After a tenant has lived in an Oregon rental unit for one year, the landlord generally cannot ask them to leave without a specific qualifying reason recognized under ORS 90.427. The framework was enacted as part of Senate Bill 608 in February 2019, the same legislation that created Oregon's statewide rent cap. The two provisions work together by design. The rent cap prevents a landlord from pricing out a long-term tenant through above-cap increases. The just-cause framework prevents a landlord from terminating the tenancy to achieve the same result through the back door. Property managers who understand only the rent cap without understanding the just-cause restrictions have an incomplete picture of Oregon's tenant protection framework.

Under ORS 90.427, enacted as part of SB 608 in 2019, Oregon prohibits landlords from terminating a residential tenancy without cause after the tenant has been in occupancy for one year. After the first year, termination is permitted only for a qualifying landlord reason as defined in ORS 90.427(5): demolition or conversion to non-residential use, landlord or immediate family occupancy, sale to a buyer who will occupy as a primary residence, or permanent discontinuation of residential use. Each qualifying reason requires a written notice of at least 90 days, with exceptions for sale (60 days under a 2025 amendment). Landlords who own more than four units statewide must pay one month's rent in relocation assistance for qualifying-reason terminations. Violations expose landlords to penalties equal to three months' rent plus actual damages.

Oregon Just-Cause Eviction at a Glance

Here is what this guide covers:

1. The first year: when no-cause termination is permitted

2. After the first year: the qualifying reason requirement

3. Qualifying reason 1: demolition and conversion

4. Qualifying reason 2: landlord or family occupancy

5. Qualifying reason 3: sale to an owner-occupant

6. Qualifying reason 4: permanent discontinuation of residential use

7. Notice content requirements

8. Relocation assistance obligations

9. Local enhancements in Portland, Eugene, and Milwaukie

10. The connection to SB 608's rent cap

11. Penalties for violation

12. What property managers must have in place

The First Year: When No-Cause Termination Is Permitted

During the first year of occupancy, Oregon law permits a landlord to terminate a month-to-month tenancy without cause by providing at least 30 days' written notice. For a fixed-term tenancy, the landlord may not terminate mid-term without cause, but if the fixed term expires within the first year of occupancy, the landlord may decline to renew by providing 30 days' written notice of non-renewal without stating a reason.

The one-year clock runs from the tenant's date of first occupancy, not from the lease start date. A tenant who occupied a unit in a week-to-week arrangement before signing a formal lease began their one-year period at occupancy, not at lease signing.

The Oregon Law Help no-cause notices guide provides a plain-language explanation of when no-cause terminations are and are not permitted under Oregon law. 

One important nuance: if a new roommate or romantic partner moves in with the tenant, the one-year clock restarts for all occupants. If anyone in the unit has lived there for less than one year, the landlord may give a no-cause notice to all occupants. This provision can affect property managers managing units where household composition changes during the first year.

After the first year of occupancy, no-cause termination is effectively prohibited for all residential tenancies in Oregon, with the narrow exceptions discussed below. This prohibition applies to month-to-month tenancies and to fixed-term tenancies that extend past the one-year mark.

After the First Year: The Qualifying Reason Requirement

After a tenant has been in occupancy for more than one year, termination by the landlord requires a qualifying landlord reason as defined in ORS 90.427(5). The qualifying reasons are specific and exhaustive. A reason that does not fit within the statutory categories is not a qualifying reason regardless of how legitimate the landlord's underlying motivation may be.

The qualifying reasons are: demolition or conversion to non-residential use; landlord or immediate family occupancy; sale to a buyer who will occupy as their primary residence; and permanent discontinuation of residential use. Each has specific documentation requirements, specific notice periods, and specific conditions that must be satisfied before the notice is valid.

A landlord who wants to end a long-term tenancy for any reason not listed in ORS 90.427(5), including a desire to renovate and re-rent at market rate, a change in portfolio strategy, or dissatisfaction with the tenancy generally, does not have a qualifying reason and cannot terminate the tenancy. The landlord must wait for the tenant to leave voluntarily.

RIOO's leasing management tools support the tenancy anniversary tracking and notice documentation workflows that Oregon's just-cause framework requires for every covered tenancy in a residential portfolio.

Qualifying Reason 1: Demolition and Conversion

Under ORS 90.427(5)(a), a landlord may terminate a tenancy after the first year if the landlord intends to demolish the dwelling unit, convert it to non-residential use, or make repairs or renovations that would render the unit unsafe or uninhabitable for a significant period and the landlord cannot provide a comparable unit on the same property for the tenant to occupy during the renovation period.

The repairs must be substantial enough that they would render the unit unsafe or uninhabitable for a significant period, and the landlord must not have a comparable unit on the same property available for the tenant to occupy during that period. The specific duration threshold is defined in the statute and should be confirmed with Oregon legal counsel before relying on this qualifying reason. Minor renovations that could be completed without displacing the tenant do not qualify.

