Can a landlord raise rent in the first year in Oregon?

Short answer

For most periodic tenancies, no. ORS 90.323 generally prohibits raising rent during the first year of occupancy. A scheduled increase written into a fixed-term lease that is set to begin during that year may be treated differently, so the answer depends on the situation and the lease terms.

When this comes up

This question often comes up when a landlord wants to align a recently acquired property's rents to market, or when a fixed-term lease is about to convert to month-to-month inside the first year of occupancy. The first-year clock generally runs from when the tenant first occupied the unit, not when the current rental agreement was signed.

Oregon rule or source to check

ORS 90.323 prohibits rent increases during the first year of occupancy on periodic tenancies. The rule is tied to the tenant's occupancy, so renewals and changes of rental agreement during that year do not restart the clock. Limited exceptions may apply for scheduled increases already baked into a fixed-term lease.

Practical workflow

1. 1. Practical workflow. 1) Confirm the tenant's actual first day of occupancy in the unit. 2) Calculate the 12-month mark. 3) If a notice would land before that mark, plan the effective date for after the first-year window closes. 4) If a fixed-term lease already includes a scheduled rent change, review the lease language carefully before relying on it. 5) When in doubt, push the effective date past the first anniversary and serve a clean 90-day notice.
2. 2. Common mistakes. Treating the date of the most recent lease as the start of the first-year window; assuming a new owner can reset the clock; and treating a fixed-term lease's scheduled increase as if it were a separate notice under ORS 90.323 without verifying the lease language.
3. 3. Related forms or workflows. A move-in record that clearly documents the tenant's first day of occupancy, and a 90-day written rent increase notice timed to take effect after the first-year window. Trade-group form sets often include compliant notice templates.

Common mistakes

Related forms or workflows

Related questions

• How does the Oregon 90-day rent increase notice work?
• Can rent be increased during a fixed-term lease in Oregon?
• Which Oregon properties are exempt from the rent increase cap?

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Related Oregon resources

• Oregon Landlord-Tenant Resource Center
• Oregon rent increase rules
• Oregon Landlord-Tenant Law Hub