Eviction Laws in Gresham, Oregon

Gresham is Oregon’s fourth-largest city — about 110,000 residents — an east Portland-metro suburb located entirely within Multnomah County. It is a working-class, family-heavy, and increasingly diverse community, more affordable than Portland proper, with a median gross rent near $1,500 and a median household income around $78,000. Roughly 45 percent of households rent. The most useful point for a landlord here is jurisdictional: Gresham files its eviction cases in the same court as Portland (the Multnomah County Circuit Court), but because Gresham lies outside Portland city limits, none of Portland’s local ordinances apply — so compliance is the baseline Oregon statewide regime, not Portland’s heavier layer. Eviction cases are filed as Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) actions in the Multnomah 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 current number for a Gresham 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.

Gresham & Multnomah 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 — so keep increases at or below 9.5 percent, give 90 days’ notice, and raise only once a year.

Same County as Portland — but None of Portland’s Ordinances. This is the rule that matters most in Gresham. Portland’s Mandatory Relocation Assistance, FAIR tenant-screening, and city security-deposit ordinances apply only to properties inside Portland city limits. Gresham is a separate city — it shares Multnomah County and the Multnomah County Circuit Court with Portland, but it is not subject to Portland’s ordinances, and Gresham does not impose an equivalent local relocation, screening, or deposit ordinance of its own. The result: a Gresham landlord follows the statewide ORS Chapter 90 rules without Portland’s extra layer, which is a genuine simplification compared with operating a few miles west inside the city. If a property sits right on a municipal boundary, confirm the city limits to be sure which rules apply.

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. Plan terminations around the 12-month line and document the qualifying 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 — so don’t accept a partial payment without a written nonwaiver agreement.

A Working-Class, Family-Heavy Suburb. Gresham’s renters skew toward working families and a substantial immigrant community, with more affordable rents than Portland and a steady demand base anchored by the east-metro workforce and Mt. Hood Community College. It is a price-sensitive market, so nonpayment risk is real — disciplined screening and tenant retention pay off.

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. Given Gresham’s diversity, take particular care that national origin, language, and immigration status never enter a screening or tenancy decision; apply the same standards to every applicant.

Security Deposits. Oregon has no statewide deposit cap, but you must return the deposit with a written itemized accounting within 31 days of the tenancy ending (ORS 90.300). Normal wear and tear is not deductible. Gresham adds no extra municipal deposit rules.

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 Multnomah County programs offer rent assistance. Because a nonpayment FED must be dismissed if rental assistance arrives before judgment, helping a behind-but-stable tenant connect with assistance early is often faster and cheaper than a contested case.

Multnomah County Circuit Court — Where Gresham Landlords File

Gresham landlords file FED (eviction) actions in the Multnomah County Circuit Court — the same court that serves Portland — at the Central Courthouse, 1200 SW 1st Avenue, Portland, OR 97204; 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. Self-help eviction is illegal — only the sheriff may remove a tenant under a court-issued writ.