Oregon Rent Increase Laws: What Landlords Can and Cannot Do
Oregon was the first state to adopt statewide rent control: increases are capped, limited to once a year, and barred in a tenant’s first year. Here is how to raise rent legally in 2026.
Raising the rent in Oregon is capped by statute. Oregon was the first state to adopt statewide rent control, and Senate Bill 608 limits the annual increase to seven percent plus inflation, ceilinged at ten percent, with long notice periods and no increase in a tenant’s first year – so the amount is not simply up to the landlord.
This guide covers whether Oregon has rent control, how much notice you must give, when you can raise the rent, and the limits that still apply. If you are setting rent for a new applicant, our overview of how to screen tenants step by step pairs well with the rules below.
Video: a plain-language walkthrough of Oregon rent increase rules – notice periods, timing, and the limits on raising rent.
Key Takeaways: Oregon Rent Increase Laws
- Statewide rent control. Oregon was the first state to cap rent increases statewide, under Senate Bill 608.
- The cap is seven percent plus inflation, with an absolute ceiling of ten percent – about nine and one-half percent for 2026.
- Ninety days’ notice, or one hundred eighty days for an increase above ten percent, and only once in any twelve-month period.
- No first-year increase. A landlord may not raise the rent during a tenant’s first year, and newer construction is exempt for fifteen years.
Is There Rent Control in Oregon?
Yes, statewide. Oregon was the first state to adopt statewide rent control, and Senate Bill 608 caps the annual rent increase at seven percent plus the regional consumer price index, with an absolute ceiling of ten percent. For 2026 the state set the limit at about nine and one-half percent, and a landlord may raise the rent only once in any twelve-month period.
The cap applies to most housing that is at least fifteen years old; newer construction is exempt for its first fifteen years, and a landlord may not raise the rent at all during a tenant’s first year. The notice rules – ninety days, or one hundred eighty for an increase above ten percent – run alongside the cap. Our overview of how to screen tenants step by step is a useful companion if you are setting rent for a new tenant rather than a renewal.
How Much Notice Before a Rent Increase in Oregon?
Oregon ties both the amount and the notice to statute. Under Senate Bill 608, a landlord must give ninety days’ written notice for a rent increase up to the cap, and one hundred eighty days’ notice for an increase above ten percent, and no increase at all is allowed during the first year of a tenancy.
The notice must state the new rent, the effective date, and the facts supporting the increase, and a landlord may raise the rent only once in any twelve-month period. Our deeper look at Oregon late fee laws covers the related charges that often change alongside the rent.
When Can You Raise the Rent?
Timing is where most rent-increase disputes start. An increase takes effect only after the ninety-day notice, never in the first year, and only once in any twelve-month period within the cap. During a fixed-term lease the rent is locked for the term unless the lease itself contains an escalation clause, so a mid-term increase without that clause is not enforceable.
For a month-to-month tenancy, the increase takes effect only after the required notice period runs. You can read how the underlying tenancy ends and renews on our Oregon eviction notice laws page, which covers the notice mechanics that rent changes share.
Retaliation and Discrimination Limits in Oregon
Oregon’s protections go beyond the cap. A landlord may not raise the rent in retaliation for a tenant’s complaint or repair request, and the same law that caps increases also limits no-cause evictions after the first year of occupancy.
An increase that singles out a tenant because of a protected characteristic is separately unlawful as housing discrimination. For the federal baseline on protected characteristics, see our Fair Housing Act guide for landlords.
Writing a Valid Rent-Increase Notice
A Oregon rent-increase notice is only effective if it is done right. Put it in writing, state the current rent, the new rent, and the exact date the new rent takes effect, and deliver it far enough ahead to satisfy the notice period. A vague or verbal notice, or one that shortchanges the timing, is invalid, and the old rent continues until a proper notice is given.
Keep a copy of the notice and proof of how and when you delivered it. If a tenant later disputes the increase, that dated record is what shows the notice was timely and complete.
Rent Increases and Fair Housing in Oregon
An increase that is lawful in amount can still be unlawful in motive. Raising one tenant’s rent more steeply, or on a different schedule, because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability is housing discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act, which applies in Oregon regardless of the lack of rent control.
The safeguard is consistency: set increases by an objective, even-handed method – market rate, a fixed schedule, or a documented cost basis – and apply it the same way to comparable units. Our deeper look at Oregon security deposit laws shows the same even-handed discipline applied to deposits.
Screening Before You Raise the Rent
A rent increase is also a moment to think about who is in the unit. When a tenant declines an increase and moves on, the next applicant should be screened to the same standard you use for everyone, because the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act governs that report whether you are in Oregon or anywhere else.
Get written consent, pull a consumer report for a permissible purpose, and send an adverse action notice if the report drives a denial. Our Oregon tenant screening laws page and the broader tenant screening laws by state guide cover the screening half of the cycle.
A Compliant Oregon Rent-Increase Process
Turn the rules into one repeatable sequence. First, confirm the tenancy type and the point in the term, since a fixed lease locks the rent until it ends. Second, set the new rent by an objective, even-handed method. Third, prepare a written notice stating the current rent, the new rent, and the effective date. Fourth, deliver it with the full notice period the law requires and keep proof. Fifth, make sure the timing is clear of any recent complaint so the increase cannot look retaliatory.