For demolition and conversion terminations, the landlord must provide 90 days' written notice stating the qualifying reason and the supporting facts. Relocation assistance is required for landlords who own more than four units statewide.

Qualifying Reason 2: Landlord or Family Occupancy

Under ORS 90.427(5)(b), a landlord may terminate a tenancy after the first year if the landlord or a qualifying family member intends to occupy the dwelling unit as their primary residence. The family members who qualify are defined in the statute and include the landlord's spouse, child, parent, and certain other close relatives.

This qualifying reason has a condition that is frequently overlooked in practice: the landlord must not own a comparable dwelling unit in the same building that is available for rent at the time the tenant receives the notice. A landlord who owns a four-unit building and wants to move into a specific unit cannot terminate the tenancy in that unit if an identical or comparable vacant unit in the same building exists.

The landlord must provide 90 days' written notice stating that the landlord or qualifying family member intends to occupy the unit as their primary residence. If the landlord or family member does not actually move into the unit within a reasonable period after the tenant's vacation, the tenant may have a claim against the landlord for wrongful termination, including the relocation assistance paid plus actual damages.

Relocation assistance is required for landlords who own more than four units statewide.

Qualifying Reason 3: Sale to an Owner-Occupant

Under ORS 90.427(5)(c), a landlord may terminate a tenancy after the first year if the landlord has accepted a bona fide offer to purchase the dwelling from a person who intends to occupy it as their primary residence.

A 2025 amendment under Senate Bill 586, effective September 26, 2025, modified the notice period for this qualifying reason. Under SB 586, a landlord may now provide a 60-day notice instead of the standard 90-day notice when the termination is for a sale to an owner-occupant, provided the landlord simultaneously pays the tenant one month's periodic rent in relocation assistance. This is the only qualifying reason for which a shorter notice period is currently available.

If the landlord uses the standard 90-day notice period rather than the 60-day option, relocation assistance is still required for landlords who own more than four units statewide.

The notice must include evidence of the accepted offer to purchase. A notice that states the landlord intends to sell without documenting the accepted offer is defective. Property managers handling portfolio sales where existing tenants must be terminated should build documentation of the accepted purchase offer into the notice package at the time of service.

A 2025 amendment under Senate Bill 566-A also removed the prior restriction that prevented multi-unit properties from being terminated for sale to an owner-occupant. Under the current framework, a landlord selling a multi-unit property to a buyer who intends to occupy one of the units can use this qualifying reason for the specific unit the buyer will occupy.

Qualifying Reason 4: Permanent Discontinuation of Residential Use

The fourth qualifying reason under ORS 90.427(5) covers situations where the landlord permanently discontinues use of the property as a residential rental for reasons not covered by the demolition, renovation, or owner-occupancy categories. This category addresses scenarios such as converting a residential property to a personal family compound or withdrawing the unit from the rental market entirely without demolition or change of use.

This qualifying reason also requires 90 days' written notice, a statement of the reason and supporting facts, and relocation assistance for landlords who own more than four units statewide.

Notice Content Requirements

Every qualifying-reason termination notice under ORS 90.427 must be in writing and must state the specific qualifying reason for the termination along with the supporting facts. A notice that states only that the tenancy is being terminated without identifying the statutory qualifying reason is defective. A notice that identifies the qualifying reason without providing supporting facts is also defective.

For sale to an owner-occupant, the supporting facts include evidence of the accepted purchase offer. For landlord or family occupancy, the supporting facts include identification of which family member will occupy the unit. For demolition or renovation, the supporting facts include evidence of permits or planned work.

Notice service must comply with ORS 90.155. Approved delivery methods include personal delivery, first-class mail, and posting combined with first-class mail when personal service is not possible. Notices sent only by mail receive an additional three days added to the notice period. A notice that cannot be proven to have been served through an approved method is invalid regardless of its content.

Under HB 2134, effective January 1, 2026, if a tenant issues a 30-day notice to vacate after receiving a landlord's qualifying-reason termination notice, the landlord may not collect a termination fee or early termination charge from the tenant. This amendment prevents landlords from imposing financial penalties on tenants who choose to vacate before the full notice period expires.

Relocation Assistance Obligations

Statewide relocation assistance under ORS 90.427 is required for landlords who own more than four rental units statewide. The amount is equal to one month's periodic rent. It must be paid to the tenant at the time the termination notice is served, not at the time the tenant vacates.

The threshold is four units, not four units at the subject property. A landlord who owns two units at one property and three units at another property owns five units statewide and is subject to the relocation assistance requirement. The calculation includes all residential rental units owned by the landlord across Oregon, not just the units at the property where the termination is occurring.

