Oregon Residential Lease Agreement

Last Updated: May 26, 2025 by Roberto Valenzuela

Oregon Month to Month Residential Lease Agreement Template_1 on iPropertyManagement.com
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An Oregon residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a rental property and a tenant using the property. State and local laws set the rules for rental agreements, such as laws regulating the use of a tenant’s security deposit.

Oregon Lease Agreement Disclosures

These disclosures are required for residential lease agreements in Oregon:

Disclosure Applicable To
Landlord’s Name and Address All Units
Flood Plain Units At or Below 100-Year Flood Elevation
Carbon Monoxide Alarm Units with Carbon Monoxide Source
Pending Suits Units with Pending Suits
Common Area Utilities Shared Common Area Utilities
Smoking All Units Which Allow Smoking
Recycling Properties with 5 or More Units Using Recycling Services
Dishonored Check Fee Leases Allowing Dishonored Check Fees
Lead Paint All Units Built Before 1978

Landlord’s Name and Address

Applies to all Oregon rentals.

Oregon leases must contain the name and address of the landlord (or authorized agent). This allows required communication (for example, about repairs) to happen in a smooth way. For this reason, most leases also include phone numbers and email addresses.

Contact information most often is written in the lease agreement, for maximum convenience. The landlord must notify the tenant whenever there’s a change in contact information.

Flood Zone Disclosure

Applies to any Oregon rental where the lowest floor is at or below the 100-year frequency flood elevation.

Oregon landlords must disclose the flooding risk of any property below the 100-year floodplain. The National Flood Insurance Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determines the property’s status for this requirement. 

This is an example of a flood zone disclosure:

FLOOD ZONE NOTICE. This property is located in a flood plain as determined by local authorities. Tenant agrees to accept the risk of tenancy by signing this lease agreement.

Download: Oregon Flood Plain Disclosure Form (PDF)

Carbon Monoxide Alarm Disclosure

Applies to any Oregon property with features which emit carbon dioxide.

Oregon law requires any rental property with a source emitting carbon monoxide to have appropriate detectors installed in compliance with the State Fire Marshal’s regulations. The landlord must provide the tenant with an alarm in the rental unit, written instructions for testing the alarm, a battery replacement (if applicable), and a disclosure that the tenant is responsible for day-to-day alarm upkeep.

Download: Oregon Carbon Monoxide Alarm Disclosure Form (PDF)

Pending Suits Disclosure

Applies to Oregon rental properties of four or fewer units which are subject to an ongoing lawsuit.

Oregon landlords of four or fewer rental units must disclose the existence of the following to any tenant:

  • Pending proceedings to foreclose a tax lien
  • Pending suits to foreclose a mortgage, trust deed or vendors’ lien under a contract of sale
  • Outstanding notice of default under a trust deed, mortgage or contract of sale or notice of trustees’ sale under a trust deed
  • Pending declaration of forfeiture or suit for specific performance of a contract of sale

Download: Oregon Pending Suits Disclosure Form (PDF)

Common Area Utility Disclosure

Applies to Oregon rentals which share a utility meter.

Oregon rentals must set terms for how to divide utility costs up on properties which share a utility meter with other units. This ensures tenants receive fair charges and understand what uses contribute to their bill.

Download: Oregon Common Utility Disclosure Form (PDF)

Smoking Policy Disclosure

Applies to Oregon rentals with a smoking policy.

Oregon landlords must disclose any existing smoking policy for a rental property. If smoking is only allowed in limited areas, the disclosure must specify those areas. This includes the dwelling itself, common areas, outdoor areas, and other locations on the rental property.

Download: Oregon Smoking Policy Disclosure Form (PDF)

Recycling Notice

Applies to Oregon rentals with five (5) or more dwelling units located in a city or urban growth boundary, which implement recycling services.

Oregon properties containing five or more dwellings are considered multifamily. Landlords must provide recycling services if a multifamily property falls in a city or within “urban growth boundary” of a city. Tenants must get notice of available recycling services at the beginning of the lease. In addition, tenants must get a notice once a year about recycling opportunities, locations, and methods.

Download: Oregon Recycling Notice Form (PDF)

Dishonored Check Fee

Applies to Oregon rentals charging a fee for returned checks.

