Sources checked:
Quick answer. Oregon: no deposit cap in the law read; deposit returned within 31 days; 24-hour entry notice; $10,000 small claims limit. 17 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 6 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- No cap in the law read
- Deposit back within
- 31 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- First year of occupancy: 30 days; After the first year (landlord-cause reasons): 90 days
- Unpaid rent notice
- 10-day notice (after day 8): 10 days; 13-day notice (after day 5): 13 days
- Entry notice
- 24 hours
- Time to answer or appear
- At the hearing
- Writ to lockout
- 4 days
- Small claims limit
- $10,000
Security deposit (5 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: ORS 90.300.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
No maximum in 90.300; it limits new or increased deposits during the first year (90.300(5)).
Source: Oregon Legislature: ORS chapter 90 (90.300), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
Not later than 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession: a written accounting of any claim and the balance, by personal delivery, first-class mail or, where allowed, email (90.300(12)-(14)).
Source: Oregon Legislature: ORS chapter 90 (90.300), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
A written accounting that states specifically the basis of each claim, separate for the deposit and prepaid rent (90.300(12)).
Source: Oregon Legislature: ORS chapter 90 (90.300), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedInterest on the deposit
Not confirmed — check Oregon Legislature: ORS chapter 90 (90.300). Not confirmed from official text. Check ORS 90.300.
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
The landlord gives a receipt and holds the deposit for the tenant (90.300(2)(a)); no account type is named.
Source: Oregon Legislature: ORS chapter 90 (90.300), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
Twice the amount withheld without a written accounting or in bad faith (90.300(16)).
Source: Oregon Legislature: ORS chapter 90 (90.300), checked November 2026
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (6 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | First year of occupancy: at least 30 days' written notice without cause. After the first year, generally only for cause; landlord-cause terminations need at least 90 days' written notice with the reason. | Source: Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office: Landlord-Tenant Rights and Responsibilities in Oregon (updated April 30, 2026), checked November 2026 (ORS chapter 90) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | At least 30 days' written notice. | Source: Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office: Landlord-Tenant Rights and Responsibilities in Oregon (updated April 30, 2026), checked November 2026 (ORS chapter 90) |
| Rent increase notice | At least 90 days' written notice before an increase takes effect; capped at the lesser of 10% or 7% plus CPI, generally once in 12 months. | Source: Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office: Landlord-Tenant Rights and Responsibilities in Oregon (updated April 30, 2026), checked November 2026 (ORS chapter 90) |
| Unpaid rent notice | Either 10 days' notice given after the 8th day of the rental period, or 13 days' notice given after the 5th day (72 hours for week-to-week). | Source: Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office: Landlord-Tenant Rights and Responsibilities in Oregon (updated April 30, 2026), checked November 2026 (ORS chapter 90) |
| Entry notice | At least 24 hours' notice, with exceptions such as emergencies. | Source: Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office: Landlord-Tenant Rights and Responsibilities in Oregon (updated April 30, 2026), checked November 2026 (ORS chapter 90) |
| Late fee limits | No late fee unless rent is unpaid after the 4th day of the rental period. | Source: Oregon Legislative Policy and Research Office: Landlord-Tenant Rights and Responsibilities in Oregon (updated April 30, 2026), checked November 2026 (ORS chapter 90) |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (5 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: Either 10 days' notice given after the 8th day of the rental period, or 13 days' notice given after the 5th day (72 hours for week-to-week).
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
Oregon law requires eviction cases to be filed in circuit court.
Yes, Oregon law requires a landlord to file an action for eviction with the Circuit Court.
Source: Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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ConfirmedTime to answer or appear
The tenant appears on the summons date and, if the case doesn't settle, files an answer by 4 p.m. that day.
the tenant must file an answer as soon as possible, but no later than 4:00 p.m. the same day as the first appearance.
Source: Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction, checked November 2026
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- Hearing or trial
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Not confirmedHearing after filing
Not confirmed — check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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Not confirmedJudgment to writ
Not confirmed — check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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ConfirmedWrit to lockout
A served Notice of Restitution gives the tenant four days to move before the sheriff can act.
gives the tenant four days, from the date it is served, to move from the premises.
Source: Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The sheriff removes a tenant who stays after the notice period, on a writ of execution.
as early as 4 days after the move-out date on the judgment
Source: Oregon Judicial Department: FED Instructions for Tenants (Sep 2025), checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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ConfirmedPaying to stop the case
In a nonpayment case, paying the full amount owed any time before trial lets the tenant ask the judge to dismiss; the tenant still has to come to court.
at any time before trial
Source: Oregon Judicial Department: FED Instructions for Tenants (Sep 2025), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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The first appearance is usually 7 to 15 days after filing (a court description, not a statute). Neither side gets a court-appointed lawyer.
More: Eviction process timeline by state · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$10,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
ORS 46.405 (2025 edition): small claims department available for claims up to $10,000; claims of $750 or less must be filed in small claims (except where the law allows attorney fees). Claims between $750 and $10,000 may go to small claims or general civil court. Senate Bill 484 (2025 session) proposed raising the limit to $20,000, but the 2025 ORS edition still shows $10,000; no enacted change was confirmed.
Filing fee to start a case: $57 to $102.
Source: Oregon Judicial Department: Small Claims Plaintiff's Instructions (05-77, 01/26), checked November 2026
More: Oregon small claims court
Still to confirm
- Interest on the deposit: check Oregon Legislature: ORS chapter 90 (90.300)
- Filing fee: check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction
- Hearing after filing: check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction
- Judgment to writ: check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check Oregon Judicial Department (Coos County): Residential Eviction
Oregon kit
Oregon Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Oregon return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Oregon?
No maximum in 90.300; it limits new or increased deposits during the first year (90.300(5)).
How long does a Oregon landlord have to return a deposit?
Not later than 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession: a written accounting of any claim and the balance, by personal delivery, first-class mail or, where allowed, email (90.300(12)-(14)). What goes with it: A written accounting that states specifically the basis of each claim, separate for the deposit and prepaid rent (90.300(12)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Oregon?
From the landlord: First year of occupancy: at least 30 days' written notice without cause. After the first year, generally only for cause; landlord-cause terminations need at least 90 days' written notice with the reason. From the tenant: At least 30 days' written notice.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Oregon?
Either 10 days' notice given after the 8th day of the rental period, or 13 days' notice given after the 5th day (72 hours for week-to-week).
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Oregon?
At least 24 hours' notice, with exceptions such as emergencies.
How long does an eviction case take in Oregon?
Time to answer or appear: At the hearing. Writ to lockout: 4 days. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a Oregon deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $10,000: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords