How Long Does a Landlord Have to Return a Deposit in Oregon?
In Oregon, a landlord has 31 calendar days or 31 calendar days (security deposit or prepaid rent secures a tenancy for a space for a manufactured dwelling or floating home the tenant owns and occupies, and the dwelling or home is abandoned) to return a security deposit. The deadline is measured from this trigger: 31 calendar days: after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession to the landlord; 31 calendar days (security deposit or prepaid rent secures a tenancy for a space for a manufactured dwelling or floating home the tenant owns and occupies, and the dwelling or home is abandoned): after the earliest of waiver of abandoned-property process, removal of the dwelling/home from the space, storage/disposition under ORS 90.425/90.675, or sale under those statutes. The verified penalty formula is tenant may recover twice the amount withheld without a written accounting, or twice the amount withheld in bad faith under ORS 90.300.
Key facts
| Deadline | 31 calendar days; trigger: after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession to the landlord |
|---|---|
| Deadline (branch 2) | 31 calendar days (security deposit or prepaid rent secures a tenancy for a space for a manufactured dwelling or floating home the tenant owns and occupies, and the dwelling or home is abandoned); trigger: after the earliest of waiver of abandoned-property process, removal of the dwelling/home from the space, storage/disposition under ORS 90.425/90.675, or sale under those statutes |
| Penalty formula | tenant may recover twice the amount withheld without a written accounting, or twice the amount withheld in bad faith |
| Bad faith required | No |
| Statute citation | ORS 90.300 |
Statute says
In order to claim all or part of any prepaid rent or security deposit, within 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession the landlord shall give to the tenant a written accounting that states specifically the basis or bases of the claim. The landlord shall give a separate accounting for security deposits and for prepaid rent. The landlord shall return to the tenant the security deposit or prepaid rent or the portion of the security deposit or prepaid rent that the landlord does not claim in the manner provided by subsections (11) and (12) of this section not later than 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession to the landlord.
What this means
Read the deadline, trigger, and penalty together. Match the date you can prove to the trigger above, then compare the landlord's response to the rule in ORS 90.300.
FAQ
Does Portland have its own security deposit law?
Yes. Portland City Code 30.01.087 - Security Deposits; Pre-paid Rent is listed in the city ordinance data for Portland.
What happens if a landlord misses the Oregon deposit deadline?
The verified penalty formula is tenant may recover twice the amount withheld without a written accounting, or twice the amount withheld in bad faith under ORS 90.300. Keep the move-out date, forwarding address records, and any itemized statement before you act.
Does a demand letter change the legal deadline?
No. The deadline is still 31 calendar days or 31 calendar days (security deposit or prepaid rent secures a tenancy for a space for a manufactured dwelling or floating home the tenant owns and occupies, and the dwelling or home is abandoned). The deadline trigger is 31 calendar days: after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession to the landlord; 31 calendar days (security deposit or prepaid rent secures a tenancy for a space for a manufactured dwelling or floating home the tenant owns and occupies, and the dwelling or home is abandoned): after the earliest of waiver of abandoned-property process, removal of the dwelling/home from the space, storage/disposition under ORS 90.425/90.675, or sale under those statutes. A letter documents the timeline and asks the landlord to resolve the deposit before the next step.
If the deadline passed
Send the letter that starts the clock and keeps the demand tied to the verified Oregon deadline.
If the landlord stays silent, review landlord ignoring the deadline before choosing the next step.