Oregon Notice to Vacate: 2026 Landlord Rules & Just Cause

After the first year of occupancy, ORS 90.427(5) limits a no-cause termination to a qualifying landlord reason. Those reasons include that the landlord has accepted an offer to purchase the unit, separately from the surrounding property, from a buyer who in good faith intends to occupy it as a primary residence; that the landlord or a member of the landlord's immediate family intends to occupy the unit as a primary residence and the landlord has no comparable unit available in the same building; that the landlord intends to demolish the unit or convert it to a non-residential use within a reasonable time; or that the landlord intends to repair or renovate the unit within a reasonable time and the premises is or will be unsafe or unfit for occupancy during the work. Each qualifying-reason termination requires at least 90 days' written notice and payment of one month's periodic rent in relocation assistance under ORS 90.427(6), unless the landlord owns four or fewer residential dwelling units.

ORS 90.394 governs termination for nonpayment of rent. For a week-to-week tenancy, the landlord must give at least 72 hours' written notice, delivered no sooner than the fifth day of the rental period. For all other tenancies, the landlord may use either at least 10 days' written notice, delivered no sooner than the eighth day of the rental period, or at least 13 days' written notice, delivered no sooner than the fifth day of the rental period. The notice must specify the amount of rent that must be paid and the date and time by which the tenant must pay to cure the nonpayment.

For a curable for-cause violation under ORS 90.392, the termination notice must state the acts or omissions constituting the cause, set a termination date not less than 30 days after delivery, and state that the tenant can avoid termination by correcting the violation, with at least 14 days after delivery to cure. If the violation is substantially the same act or omission as a prior violation for which the landlord gave notice within the previous six months, ORS 90.392(5)(a) provides that the tenant does not have a right to cure the later violation, though the landlord may not terminate on that basis if the only violation is failure to pay the current month's rent. Serious conduct described in ORS 90.396, such as threatening or inflicting substantial personal injury or intentionally inflicting substantial damage to the premises, may be terminated on at least 24 hours' written notice specifying the acts and omissions.

Yes. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. § 3955) provides lease-termination and eviction protections for servicemembers, and Oregon law (ORS 90.475) provides an early-termination right for a tenant who is called to active state or federal service or receives qualifying change-of-station or deployment orders. A landlord who learns a tenant may be entitled to these protections should verify the orders before continuing with a notice to vacate or an eviction on that tenancy. Confirm the controlling subsections of the current statutes for the specific situation, since these protections turn on the tenant's service status and orders.

Oregon's notice requirements are statutory, and the eviction action depends on a valid notice. ORS Chapter 90 requires written notice (oral notice does not satisfy the statute), the correct notice period for the reason for termination, and the content specified for that notice type. For example, a nonpayment notice under ORS 90.394 must state the amount of rent owed and the date and time to pay to cure, and a for-cause notice under ORS 90.392 must specify the acts or omissions and a termination date not less than 30 days after delivery. A notice served by mail extends the minimum period by three days under ORS 90.155(2). A notice that uses the wrong period, omits required content, or is delivered by a method the statute or rental agreement does not authorize can undermine the FED action and force the landlord to re-serve a corrected notice.

No. ORS 90.385(1) prohibits a landlord from retaliating by increasing rent, decreasing services, serving a notice to terminate the tenancy, or bringing or threatening an action for possession after a tenant has complained to a government agency about a code or housing-discrimination violation, made a good faith complaint to the landlord related to the tenancy, organized or joined a tenants' union, testified against the landlord in a proceeding, or otherwise asserted or protected tenant rights under law. Under ORS 90.385(3), a tenant has the remedies in ORS 90.375 and a defense in any retaliatory action for possession.

After the first year of occupancy, yes. When a landlord delivers a notice to terminate for a qualifying landlord reason under ORS 90.427(5), ORS 90.427(6) requires the landlord to pay the tenant an amount equal to one month's periodic rent at the time the notice is delivered. This relocation-assistance requirement does not apply to a landlord who has an ownership interest in four or fewer residential dwelling units. The City of Portland separately imposes a Mandatory Renter Relocation Assistance ordinance (Portland City Code 30.01.085) that can require additional, tiered relocation payments; confirm the current city amounts directly with the City of Portland before relying on them.