The Oregon rental agreements are binding legal contracts between a landlord and a tenant for the use of real property. The agreements set the terms for the property, including the amount of rent, duration of the tenancy, and more. All terms must comply with the Oregon landlord-tenant laws.
Oregon Rental Agreement Types
The Oregon residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a written contract for the exchange of the temporary use of a residential property for regular, periodic payments (“rent”). The parties involved in the agreement are known as the landlord (“lessor”) and the tenant (“lessee”). Related Documents: Month-to-Month Agreement | Rental Application | Roommate…
The Oregon month-to-month rental agreement is used to legally establish the agreement between a landlord and a tenant for a period of one month. The tenant pays a monthly fee in exchange for the use of the landlord’s property. When the month ends, the contract automatically renews until canceled. The agreement is…
The Oregon rental application form is a document used to collect personal and financial information relating to potential tenancy. The information is used by landlords and listing agents for background screening purposes which help inform the decision of whether or not to rent to the applicant. QUICK INFO Application Fee - Landlords…
The Oregon sublease agreement is a legal contract that allows a tenant to rent (“sublet”) rental property to a new tenant (“sublessee”). With the landlord’s approval, the sublessee makes periodic payments that may or may not be equivalent to the rent due on the initial tenant’s lease. A sublease may be used…
The Oregon roommate agreement (“room rental agreement”) is a legal contract that describes the obligations of each tenant in a shared living situation. Each tenant agrees to meet certain financial expectations and adhere to rules, terms, and conditions associated with the shared space. A roommate agreement takes two forms. One form is…
The Oregon commercial lease agreement is a contract between a landlord and business entity. It allows the business to occupy commercial spaces, such as offices, retail stores, and industrial locations in exchange for rent. This type of lease is often longer than a residential lease. Oregon Commercial Landlord-Tenant Law The Oregon laws…
Oregon Required Lease Disclosures
- Flood Plain Disclosure (required for some) – For any Oregon property that is located in a flood plain, there must be a flood plain disclosure in or alongside the lease alerting potential tenants to the hazard so that the landlord is not liable for damages occurring as a result of flooding.
- Lead Based Paint Disclosure (required for some) – Any rental unit in Oregon that is located within a building built before 1978 must include a lead based paint disclosure and EPA-approved pamphlet in addition to notice of any existing hazards to protect new tenants.
To learn more about required disclosures in Oregon, click here.
Oregon Landlord Tenant Laws
- Warranty of Habitability – All rental units in Oregon must include sealed doors and windows, clean common areas, adequate plumbing, in-unit heating, air-conditioning, and more. Landlords must provide these, as well as repairs in a “timely manner” such that the issue does not become worse. If they delay repairs, though, a tenant may choose to withhold rent payments or make the repairs on their own.
- Evictions – Non-payment of rent can be used as justification for eviction after the passage of a grace period of 5 days (144-hour notice) or 7 days (72-hour notice). Lease term violations (30-day notice) and illegal acts (24-hour notice) can also be used to precipitate eviction. In any case, most of these evictions take around 1 to 2 weeks.
- Security Deposits – Oregon state law does not currently limit landlords when it comes to setting security deposit values. Their laws do require landlords to return any remaining security deposit funds within 31 days of a lease’s conclusion.
- Lease Termination – Month-to-month leases of differing overall lengths are treated differently when it comes to premature termination. Those of less than 1 year require 30 days of notice, while those of over 1 year require 60 days of notice. Fixed-term leases of any length can also be broken early, typically by filing for exception for active military duty, landlord harassment, unit uninhabitability, or domestic violence.
- Rent Increases & Fees – Oregon does maintain a statewide rent control policy. As such, most rental units in the state cannot have their rent raised by more than 7% annually. It also means that all increase must be pre-empted by a 30 day notice. Some operational fees are also limited by law. This includes late rent fees (6% of the original flat rate fee) and bounced check fees ($35).
- Landlord Entry – All landlords in Oregon must provide 24 hours of notice before entering an occupied unit. This notice must also specify the intended entry time, as well as the individual who will enter. These requirements do not apply in emergency situations, though.
- Settling Legal Disputes – Oregon’s counties each operate their own courts for handling landlord-tenant disputes. Typically, these courts cap case values at around $10,000. Also, some courts handle eviction cases while others do not.
To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Oregon, click here.
