Springfield Eviction Laws & Process

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

Eviction Laws in Springfield, Oregon

Springfield is a Lane County city of about 62,000 — the blue-collar twin of Eugene, directly across the Willamette River and Interstate 5. Historically a timber-and-manufacturing town, it is now anchored by healthcare (PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend is located here) and remains more working-class and affordable than Eugene, with a median gross rent near $1,300, a median household income around $68,000, and a poverty rate near 15 percent. It is renter-heavy at roughly 45 percent, in a very tight market with vacancy around 3 percent. The key point for a landlord: Springfield files in the same court as Eugene, but because it is a separate city, Eugene’s local renter-protection ordinances do not apply here — Springfield follows only Oregon’s statewide rules. 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 current number for a Springfield 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.

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

Same Court as Eugene — but None of Eugene’s Local Ordinances. This is the distinction that matters most in Springfield. Eugene, just across the river, maintains its own local Rental Housing Code and renter-protection rules — deposit caps, screening-fee limits, and displacement/relocation-assistance triggers. Those apply only within Eugene city limits. Springfield is a separate city and imposes no equivalent local ordinance, so a Springfield landlord follows the statewide ORS Chapter 90 framework without Eugene’s extra layer — even though both cities file in the same Lane County Circuit Court. If a property sits near the city boundary, confirm which city it is actually in, because the local rules differ sharply across the line.

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 Working-Class, Lower-Income Market — Screen Carefully. Springfield’s renter base skews working-class, with lower incomes and higher poverty than Eugene, and Lane County has seen elevated eviction rates in its lower-income neighborhoods. Demand is strong and vacancy is tight, but nonpayment risk is real. Verify income and rental history up front, and when a stable tenant falls behind, an early referral to rent assistance — which forces dismissal of a nonpayment case if it arrives before judgment — is usually faster and cheaper than a contested eviction.

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. 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. Springfield adds no extra municipal deposit rules — unlike Eugene, which may cap deposits within its own limits.

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 programs offer rent assistance. Given Springfield’s lower-income renter base, connecting a behind-but-stable tenant with assistance early often resolves a nonpayment matter faster than court.

Lane County Circuit Court — Where Springfield Landlords File

Springfield landlords file FED (eviction) actions in the Lane County Circuit Court — the same court that serves Eugene — 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. Self-help eviction is illegal — only the sheriff may remove a tenant under a court-issued writ.