Do this today
- Photograph the empty unit and the keys as you return them.
- Give a forwarding address in writing.
- Keep the lease, the deduction list, and proof of mailing.
- Open the Oregon deposit chapter before you treat a blog as the clock.
Who sets the deposit rule in Portland?
Usually Oregon — Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Some cities add their own itemization or holding rules. Oregon’s Chapter 90 is the statewide book. Portland’s Rental Services Office is the local desk. Coverage of any Portland-only screening or relocation rule is an address-and-ordinance question. This desk names the chapter. It does not reprint a cap or a day-count.
What evidence actually matters?
Move-in and move-out photos with dates, the lease, the forwarding address you gave, proof you returned the keys, and any deduction list. A text argument without photos is a weak file.
What does Portland’s Rental Services Office actually do?
It publishes local rules, screens some notices, and answers coverage questions for City ordinances. It is not a court and it is not legal aid. Multnomah County Circuit Court hears possession cases. Oregon’s landlord-tenant chapter is still the floor.
Oregon CAT, oregonrentersrights.org, or 211info — which one?
Community Alliance of Tenants (oregoncat.org) is a tenants union — education and organizing. oregonrentersrights.org is a self-help handbook hub and a pointer to the Eviction Defense Project. 211info.org is regional 211 for rent, shelter, food, and utilities. ORS Chapter 90 is the statute. Portland Rental Services is the City office. They are not interchangeable.
The Portland layer
Oregon’s Chapter 90 is the statewide book. Portland’s Rental Services Office is the local desk. Coverage of any Portland-only screening or relocation rule is an address-and-ordinance question.
Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 90.100 to 90.875) is the Oregon floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
Portland questions
How do I get my security deposit back in Portland?
Photograph the unit, return the keys as the lease requires, and give a forwarding address in writing. The clock and the cap live mainly in Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Oregon’s Chapter 90 is the statewide book. Portland’s Rental Services Office is the local desk. Coverage of any Portland-only screening or relocation rule is an address-and-ordinance question.
Does Portland set its own deposit deadline?
Sometimes a city adds a rule; often it does not. Oregon’s Chapter 90 is the statewide book. Portland’s Rental Services Office is the local desk. Coverage of any Portland-only screening or relocation rule is an address-and-ordinance question. Confirm with Portland Rental Services Office and the Oregon chapter. We do not invent a day-count.
What does Portland’s Rental Services Office actually do?
It publishes local rules, screens some notices, and answers coverage questions for City ordinances. It is not a court and it is not legal aid. Multnomah County Circuit Court hears possession cases. Oregon’s landlord-tenant chapter is still the floor.
Oregon CAT, oregonrentersrights.org, or 211info — which one?
Community Alliance of Tenants (oregoncat.org) is a tenants union — education and organizing. oregonrentersrights.org is a self-help handbook hub and a pointer to the Eviction Defense Project. 211info.org is regional 211 for rent, shelter, food, and utilities. ORS Chapter 90 is the statute. Portland Rental Services is the City office. They are not interchangeable.
What number should I call in Portland?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. Portland Rental Services Office does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org