How much notice before landlord entry in Oregon?

Short answer

Oregon landlords must give at least 24 hours' actual notice before entering a rental, under ORS 90.322(1)(e). The notice has to state the purpose and a reasonable time, and entry itself must occur at a reasonable hour. Skipping notice or entering for harassment exposes the landlord to a tenant remedy of one month's rent plus actual damages under ORS 90.322(8).

When this comes up

Scheduling a contractor, annual or move-out inspection, appraisal, photographer, or buyer showing - and any time a tenant asks whether a same-day text, a sticky note on the door, or a 'we'll be by tomorrow morning' voicemail is legally enough notice in Oregon.

Oregon rule or source to check

ORS 90.322(1)(e) sets the 24-hour actual-notice baseline and the reasonable-time standard for non-emergency entry. ORS 90.322(1)(b)-(d) cover emergency, agreed, and abandonment entry. ORS 90.322(6) defines 'actual notice.' ORS 90.155 governs written notice delivery (personal, first-class mail with three extra days, or attach-and-mail when authorized). ORS 90.322(8) is the tenant remedy - one month's periodic rent plus actual damages - for repeated unlawful entry or entry used to harass.

Practical workflow

  1. 1. Count 24 hours from receipt, not from sending. ORS 90.322(1)(e) requires 24 hours of actual notice. The clock starts when the tenant actually receives the notice. If you mail it, ORS 90.155(1)(c) adds three days. Door-posting alone is not authorized unless the rental agreement explicitly permits it.
  2. 2. Pick a delivery method that creates a record. Hand delivery to the tenant (or any resident over 16) is cleanest. Text or email counts only if the written rental agreement authorizes electronic notice. A photo of a hand-delivered notice with a timestamp is the simplest proof.
  3. 3. State purpose, date, and a specific window. Include the unit address, the date, a defined time window (e.g. '10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.'), the reason for entry (repair, inspection, showing, appraisal, contractor), and the name of any third party who will enter. 'Sometime tomorrow' is not a reasonable time on its face.
  4. 4. Enter only at a reasonable hour. ORS 90.322(1)(e) also requires entry at a 'reasonable time.' Industry practice is 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on a weekday. Late evenings, very early mornings, and unannounced re-entry on the same notice are all risk points.
  5. 5. Document delivery and the visit itself. Keep the delivered notice, a delivery photo or receipt, and a short log of who entered, when they arrived, when they left, and what was done. This is the record you need if the tenant later claims an ORS 90.322(8) violation.

Common mistakes

Counting the 24 hours from when the notice was drafted rather than received; using email or text when the lease does not authorize electronic notice; vague time windows like 'sometime tomorrow'; sending a contractor without a separate landlord notice; entering for a different purpose than what the notice stated; and repeated entries within a short period - which can trigger the one-month-rent remedy under ORS 90.322(8) even if each individual entry had notice.

Related forms or workflows

A 24-hour notice of entry (any compliant template works - third-party sources publishes one) plus a short entry log. For move-out, pair the 24-hour notice with the deposit accounting workflow. For showings during a sale, see the selling-with-tenant workflow.

Related questions

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Propsistant provides educational information and workflow guidance. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

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