Oregon landlords can raise rent by up to 7% per year, or the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Portland-Salem-Eugene area, whichever is greater — but only once every 12 months and with 90 days' written notice.

Oregon's rent increase cap applies to most rental properties statewide. The exact percentage changes each year based on CPI data released in September. For 2024, the allowable increase is 7.6%. For 2025, it is 8.8%. Your landlord cannot raise rent more than this amount, cannot do it more than once per year, and must give you 90 days' notice in writing before the increase takes effect.

A few properties are exempt from this rule: single-family homes (unless owned by a corporation or LLC), duplexes where the owner lives in one unit, and buildings constructed within the past 15 years. If your rental falls into one of these categories, your landlord can raise rent by any amount with 30 days' notice. Even so, most renters in Oregon live in properties covered by the cap.

Key Takeaways

  • Oregon's statewide rent increase limit is the greater of 7% or the annual CPI increase for the Portland-Salem-Eugene area, and your landlord can raise rent only once every 12 months.
  • Your landlord must give you 90 days' written notice before a rent increase takes effect; notice given with less than 90 days is not valid.
  • Single-family homes, duplexes with owner occupancy, and buildings less than 15 years old are exempt from the cap and can have unlimited increases with 30 days' notice.
  • If your landlord raises rent above the legal limit or without proper notice, you can file a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.

How Oregon calculates the yearly increase percentage

Oregon uses the Consumer Price Index for the Portland-Salem-Eugene metropolitan area, released each September by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state compares the CPI from September of the previous year to September of the current year. If that percentage is higher than 7%, your landlord can raise rent by the CPI amount. If it is lower than 7%, the cap stays at 7%.

This means the allowable increase changes on January 1 each year. The percentage your landlord can charge in 2025 is based on the September 2024 CPI data. You can find the current year's allowable increase on the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries website or ask your landlord what percentage they are using.

Notice requirements and timing

Your landlord must deliver written notice of a rent increase at least 90 days before the new rent amount takes effect. Notice can be delivered in person, by mail, or by email if you have agreed to receive notices that way. The 90-day clock starts the day your landlord delivers the notice, not the day you receive it.

If your landlord gives you notice on January 15, the earliest the increase can take effect is April 15. If the notice arrives with fewer than 90 days before the proposed increase date, it is not valid, and your rent does not change. You are not required to pay the higher amount until a new notice with proper timing is given.

Properties exempt from the rent increase cap

Oregon's rent increase limit does not explore to single-family homes owned by an individual (not a business entity). It also does not explore to duplexes where the owner lives in one of the two units. Buildings constructed or first occupied within the past 15 years are also exempt.

If your landlord owns the property through a corporation, limited liability company, or partnership, the single-family home exemption does not explore — the cap does explore. The same is true for duplexes: if the owner does not live in one of the units, the property is covered by the cap. When in doubt, ask your landlord whether your property is exempt, and request the answer in writing.

What happens if your landlord raises rent illegally

If your landlord raises rent above the legal limit, raises it more than once per year, or fails to give 90 days' notice, you can file a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, Wage and Hour Division. You do not need a lawyer to file. The bureau investigates complaints at no cost to you.

You can also refuse to pay the increase and stay in the rental while the complaint is being investigated. Your landlord cannot evict you for refusing to pay an illegal rent increase. If your landlord retaliates against you for filing a complaint — by threatening eviction, reducing services, or raising rent again — that retaliation is also illegal under Oregon law.

Rent increases tied to lease renewals

The 90-day notice rule applies whether your rent increase happens at the end of a lease term or in the middle of a month-to-month tenancy. If your lease ends on June 30 and your landlord wants to raise rent when you renew, they must give notice by March 31 at the latest. The increase cannot exceed the legal cap, even if your lease says it can.

Some leases include language about automatic rent increases or allow the landlord to raise rent by a set percentage each year. Those clauses are void in Oregon if they exceed the legal cap. Your landlord cannot enforce a lease term that contradicts state law, and you do not have to pay more than the cap allows.

Rent increases during eviction or lease disputes

If you are in a dispute with your landlord over repairs, maintenance, or other lease violations, your landlord cannot raise rent as retaliation. Oregon law prohibits rent increases within 6 months of you reporting a code violation, requesting repairs, or asserting a legal right as a tenant. If a rent increase notice arrives shortly after you file a complaint or request repairs, it may be retaliatory.

If you believe a rent increase is retaliatory, you can raise that defense in an eviction case or file a separate complaint with the Bureau of Labor and Industries. You will need to show that the increase came within 6 months of your protected action. Your landlord can argue the increase was planned before your complaint, but the burden is on them to prove it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my landlord raise rent twice in one year if they give 90 days' notice each time?

No. Oregon law allows only one rent increase per 12-month period, regardless of notice. If your landlord raised rent on March 1, they cannot raise it again until March 2 of the following year. A second increase within that 12 months is illegal, and you do not have to pay it.

What if my lease says my landlord can raise rent by 10% per year?

That clause is unenforceable in Oregon. Your lease cannot override state law. Your landlord can raise rent only by the legal cap — 7% or the CPI, whichever is greater. If they try to enforce a higher increase, you can refuse to pay and file a complaint with the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

Does the 90-day notice have to arrive by a certain date, or does it just have to be sent?

The notice must be delivered to you at least 90 days before the increase takes effect. Delivery means you receive it or it is left at your rental unit. Mailing it does not count as delivery unless it actually arrives. If your landlord mails notice on January 1 but it arrives on January 20, the 90-day clock starts January 20, not January 1.

Can my landlord raise rent if I have not signed a lease?

Yes. Month-to-month tenants are covered by the same rent increase rules as lease holders. Your landlord must still give 90 days' notice and cannot exceed the legal cap. The only difference is that either of you can end the tenancy with 30 days' notice, but a rent increase is not a way to force you out.

What should I do if I receive a rent increase notice with less than 90 days?

You do not have to pay it. The notice is invalid under Oregon law. Tell your landlord in writing that the notice does not meet the 90-day requirement and that you will not pay the increase until a valid notice is given. Keep a copy of your response. If your landlord tries to evict you for non-payment, you can use the invalid notice as a defense in court.