Two narrow exceptions exist at the statewide level. Landlords who own four or fewer units statewide are exempt. Landlords whose dwelling unit is on the same property or in the same building as their primary residence and whose property contains no more than two units are also exempt.

The relocation assistance must be included with the notice. A qualifying-reason termination notice served by a landlord who owes relocation assistance but does not include it at service is a defective notice. The tenant does not need to demand the payment. It is a condition of valid notice.

Local Enhancements in Portland, Eugene, and Milwaukie

Oregon's statewide framework establishes the minimum protections. Several Oregon municipalities have enacted local ordinances that impose additional requirements on top of the statewide framework.

Portland's Mandatory Relocation Assistance ordinance applies to landlords within Portland city limits and imposes higher relocation assistance amounts and longer notice periods for many terminations than the statewide baseline. Portland's ordinance also triggers relocation assistance for rent increases of 10% or more over the prior 12-month period, an obligation that exists at the local level even though it is not a statewide requirement.

Eugene enacted Phase II Renter Protections effective August 25, 2023, which added local relocation assistance requirements for terminations. Eugene also requires landlords to report termination notices to the City.

Milwaukie requires 90-day notice for many terminations rather than the 60-day option available under SB 586 at the state level.

Property managers operating in Portland, Eugene, or Milwaukie must comply with both the statewide framework and the applicable local ordinance.  For comparison on how just-cause eviction frameworks operate at the state level in other markets covered in this series, see our guide to Washington's just-cause eviction law. The more protective standard governs. Where local law requires more notice or higher relocation assistance than state law, the local requirement controls.

For context on how Oregon's just-cause framework connects to the statewide rent cap that prevents landlords from using rent increases as an alternative to no-cause termination, see RIOO guide to Oregon SB 608 rent control.

The Connection to SB 608's Rent Cap

The just-cause eviction framework and the SB 608 rent cap were enacted together as a unified tenant stability framework. The connection is not merely historical. It is operational.

A landlord who would like a long-term rent-controlled tenant to leave has two apparent options: raise the rent to a level the tenant cannot afford, or terminate the tenancy. Oregon's framework closes both. The rent cap prevents increases above the published annual maximum. The just-cause framework prevents termination without a qualifying reason. A landlord who lacks a qualifying reason and cannot legally raise rent to force the tenant out has no lawful mechanism for removing a long-term tenant who is complying with their lease.

Property managers who understand this interaction plan for it from the outset of any Oregon tenancy. A lease structure that provides the landlord maximum flexibility within the statutory framework, combined with documentation practices that support any future qualifying-reason termination, is the foundation of compliant portfolio management in Oregon.

Penalties for Violation

Under ORS 90.427, a landlord who terminates a tenancy without a valid qualifying reason, or who serves a qualifying-reason notice that is defective for any reason including insufficient notice period, missing relocation assistance, or inadequate supporting facts, is liable to the tenant for a penalty equal to three months' periodic rent plus the tenant's actual damages, including any relocation costs the tenant incurred.

Tenants have one year from the date they knew or reasonably should have known of the violation to bring a claim. The one-year limitation means that a compliance failure does not extinguish simply because the tenant moved out without immediately raising the issue.

A defective notice can also be raised as a defense in any subsequent FED proceeding if the landlord attempts to use the courts to remove the tenant after serving an invalid notice.

What Property Managers Must Have in Place

A tenancy anniversary tracking system that identifies every tenant who has passed the one-year mark. The transition from the first year to the post-first-year framework is the most operationally significant threshold in Oregon's just-cause system. Once a tenant crosses that threshold, no-cause termination is prohibited. Every covered portfolio must have a system that tracks this date for each tenancy and flags the transition before it occurs.

Documentation for every qualifying-reason termination before the notice is served. The supporting facts required by ORS 90.427 must exist and must be documentable at the time the notice is served. For sale to an owner-occupant, the accepted purchase offer must be in hand. For owner-occupancy, the specific family member's intention to occupy must be identified. For demolition or renovation, permits or plans must support the stated intent. A notice served before the supporting documentation exists is defective.

Relocation assistance calculated and prepared before any qualifying-reason notice is delivered. For landlords who own more than four units statewide, relocation assistance equal to one month's rent must accompany the notice at service. A workflow that serves the notice first and arranges the relocation payment later has produced a defective notice. The payment is a condition of valid service, not a post-notice obligation.

A unit-count verification process for every new portfolio property. The relocation assistance threshold is statewide unit count, not property-level unit count. A management company that takes on a new Oregon property must confirm the owner's total statewide unit count to determine whether the relocation assistance obligation applies. An owner who is below the threshold at acquisition may cross it with subsequent acquisitions.

A local ordinance compliance check for every Portland, Eugene, or Milwaukie property. The statewide framework is the floor. Local requirements in these three cities can impose higher relocation amounts, longer notice periods, and additional documentation and reporting obligations. Property managers must know which local ordinance applies and must comply with whichever standard is more protective.

