Portland Eviction Laws & Process

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

Eviction Laws in Portland, Oregon

Portland is Oregon’s largest city — about 630,000 residents, mostly in Multnomah County — and one of the most renter-heavy markets in the state, with roughly 47 percent of households renting. It is also the most heavily regulated rental market in Oregon: on top of the statewide rent-control and just-cause-eviction rules, the City of Portland layers on its own mandatory relocation-assistance, tenant-screening (FAIR), and security-deposit ordinances. For a landlord, that means Portland demands more procedure and more cost than almost anywhere else in the state, and the penalties for getting it wrong are steep. 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 Portland 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.

Portland & Oregon — 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. For 2026 that works out to 9.5 percent. 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 of a tenancy, and you must give at least 90 days’ written notice stating the new amount and the percentage. Raising rent above the cap exposes you to liability for three months’ rent plus the tenant’s actual damages — so the discipline here is simple: keep increases at or below 9.5 percent, give 90 days’ notice, and raise only once a year. (Keeping the increase at or under the cap also keeps you below Portland’s 10 percent relocation-assistance trigger, discussed below.)

Just-Cause Eviction After 12 Months (ORS 90.427). During the first 12 months of a tenancy you may end a month-to-month tenancy without cause on 30 days’ written notice. After 12 months, no-cause terminations are off the table — you need a qualifying reason. That reason can be tenant-based (nonpayment, a lease violation) or a “qualifying landlord reason” such as the landlord or a family member moving in, a sale to a buyer who will occupy, demolition, or major repairs/renovations. Landlord-reason terminations require 90 days’ notice and, for landlords who own more than four units, payment of one month’s rent as relocation assistance. Plan terminations around that 12-month line and document the qualifying reason carefully.

Nonpayment of Rent — the Procedure That Trips Landlords Up. Oregon’s nonpayment process is unforgiving on form. Rent has a mandatory 4-day grace period, so a nonpayment notice cannot be served until rent is at least four days late. You then serve either a 10-day notice (allowed on or after the 8th day of the rental period) or a 13-day notice (allowed on or after the 5th day). Critically, 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 also dismiss the case if the tenant pays all rent owed, or if rental assistance is received, before judgment. You cannot base a nonpayment eviction on unpaid late fees alone, and accepting partial rent can invalidate your notice — so don’t accept a partial payment without a written nonwaiver agreement.

Portland Mandatory Relocation Assistance (City Code 30.01.085). This is the rule that catches the most Portland landlords by surprise. Within Portland city limits, issuing a no-cause termination, a qualifying landlord-reason termination, or a rent increase of 10 percent or more within a rolling 12-month period triggers a relocation-assistance payment to the tenant: $2,900 for a studio/SRO, $3,300 for a one-bedroom, $4,200 for a two-bedroom, and $4,500 for a three-bedroom or larger. The tenant has 45 days to request it after an increase notice, and you must pay within 31 days of the request. There are limited exemptions (for example, certified affordable housing, and a narrow exemption for an owner renting out a single unit), and the policy applies only to properties inside Portland city limits — verify jurisdiction on PortlandMaps. The practical takeaway: keeping any rent increase at or under the 9.5 percent state cap also keeps you under the 10 percent relocation trigger.

Portland Application & Screening (FAIR) Ordinance. Within city limits, Portland tightly regulates tenant screening. Income standards are capped (generally a rent-to-income ratio no higher than 2.5 times rent for units below 80 percent of median family income, or 2 times otherwise, and for voucher holders you evaluate only the tenant’s portion of rent); you cannot reject an applicant for an eviction judgment more than three years old; and there are strict limits on the use of credit and criminal history, plus a 72-hour waiting period before processing applications when you advertise multiple units. The ordinance offers a “modified” low-barrier screening-criteria path as a safe harbor. Align your written criteria with the ordinance and apply them consistently to every applicant.

Portland Security Deposit Rules. Inside city limits, Portland adds its own deposit requirements — including limits on deposit amounts, a required pre-tenancy condition documentation process, and detailed accounting — on top of the statewide rules. Follow the city’s stricter process where it applies.

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 an applicant simply because they use a Section 8 voucher or other housing subsidy — as well as 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). 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. (Portland adds the extra requirements noted above.)

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 Portland’s Rental Services Office runs eviction-prevention and rent-assistance programs. Because the court must dismiss a nonpayment FED if rental assistance arrives before judgment, helping a behind-but-stable tenant connect with assistance early is often faster and cheaper for a landlord than a contested case.

Multnomah County Circuit Court — Where Portland Landlords File

Portland landlords file FED (eviction) actions in the Multnomah County Circuit Court, whose Central Courthouse is at 1200 SW 1st Avenue, Portland, OR 97204 — confirm the current filing location and FED procedures with the court before filing. Note that while most of Portland is in Multnomah County, parts of the city extend into Washington and Clackamas counties; file in the Circuit Court for the county where the property is actually located. 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.