Portland Residential Lease Agreement
Generate a residential lease agreement that complies with Portland's local ordinances — including rent control rules, just-cause eviction requirements, and mandatory disclosures that go beyond Oregon state law.
Portland Residential Lease Agreement
Portland, Oregon
Local Ordinances
Portland Lease Requirements
What Portland's local ordinances require that Oregon state law does not.
Portland landlords providing a no-fault termination under Portland City Code (PCC) 30.01.085 must include in the termination notice a written statement advising the tenant of their right to receive relocation assistance and the amount they are owed; failure to include this statement in the notice renders it void.
For no-fault terminations (including owner move-in, demolition, substantial renovation, or simple non-renewal without cause), landlords must pay relocation assistance equal to one month's rent for units rented month-to-month and 1.5 months' rent for fixed-term leases not being renewed, payable within 45 days of the notice.
Landlords must provide tenants with written notice of the reason for any termination; for lease violations, the notice must specify the act or omission constituting the violation and inform the tenant of their right to cure within 30 days, per PCC 30.01.085(D).
Under Oregon state law (ORS 90.322), landlords must provide at least 24 hours' written or verbal notice before entering a rental unit for non-emergency repairs or inspections; Portland does not extend this period, but entry must occur at a reasonable time agreed upon by the parties.
Landlords who include drug/crime-free housing addenda in leases may only use such addenda in compliance with the Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (ORLTA) safe harbor provisions; addenda that automatically terminate tenancies based on a single arrest (without conviction) are unenforceable under Oregon Fair Housing law.
Restrictions & Limits
Under PCC 30.01.085, no-fault terminations (non-renewals without cause) require 90 days' written notice for month-to-month tenancies and for fixed-term leases not being renewed; shorter notice periods are prohibited for any tenancy where the tenant has resided for 12 or more months.
Portland landlords may not retaliate against tenants who report housing code violations, join tenant organizations, or exercise any right under the ORLTA or Portland City Code; retaliation within six months of a protected action is presumed, per ORS 90.385.
Landlords may not use a tenant's source of income (including Section 8 vouchers) as a basis for refusing to rent or imposing different rental terms, per Portland's source-of-income protection ordinance (PCC 23.01.080); violators are subject to civil penalties and private lawsuit.
Portland prohibits landlords from requiring a security deposit greater than the equivalent of two months' rent (one month's rent for tenancies subsidized by a government program); any deposit beyond this cap is voidable by the tenant, per ORS 90.300.
For substantial renovation evictions requiring a City building permit, Portland landlords must provide 90 days' notice and pay enhanced relocation assistance; relocation must be paid in full before the tenant is required to vacate, and landlords who fail to pay lose the right to proceed with the renovation-based eviction.
Notice Requirements
Portland landlords must give 90 days' written notice for any no-fault termination (including non-renewal of a fixed-term lease), must simultaneously disclose the tenant's right to and amount of relocation assistance in the notice, must provide 30 days to cure for lease violations, and must give 24 hours' advance notice before any non-emergency entry.
FAQ
Portland Lease FAQ
Common questions about renting in Portland.
Does Portland have rent control?
No — Oregon state law (ORS 91.225) preempts local rent control ordinances, so Portland cannot cap rent increases. However, Portland's no-fault termination ordinance (PCC 30.01.085) requires 90 days' notice and relocation assistance for non-renewals, which significantly limits a landlord's practical ability to use lease non-renewal as a backdoor rent increase tool. Statewide AB 1482 equivalent protections (SB 608, 2019) limit rent increases for covered tenancies to 7% plus CPI annually.
Am I entitled to relocation assistance if my landlord doesn't renew my lease?
Yes — under PCC 30.01.085, if your landlord terminates your tenancy without cause (including non-renewal of a fixed-term lease) and you have lived in the unit for 12 or more months, you are entitled to relocation assistance equal to one month's rent (month-to-month) or 1.5 months' rent (fixed-term non-renewal). The landlord must include this right and the dollar amount in the termination notice itself; an improperly served notice that omits this information is void. The relocation must be paid within 45 days of the notice.
What notice must my landlord give before terminating for a lease violation?
Under PCC 30.01.085(D) and ORS 90.392, for most curable lease violations (unauthorized pet, smoking, noise), the landlord must give a 30-day notice specifying the violation and giving you the opportunity to cure; if you remedy the violation within 30 days, the notice is void and eviction may not proceed on that basis. For the same violation committed three or more times within a 12-month period, the landlord may issue a 10-day unconditional quit notice without opportunity to cure.
What is the Portland source-of-income protection and how does it affect my application?
Portland's source-of-income ordinance (PCC 23.01.080) prohibits landlords from refusing to rent or imposing different terms based on a rental applicant's lawful source of income, including Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers, and other government assistance programs. Landlords must accept voucher holders through their standard application process and may not advertise 'no Section 8' or apply different screening standards to voucher holders. Complaints can be filed with the Portland Bureau of Development Services, and successful complainants may recover actual damages, emotional distress damages, and attorney's fees.
Create Your Portland Lease Agreement
Our AI builds a lease that incorporates Portland's local ordinances automatically — so you don't have to research them yourself.
Disclaimer: LegalLawDocs.com provides self-help legal documents for informational purposes only. The documents and information on this site do not constitute legal advice and are not a substitute for consultation with a licensed attorney. Laws vary by state and change frequently — review your document with a qualified professional before relying on it.