Handled this way, an increase in Oregon is routine. The same discipline that keeps screening defensible – objective criteria, applied uniformly, documented – keeps a rent increase defensible too.
Common Mistakes That Create Liability
The recurring Oregon errors are raising rent mid-lease without a clause that allows it, giving short or verbal notice, timing an increase right after a tenant’s complaint or repair request, applying steeper increases to some tenants than to comparable others, and – where a local cap applies – exceeding it. Most turn on timing, form, and motive, which is where the law imposes real limits even where the amount is not capped.
Set the number, follow the rules. Whether or not a local cap applies, Oregon regulates the notice, the timing, and the motive of a rent increase. Build the written notice, the full notice period, and an even-handed increase method into your standard workflow.
Documentation and Recordkeeping in Oregon
Because Oregon regulates the notice, timing, and motive of an increase, your records are what prove you followed the rules. Keep a copy of every rent-increase notice, the current and new rent, the effective date, and proof of how and when it was delivered. A complete file is the answer to a tenant who claims the notice was late or never arrived.
Keep the increase method too – the market comparison, schedule, or cost basis behind the number – so you can show the increase was set by an objective standard and applied consistently. If a tenant alleges a retaliatory or discriminatory motive, that record of an even-handed method is your strongest rebuttal.
Set one retention policy and apply it to every tenant and every increase. A consistent multi-year record of notices, delivery proof, and the basis for each increase gives you the evidence to answer a fair housing inquiry or a dispute over whether the rent was lawfully raised. Our guide to verifying tenant income rounds out the financial side of managing a tenancy in Oregon.
Do
- ✓Give written notice that states the new rent and its effective date, with the time the law requires.
- ✓Wait until the end of a fixed lease term to raise the rent, unless the lease expressly allows it sooner.
- ✓Apply increases consistently, by the same schedule and method, to comparable tenants.
- ✓Keep the timing clear of any complaint or repair request so the increase is not retaliatory.
- ✓Document the notice and how it was delivered, in case the increase is ever questioned.
Avoid
- ✕Raise the rent mid-lease when the lease does not permit it.
- ✕Skip or shorten the written-notice period the state requires.
- ✕Increase rent to punish a tenant for a complaint, repair request, or organizing – that is illegal retaliation.
- ✕Single out a tenant for a higher increase based on a protected characteristic.
- ✕Rely on a verbal notice instead of a dated written one.
Oregon Rent Increase Laws: FAQ
Is there rent control in Oregon?
Yes, statewide. Oregon was the first state to adopt statewide rent control, under Senate Bill 608, which caps annual rent increases for most housing.
How much can an Oregon landlord raise the rent?
No more than seven percent plus the regional consumer price index, capped at ten percent. For 2026 the state set the limit at about nine and one-half percent.
How much notice must an Oregon landlord give to raise rent?
Ninety days’ written notice for an increase up to the cap, and one hundred eighty days for an increase above ten percent, with the notice stating the new rent and the supporting facts.
Can an Oregon landlord raise rent in the first year?
No. Senate Bill 608 bars any rent increase during the first year of a tenancy, and after that an increase is allowed only once in any twelve-month period.
Which properties are exempt from Oregon rent control?
Housing that is less than fifteen years old is exempt from the cap for its first fifteen years; most older housing is covered.
Can an Oregon landlord raise rent in retaliation?
No. A landlord may not raise the rent in retaliation for a complaint or repair request, and the same law limits no-cause evictions after the first year.
How often can an Oregon landlord raise the rent?
Only once in any twelve-month period, and only within the cap, with the required ninety- or one-hundred-eighty-day notice.
Does a rent increase need to be in writing in Oregon?
Yes. The notice must be in writing, state the new rent and effective date, and include the facts supporting the increase; an improper notice is invalid.
How much notice must a Oregon landlord give before raising rent?
It depends on the tenancy. For a month-to-month tenancy a Oregon landlord must give the state’s required written notice before the new rent takes effect; for a fixed-term lease the rent generally cannot change until the term ends. Always put the new amount and the effective date in a dated written notice.
Can a Oregon landlord raise rent in the middle of a lease?
Generally no. Unless the written lease expressly allows a mid-term increase, the rent is fixed for the term, so a Oregon landlord must wait until the lease ends and give proper notice before changing it.
Related Oregon Rent Increase and Rental Guides
- Rent increase laws by state – compare Oregon to the rest of the country.
- Oregon late fee laws – what you can charge for late rent.
- Oregon security deposit laws – limits, deductions, and the return deadline.
- Oregon eviction notice laws – notice periods and the eviction timeline.
- Oregon habitability laws – your maintenance obligations as a landlord.
- Tenant screening laws by state – screen the tenant before you set the rent.
- Oregon tenant screening laws – what you can check before renting.
Screen Oregon Tenants the Compliant Way
Before you raise the rent, make sure the tenant is one you trust. Order FCRA-ready credit, criminal, and eviction reports and rent with confidence in Oregon.
Published by Tenant Screening Background Check · Editorial Team
Established 2004. Our editorial team has spent two decades helping landlords and property managers run lawful, FCRA-compliant tenant screening across all 50 states. We translate state landlord-tenant codes and federal screening rules into processes you can actually follow.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Oregon and federal laws change, and how they apply depends on your specific facts. Before acting on any screening, fee, deposit, or fair housing question, consult a licensed attorney in Oregon. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.
