Hillsboro Eviction Laws & Process

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

Eviction Laws in Hillsboro, Oregon

Hillsboro is Oregon’s fifth-largest city — about 112,000 residents — the county seat of Washington County, and the heart of the “Silicon Forest.” Intel’s largest and most complex site is here, anchoring a high-wage tech and biotech economy that makes Washington County the highest-income county in the state. Hillsboro is affluent, with a median household income around $106,000, yet roughly half of households rent — a large, well-paid renter base — and rents are the highest in this guide at about $1,950, with vacancy tight near 3 percent. It is also a notably diverse city with a substantial Latino community. For a landlord, that combination is attractive: strong demand, premium rents, and comparatively low nonpayment risk. Oregon’s statewide rent-control and just-cause rules still apply in full, but Hillsboro adds no local ordinance layer. Eviction cases are filed as Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) actions in the Washington County Circuit Court, located right in Hillsboro.

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 Hillsboro 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.

Hillsboro & Washington 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.

No Local Ordinance Layer — Baseline Oregon Rules Apply. Unlike Portland, Hillsboro and Washington County impose no city relocation-assistance ordinance, no local tenant-screening (FAIR) ordinance, and no special municipal security-deposit rules. Compliance here is the statewide ORS Chapter 90 framework — rent cap, just cause, notice rules, and deposit timelines — without an extra city layer. That makes Hillsboro one of the more straightforward markets to operate in within the Portland metro.

The Silicon Forest Tenant Base. Intel and the surrounding tech and biotech employers give Hillsboro one of the strongest renter pools in Oregon: well-paid, creditworthy, and stable, with many high earners renting before buying given local home prices above $500,000. Nonpayment risk is comparatively low. The flip side is a competitive, high-rent market and an internationally diverse workforce — so screen every applicant on the same documented criteria, and be especially careful that national origin, immigration status, or language never factors into a decision.

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.

A Premium, High-Rent Market. With rents near $1,950, an affluent and educated population, and roughly half of households renting, Hillsboro is a landlord’s market on demand — but the statewide rent cap still limits how fast you can move rents, and the just-cause rules still apply once a tenancy passes a year. The advantage here is tenant quality and low vacancy, not regulatory freedom.

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 Hillsboro’s diverse and international workforce, 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. Hillsboro 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 Washington 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.

Washington County Circuit Court — Where Hillsboro Landlords File

Hillsboro landlords file FED (eviction) actions in the Washington County Circuit Court at the Washington County Courthouse, 150 North First Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124 — because Hillsboro is the county seat, the courthouse is in the city itself; 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.