Key Takeaways for Property Managers

• Oregon prohibits no-cause termination of residential tenancies after the tenant has been in occupancy for one year under ORS 90.427. During the first year, a 30-day no-cause notice is permitted for month-to-month tenancies

• After the first year, termination is permitted only for four qualifying landlord reasons: demolition or conversion, landlord or family occupancy, sale to an owner-occupant, and permanent discontinuation of residential use

• Each qualifying reason requires at least 90 days' written notice stating the reason and supporting facts, with one exception: sale to an owner-occupant may use a 60-day notice under SB 586 (effective September 26, 2025) if one month's relocation assistance is paid simultaneously with service of the notice

• Relocation assistance equal to one month's periodic rent is required for landlords who own more than four units statewide and must be paid at the time the notice is served, not at the time the tenant vacates

• Portland, Eugene, and Milwaukie have enacted local ordinances that impose additional requirements above the statewide baseline. The more protective standard governs in each city

• Violations expose landlords to three months' rent plus actual damages. Defective notices can serve as a defense in FED proceedings. Tenants have one year from discovery to bring a claim

• The just-cause framework and the SB 608 rent cap work together. A landlord who cannot raise rent above the cap to force a tenant out and cannot terminate without a qualifying reason has no lawful mechanism for removing a compliant long-term tenant

Oregon's Just-Cause Framework Is Not a Procedural Hurdle. It Is a Substantive Prohibition.

Property managers who treat the qualifying-reason requirement as a paperwork exercise, who serve 90-day notices for qualifying reasons that are not actually supported, or who undercount their statewide unit total to avoid the relocation assistance requirement are not dealing with a compliance technicality. They are violating a substantive tenant protection with a three-month penalty plus damages as the direct consequence.

The property managers who operate in Oregon without just-cause exposure are the ones who have accepted the framework as the operating environment, who track tenancy anniversaries, who document qualifying reasons before serving notices, who pay relocation assistance at service when required, and who check local ordinance requirements before serving any post-first-year termination notice.

Oregon does not provide a workaround for landlords who want long-term tenants out without a qualifying reason. The framework is designed to prevent exactly that outcome. Understanding that premise is the starting point for compliant portfolio management in Oregon.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can an Oregon landlord terminate a tenancy without cause?
Only during the first year of occupancy. A landlord may give a 30-day written notice of no-cause termination for a month-to-month tenancy within the first year. After the first year, a qualifying landlord reason under ORS 90.427(5) is required.

2. What are the qualifying reasons for termination in Oregon after the first year?
Four qualifying reasons exist under ORS 90.427(5): demolition or conversion to non-residential use or uninhabitable renovation; landlord or qualifying family member occupancy as a primary residence; sale to a buyer who will occupy as a primary residence; and permanent discontinuation of residential use.

3. How much notice is required for a qualifying-reason termination in Oregon?
At least 90 days' written notice for most qualifying reasons. For sale to an owner-occupant under SB 586 (effective September 26, 2025), a 60-day notice is permitted if one month's relocation assistance is paid simultaneously with service of the notice.

4. Who must pay relocation assistance in Oregon?
Landlords who own more than four rental units statewide must pay relocation assistance equal to one month's periodic rent for qualifying-reason terminations. The payment must accompany the termination notice at service. Landlords who own four or fewer units statewide, and landlords whose unit is in the same building as their primary residence in a two-unit property, are generally exempt.

5. What happens if an Oregon landlord serves a defective termination notice?
The notice is invalid and the landlord cannot proceed with an FED action based on it. The tenant may also be entitled to a penalty of three months' rent plus actual damages if the landlord attempted to terminate without a valid qualifying reason. Tenants have one year from discovery of the violation to bring a claim.

6. Do local Oregon ordinances add to the statewide just-cause requirements?
Yes. Portland, Eugene, and Milwaukie have enacted local ordinances that impose additional requirements including longer notice periods, higher relocation assistance amounts, and reporting obligations. Where local law provides stronger protections than state law, the local standard governs.

7. Can an Oregon landlord terminate a tenancy because the property is being sold?
Yes, if the buyer intends to occupy the property as their primary residence. This is a qualifying landlord reason under ORS 90.427(5)(c). The notice must include evidence of the accepted purchase offer. Under SB 566-A (2025), this qualifying reason now applies to multi-unit properties as well as single-unit properties.

 The information in this article reflects Oregon's just-cause eviction framework under ORS 90.427 as amended through Senate Bill 586 and House Bill 2134 (2025), and as of 2026. Oregon's landlord-tenant laws change frequently. Property managers should verify current requirements at the Oregon Legislature ORS Chapter 90 or ORS 90.427 and consult qualified Oregon legal counsel before making any termination decisions for specific properties or tenants.