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Oregon: two laws start Jan 1, 2027
Two signed laws start Jan 1, 2027, one of them a permission rather than a duty, and the yearly cap figure for 2027 is 10%. Signed laws found as of Nov 6, 2026. City and county rules are not covered.
The laws
| Starts | The law | What changed | Who it reaches | The signed text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StartsJan 1, 2027.Signed Mar 31, 2026, no date clause; an Oregon act takes effect on January 1 of the year after its passage (ORS 171.022). | The lawHB 4120 (Or. Laws 2026, ch. 60), ORS 90.262 and 479.305.#hb-4120 | What changedA permission, not a duty: a landlord may end smoking in the units and interior common areas mid-tenancy, without the tenant’s written consent, where six conditions hold, a shared wall, a posted smoking area on the premises and “written notice at least 180 days before the change in policy” among them (ORS 90.262(2)). Nothing happens unless the landlord acts. | Who it reachesAny landlord under ORS chapter 90 with a unit that shares a wall with another, or one built under a development agreement; no unit count. A duplex fits. Outside it: a unit with no shared wall and no such agreement; Type A accessible units; fixed terms until they end. | The signed textOr. Laws 2026, ch. 60 (HB 4120), enrolled measure read Nov 6, 2026; session law PDF. The ORS 90.262 page still shows the old text, with a banner. |
| StartsJan 1, 2027.An operative-date section (ch. 574, s. 4): the chapter’s stamp reads January 1, 2026, and section 2, the duty, becomes operative a year later. First tests due before Jun 1, 2027. | The lawHB 3525 (Or. Laws 2025, ch. 574), new ORS 90.321.#hb-3525 | What changedA new duty: a landlord whose unit draws drinking water from an exempt well inside a ground water quality management area “shall collect and test samples of drinking water for the unit” (ORS 90.321). The first test, for arsenic, coliform bacteria, lead and nitrates, is due before June 1, 2027. The section names no penalty. | Who it reachesThe landlord of a unit on an exempt well inside one of the three areas: the Lower Umatilla Basin, Northern Malheur County and the Southern Willamette Valley. No unit count. Outside it: a unit on city or other non-exempt water, and premises regulated under ORS 448.119 to 448.285 (90.321(11)). | The signed textOr. Laws 2025, ch. 574 (HB 3525), enrolled measure read Nov 6, 2026; ORS 90.321; DEQ’s map of the three areas; the proposed rules, proposed and not final, with the hearing and the comment deadline on Dec 2, 2026. |
On Sep 28, 2027 the trial delay for new parents in nonpayment evictions ends and the ORS 105.136 notice text changes (SB 690, Or. Laws 2025, ch. 598), read Nov 3, 2026. The stamp on HB 3525 says it took effect January 1, 2026; the duty is in section 2, operative a year later by section 4.
Days to return the deposit, in eight states
Oregon: 31 days, written accounting and refund. Money withheld with no accounting, or in bad faith, costs twice the amount. Winner may get fees.
Checked Nov 5, 2026, at each state’s own statute text.
Signed laws found as of Nov 6, 2026
We searched the 2026 session’s table of affected ORS sections for chapters 90, 91, 93, 105 and 479: four chapters touch ORS 90, and only ch. 60 starts Jan 1, 2027; the one ORS 93 row is fire hardening, in force since Jun 5, 2026. The ORS 90 page itself carries one Jan 1, 2027 date, at 90.321. Not checked on Nov 6: the 2025 session’s table (our Nov 3 read ran the chapter list), the 2026 rows for ORS 659A, whether a special session has been called, regulations, court rules and forms, local ordinances. Missed one? Write to hello@landlorddispatch.com.
One number
The ORS 90.324 figure for 2027, set by the Department of Administrative Services and published Sep 30, 2026: 10%. The formula is the lesser of ten percent, or seven percent plus CPI, the September 12-month average change in the index for the West Region (90.324(1)(b), (4)); this year’s CPI came out at 3.1156%, so 7% plus CPI was 10.1156% and the ceiling set it. 2026 was 9.5%, the one recent year under the ceiling; 2024 and 2025 were 10%.
For any tenancy other than week-to-week: no increase “During the first year after the tenancy begins”, 90 days’ written notice before the increase takes effect, and no more than one increase in any 12-month period (90.323(2)); the notice states the amount, the new rent, the date, and the facts behind any exemption claimed (3). Outside the cap: a unit whose first certificate of occupancy is less than 15 years old at the date of the notice, and affordable housing regulated or certified by a government, when the change does not raise the tenant’s share or is required by program rules (90.323(5)); week-to-week tenancies, which get 7 days’ notice; and spaces under ORS 90.505 to 90.850, which have their own rule. The statute names no unit-count or owner-type exemption.
The price tag: an increase in violation costs “three months’ rent plus actual damages suffered by the tenant” (90.323(6)). DAS, the 2027 maximum; ORS 90.323 and 90.324. The next figure is due by Sep 30, 2027.
An Oregon rental? Each of these gets its Card in the Jan 1 wave issue.