Portland rental rules add a layer of local ordinances on top of Oregon's statewide landlord-tenant law (ORS Chapter 90). If your property sits inside Portland city limits, Portland City Code Title 30 controls screening (the FAIR Ordinance, 30.01.086), Mandatory Renter Relocation Assistance (FAIR-RRA, 30.01.085), security deposits and move-in fees (30.01.087), and several notice scenarios that go beyond what the state requires. This Portland hub maps each local ordinance to the corresponding ORS section so you can research the right rule for your scenario, then move into the workflow tools.
Most Portland landlord-tenant rules live in Portland City Code Title 30, Chapter 30.01. Key sections: 30.01.085 (Mandatory Renter Relocation Assistance), 30.01.086 (Fair Access In Renting / FAIR Ordinance, including screening criteria and security deposit standards), and 30.01.087 (security deposits and last month's rent). Each section sits on top of ORS Chapter 90 - you must comply with both layers, and the stricter of the two generally wins.
Portland's FAIR Ordinance gives landlords two screening paths: the Low-Barrier Criteria (a 'safe harbor' set of screening standards the city has pre-approved) or Modified Screening Criteria (where the landlord uses different criteria but must perform an individual assessment of negative findings, give the applicant a chance to provide supplemental evidence, and document the decision). Common pain points: application acceptance windows, the requirement to process the first-eligible applicant under modified screening, and detailed adverse-action notice rules.
FAIR-RRA requires landlords to pay relocation assistance for qualifying events: a no-cause termination, a qualifying landlord-reason termination, a rent increase of 10% or more over a rolling 12-month period that the tenant rejects in writing, or a substantial change to lease terms. Scheduled payments range from roughly $2,900 (studio) to $4,500 (3+ bedrooms) plus a $300 administrative fee, and the landlord must give written notice and pay 45 days before the effective date. Confirm current dollar amounts before sending notice.
Inside Portland, the combined total of security deposit and last month's rent generally cannot exceed one and a half months' rent (with stricter caps when modified screening is used). Landlords must document the dwelling's condition with photographs or a written report at move-in, give the tenant a copy, and use specific depreciation schedules when deducting from the deposit at move-out. ORS 90.300's 31-day accounting deadline still applies on top of the Portland documentation requirements.
Portland does not have its own rent cap, so the statewide Oregon cap (lesser of 10% or 7% + CPI, capped at 9.5% for 2026 under ORS 90.323 / 90.324) and the 90-day written notice still apply inside Portland. The Portland-specific twist is FAIR-RRA: if the increase is 10% or more in a rolling 12-month period and the tenant gives written notice that they cannot afford it and will move, relocation assistance can be triggered. Most Portland landlords therefore plan increases below the 10% FAIR-RRA threshold.
Oregon caps screening charges to the landlord's average actual cost (ORS 90.295), and Portland's FAIR Ordinance adds disclosure and refund obligations - particularly when applications are accepted out of order, when an applicant is screened under modified criteria, or when the landlord decides not to process an application after collecting the fee. Maintain a written log of when each application was received, screened, and decided.
The notice types in ORS 90.392 / 90.394 / 90.396 / 90.427 still apply in Portland, but FAIR-RRA can attach a relocation payment to no-cause notices and qualifying landlord-reason notices. Owner-occupied two-unit properties remain exempt from the no-cause rule under ORS 90.427(7), but the FAIR-RRA exemption list is narrower than the ORS exemption list - confirm both before serving a no-cause notice in Portland.
Under ORS 90.427, a fixed-term lease in Oregon generally rolls to month-to-month after the first year unless the landlord gives a qualifying-reason notice. Portland does not change the rollover rule, but a non-renewal of a fixed-term lease after the first year is treated as a no-cause termination for FAIR-RRA purposes, which can trigger relocation assistance.
The Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (ORS Chapter 90) sets the floor; Portland ordinances raise that floor for properties inside city limits. When the two conflict, the stricter rule controls unless state law expressly preempts the local rule. Start every Portland question by identifying the ORS section, then check the matching Portland City Code chapter for an overlay before drafting notices or screening forms.
1) Confirm the property address is inside Portland city limits (not Beaverton, Gresham, or unincorporated Multnomah County). 2) Identify the Oregon statute that controls the scenario. 3) Open the Portland subpage for that topic and review the FAIR / FAIR-RRA / 30.01.087 overlay. 4) Use the Notice and Form Finder or Security Deposit Assistant to produce the right document. 5) If facts are unusual (subsidized units, ADUs, owner-occupied duplex, week-to-week tenancy), open Ask Propsistant to surface the matching ORS subsection.
Inside Portland city limits, Portland City Code 30.01.085 (Mandatory Renter Relocation Assistance), 30.01.086 (FAIR Ordinance screening and security deposit standards), and 30.01.087 (deposit and last month's rent caps) layer on top of ORS Chapter 90. The stricter of the two layers generally controls.
Portland does not have its own rent cap. The Oregon statewide cap under ORS 90.323 / 90.324 (lesser of 10% or 7% + CPI, capped at 9.5% for 2026) applies inside Portland. Increases of 10% or more in a rolling 12-month period can trigger FAIR-RRA relocation assistance under PCC 30.01.085.
FAIR-RRA is owed for no-cause terminations, qualifying landlord-reason terminations, rent increases of 10% or more that the tenant rejects in writing, and substantial lease-term changes. Payments range from roughly $2,900 to $4,500 plus a $300 admin fee and must be paid 45 days before the effective date. Confirm the current schedule before serving notice.
Under PCC 30.01.087 the combined total of security deposit and last month's rent generally cannot exceed one and a half months' rent inside Portland, with tighter limits when a landlord uses modified screening. Oregon's 31-day deposit accounting deadline (ORS 90.300) still applies on top of the Portland cap.
FAIR (PCC 30.01.086) applies to most residential rentals inside Portland city limits with narrow exemptions (such as some owner-occupied configurations and certain short-term arrangements). Verify exemption status in the current Portland City Code before using non-FAIR screening criteria.
Oregon caps screening charges at the landlord's average actual cost (ORS 90.295), and Portland adds FAIR Ordinance disclosure, refund, and order-of-processing requirements. Keep a written log of when each application was received and decided.
Inside the first year of occupancy a 30-day no-cause notice under ORS 90.427(5)(a) is generally still allowed. After the first year no-cause terminations require a qualifying reason under ORS 90.427(5)(b) plus 90-day notice and one month's rent in relocation assistance - and FAIR-RRA payments can stack on top inside Portland.
Portland's Rental Services Office (under the Portland Housing Bureau) administers FAIR and FAIR-RRA, publishes the current relocation-assistance schedule, and handles complaints. For Oregon statewide questions the Oregon Real Estate Agency and Oregon DOJ publish landlord-tenant guidance.
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Propsistant provides general landlord-tenant information from selected statutes and official sources. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and is not a substitute for a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.