No-Cause Eviction in Oregon: Notices, Reasons, and Relocation Pay

A no-cause eviction in Oregon is only allowed during the tenant’s first year of occupancy. During that window, a landlord can end a month-to-month tenancy with 30 days’ written notice and no explanation. Once the tenant has lived in the unit for more than a year, the landlord loses that option and can only terminate for one of four specific reasons set out in ORS 90.427, with 90 days’ notice and, in most cases, a payment equal to one month’s rent.¹

The First-Year Rule

The clock starts when any current tenant first moved in, not when the most recent tenant was added to the lease. If two roommates share a unit and one has been there 14 months, the tenancy has passed the one-year mark even if the other roommate arrived six months ago.²

There is no grace period. A no-cause notice delivered on day 366 is invalid. During the first year, though, the notice itself is simple: written, 30 days out, no reason required.

After One Year: The Four Qualifying Reasons

Past the one-year mark, a landlord ending a month-to-month tenancy without tenant fault must cite one of these reasons and include supporting facts in the written notice:²

The landlord plans to demolish the unit or convert it to a non-residential use within a reasonable time.
The landlord intends to make repairs or renovations that will render the unit unsafe or unfit to live in during the work.
The landlord, or an immediate family member, plans to move in as a primary residence, and the landlord does not own a comparable unit in the same building that is available.
The landlord has accepted an offer to sell the unit to a buyer who intends to live there. Written evidence of the purchase offer must reach the tenant within 120 days of the landlord accepting the offer.

The notice period is 90 days, not 30. A vague reference to “renovations” or “family needs” without supporting facts is not enough, and a defective notice can be challenged if the case reaches court.

Relocation Assistance

When a landlord terminates for one of those four qualifying reasons, they generally must pay the tenant an amount equal to one month’s rent, and the payment must accompany the notice itself. Not before, not later.²

Landlords who own four or fewer residential rental units are exempt. The count looks at the landlord’s total ownership across all properties, not just units in one building. If a landlord who owes the payment fails to include it, the notice may be unenforceable, and the tenant can raise the missing payment as a defense to an eviction filing. Relocation assistance does not apply to first-year no-cause notices, because those do not require a qualifying reason in the first place.

How the Notice Must Be Delivered

A landlord can serve a termination notice by personal delivery, first-class mail, or attachment to the premises combined with mailing. If the notice is delivered only by mail, three extra days are added to the notice period: a 30-day notice becomes 33 days, and a 90-day notice becomes 93.²

Email is permitted only when both parties have agreed to it in the rental agreement, and even then the landlord must also send the notice by first-class mail.³ The day of service does not count, and the deadline runs through 11:59 p.m. of the final day.

Wrong dates, insufficient lead time, or improper delivery are all grounds to challenge a notice. When a notice fails on a procedural defect, the landlord typically has to start over with a new notice and a fresh waiting period.

When the Rules Don’t Apply

A few situations sit outside the standard no-cause framework, and it’s worth knowing whether yours is one of them.

Owner-Occupied Duplexes and ADUs

If the landlord’s primary residence is in the same building or on the same property as the rental, and the property has no more than two dwelling units total, the landlord can issue a no-cause termination even after the first year. The notice period for a month-to-month tenancy in this situation is 60 days. A 30-day notice applies in one narrow case: the landlord has accepted an offer to sell to a buyer who plans to live there, and written proof of the offer reaches the tenant within 120 days of acceptance.²

Newer Buildings

Properties where the first certificate of occupancy was issued less than 15 years ago are exempt from the standard no-cause restrictions. Some Oregon cities have adopted local rules that narrow this exemption within their boundaries.¹

Fixed-Term Leases

A landlord cannot end a fixed-term lease without cause during the term itself. If the lease ends within the tenant’s first year of occupancy, the landlord can decline to renew with 30 days’ written notice before the end date. If it ends after the first year, the lease automatically converts to month-to-month unless the parties sign a new fixed term, the tenant gives notice, or the landlord follows the 90-day qualifying-reason process.²

Portland’s Extra Requirements

Portland stacks its own rules on top of state law. Landlords serving a 90-day no-cause termination in Portland must pay fixed relocation amounts based on unit size, rather than one month’s rent:

Studio or SRO: $2,900
One bedroom: $3,300
Two bedrooms: $4,200
Three bedrooms or larger: $4,500

The same relocation obligation kicks in when a landlord raises rent by 10% or more within a 12-month period and the tenant chooses to move. A landlord who fails to comply can face liability of up to three times the monthly rent plus actual damages and attorney fees. Portland recognizes some exemptions, including landlords who share a dwelling unit with their tenant and landlords living in one half of a duplex.⁴

Oregon courts have confirmed these local ordinances are not preempted by state law. Tenants in Portland, Eugene, Milwaukie, and other cities with local protections should check city rules alongside the state ones.

Retaliation and Other Defenses

Under ORS 90.385, a landlord cannot terminate a tenancy in retaliation for a tenant filing a complaint with a government agency about housing conditions, joining a tenants’ organization, testifying against the landlord, or exercising any other right protected by law. If a court finds the eviction was retaliatory, the tenant can defeat the possession action and may be entitled to additional remedies.⁵

The defense has limits. A landlord can still proceed if the tenant’s complaint was unreasonable or harassing, the housing code violation was caused by the tenant’s own negligence, or the tenant was behind on rent when the notice was served.⁵

What to Do If You Get a No-Cause Notice

Start by checking whether the notice is valid. Count the days from the date of service, and add three if it came by mail alone. Confirm the delivery method was allowed. If you have lived in the unit for more than a year, look for a qualifying reason and supporting facts. If relocation assistance was owed, confirm it arrived with the notice.

If any of those pieces are missing, the notice may be unenforceable, and you can raise the defect as a defense if the landlord files an eviction case. You can also try to negotiate a later move-out date, but put any agreement in writing. Agreeing to a specific date and then staying past it costs you the ability to argue the original notice was defective.

Document the timeline if you suspect retaliation. A no-cause notice arriving shortly after a habitability complaint is exactly the pattern courts examine. Oregon legal aid organizations offer free or reduced-cost help with eviction defense, and the earlier you contact them the more options remain open.

What Happens If You Stay

A termination notice is not an eviction order. If you remain past the date in the notice, the landlord cannot change the locks, shut off utilities, or physically remove you. They must file a Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) action under ORS Chapter 105, and the case will be scheduled for a first appearance hearing, typically within 7 to 14 days.⁶ At that hearing you can raise defenses such as improper notice, retaliation, or unpaid relocation assistance. Only after a judgment and a Notice of Restitution can the sheriff be called in to enforce a move-out.⁷

1
Oregon State Legislature. SB 608 – Relating to Residential Tenancies
2
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code ORS 90.427 – Termination of Tenancy Without Tenant Cause
3
Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code Chapter 90 – Residential Landlord and Tenant
4
City of Portland. Mandatory Renter Relocation Assistance
5
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code ORS 90.385 – Retaliatory Conduct by Landlord
6
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code ORS 105.115 – Causes of Unlawful Holding by Force
7
Oregon Judicial Department. Landlord/Tenant – Going to Court