Oregon landlords must disclose a dishonored check fee in the lease in order to charge it to a tenant later. A dishonored, returned, or “bounced” check is a check returned for lack of funds or credit. Oregon caps dishonored check fees at $35. A landlord can’t charge a dishonored check fee without demanding payment from the tenant first, in writing.

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure

Applies to any Oregon rentals built before 1978.

Oregon residential leases for property built before 1978 must, by federal law, contain a lead-based paint disclosure. This requires landlords to do the following:

Download: Oregon Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Form (PDF)

Additional Mandatory Residential Disclosures in Portland

  • Security Deposit Receipt (Applicable to all Portland rentals) 
    • Portland landlords must, within two weeks of move-in, provide tenants a security deposit receipt. This must have the name of the institution holding the security deposit, along with the address, and account type (interest-bearing vs. non-interest-bearing).
  • Condition Report Form (Applicable to all Portland rentals) 
    • Portland rentals must provide a condition report, also known as a move-in checklist, to take inventory of existing property damages. Either the landlord or the tenant must complete the condition report within seven days of move-in. This helps ensure accurate deductions for damage when the tenant moves out.

Optional Disclosures and Addenda (Recommended)

The following lease agreement disclosures and addenda are not required by Oregon law in residential lease agreements, but help with tenant management and landlord liability.

Optional Disclosure Purpose
Asbestos Informs tenants about any asbestos hazards related to the property. Tenants can reduce asbestos risk by not disturbing asbestos fibers.
Bed Bugs Informs tenants whether the property or an adjacent unit has a history of suspected bed bug infestation, and reminds the tenant of the obligation to report suspected infestation immediately.
Late Fees Specifies late fees or returned check fees related to the lease. Oregon caps late fees at 5% of the monthly rent for a flat fee, or 6% of the flat fee amount for a daily late fee. (Returned check fees must be disclosed in the lease and are limited to $35. )
Medical Marijuana Use Informs tenants about policy related to medical marijuana use on the rental property. Some state laws allow landlords to restrict marijuana usage to non-smoking methods only, or allow use only in designated smoking areas.
Mold Disclosure Informs tenants about actual or suspected mold contamination on the property efforts, plus information about treatments. This helps limit landlord liability.
Move-In Checklist Takes inventory of existing property damage, when the tenant moves into the rental property. This ensures accurate deductions from the security deposit upon move-out.
Non-Refundable Fees Charges not agreed by the tenant in the lease may be refundable when the lease ends. For Oregon landlords to charge a non-refundable fee, it must be disclosed and agreed as such in the lease.
note
Some Oregon cities, like Portland, have more comprehensive rules than the statewide standard. Always check local laws.

Consequences of Not Including Mandatory Disclosures

Mandatory disclosures outline important health, safety, and property information for the benefit of both landlord and tenant. A landlord who fails to provide federally or state-mandated disclosures could face legal consequences or monetary penalties, either from a tenant lawsuit or from state officials. Many lease provisions may be unenforceable without legally required disclosures.

Failure to comply with the federal lead-based paint hazard disclosure risks fines of tens of thousands of dollars per violation.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Depending on circumstances, in Oregon it’s usually possible to have a lease of any length of time, as long as the length of the lease term is specific and agreed in writing by the landlord and tenant. Oral leases can almost never be for a term of more than one year. Read more »
Yes, a contract to lease is legally binding in Oregon. To be valid, a contract to lease may have to be written, especially for a fixed term over one year. Oral leases may be valid in some cases (especially when both parties later behave as though there’s an enforceable oral lease), but often have strict limitations on enforceability for things like length of the lease term. Read more »
No, lease agreements do not need to be notarized in Oregon. A notary helps establish the identity of the people signing the lease, if there’s a claim of fraud, but a notary isn’t necessary for a lease to be valid. Read more »
Yes, a lease can automatically renew in Oregon. Most rental agreements will automatically renew when the initial tenancy period is over. Past this point, the lease becomes a month-to-month rental agreement, with the same basic terms and conditions otherwise as the original lease. In some cases, such as if rent is being paid weekly, the lease may become a week-to-week lease. Read more »

Residential Lease Agreements in Other States

Other Oregon Rental Templates