When Must a Oregon Landlord Return Your Security Deposit?

The Oregon rule in one table

What makes Oregon different

Oregon protects the deposit before move-out, too: a landlord generally cannot demand a new or increased deposit during the first year of a tenancy, and if one is required later, you get at least three months to pay it. Portland and a few other Oregon cities add their own deposit caps on top of state law — the state rule is 'no cap,' your city's rule may not be.

The move-out process, step by step

1. Your clock starts after the tenancy terminates and you deliver possession. Everything in Oregon is counted from that date — note it, and keep proof of when you handed back possession (photos of the empty unit, a signed move-out form, or the key-return receipt).
2. Give a forwarding address in writing. Some states make this a formal trigger for the landlord's duty; everywhere, the landlord can only mail the statement and any refund to an address they have. Email counts in most leases — written and kept beats verbal and lost.
3. Count the deadline: 31 days. Mark the calendar date. The landlord's obligation is to send by that date in most states — delivery or mailing by the deadline is what the statutes measure.
4. Read the statement against the statute. Yes — to claim any part of the deposit the landlord must deliver a written accounting that states specifically the basis for the claim, with separate accountings for the security deposit and any prepaid rent, inside the same 31 days.
5. If the deadline passes with nothing, the penalty rules switch on. If the landlord misses the deadline or keeps money in bad faith, you can recover the amount due plus an additional amount equal to twice the amount withheld without a written accounting, or withheld in bad faith.

If your landlord missed the deadline

Oregon circuit court (small claims department for most deposit amounts). Delivery of the accounting and refund can be personal, first-class mail, or — if your rental agreement allows it under ORS 90.155 — email.

Before you file anything, run your dates through the Security Deposit Deadline Calculator — enter your state and move-out date and it returns the exact calendar deadline and the penalty rule that applies. Then compare your state with the other seven in the Security Deposit Return Deadlines by State directory.

Renting in a different state next? The rules change completely at the border: see Texas and Florida for the two most different systems in this set, or your own state's page from the directory.

If the deadline has passed, send a written demand first, then file in small claims if it fails: How to Write a Security Deposit Demand Letter and How to File a Small Claims Case for a Withheld Deposit in Oregon.

Source

Every deadline, cap, and penalty on this page comes from the statute itself: Oregon Legislature — ORS 90.300. Facts verified 2026-10-23.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice — for a dispute about your specific situation, talk to a lawyer or your state labor or consumer agency.