Do this today
- Write the problem. Date it. Keep photos.
- Open a request with Portland Rental Services Office or dial 311.
- Do not skip rent until legal aid has read the process for your state.
Who inspects a Portland rental?
Portland Rental Services Office is the local conditions door, and 311 is often how you open a request. An inspector’s dated notice is a different kind of paper than a text to the manager. 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.
Can I stop paying rent to force the repair?
Sometimes Oregon law provides a repair-and-deduct or rent-withholding process, and sometimes skipping rent is grounds for eviction. That line is in Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Ask legal aid before you change what you pay.
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
My landlord in Portland will not make repairs — what can I do?
Put it in writing. Keep photos. File with Portland Rental Services Office or dial 311. Do not skip rent until legal aid has read Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act with you.
Is 311 enough?
311 opens a City request. It is not a court case and it is not legal aid. Keep the request number. If the unit is dangerous tonight, 911 or the utility first.
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