Portland Security Deposit Rules 2026–27: Caps, Condition Reports, and Getting Your Money Back
Portland renters get two layers of security deposit protection. Oregon law (ORS 90.300) sets the statewide floor. Portland City Code 30.01.087 adds stronger rules on top, including a cap on how much a landlord can collect, mandatory move-in condition reports with photos, limits on charges for painting and flooring, and up to $250 per violation in damages.
This guide follows a deposit through the life of a tenancy: move-in, during the lease, and move-out. That way you know what to ask for at each point.
Last checked October 2026. Facts come from Portland City Code 30.01.087 (as amended effective January 1, 2025) and Oregon Revised Statutes 90.300. This is general information, not legal advice. Portland's rules apply to rentals covered by Oregon's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Some housing may be exempt.
Stage 1: Before You Sign
How much can a Portland landlord charge?
Under PCC 30.01.087(A):
No last month's rent required: the deposit can't be more than one month's rent.
Last month's rent required: the landlord can collect no more than half of one month's rent as an additional deposit.
Conditional approval: If the landlord approves you on the condition that you show financial capacity, or to offset screening risk factors, they can charge an extra half month's rent. The landlord must let you pay that extra amount in installments over up to three months, in amounts you reasonably request.
Worked example (rent $1,600, no last month's rent): The regular deposit can be up to $1,600. If you're conditionally approved, the landlord can add up to $800 more. You can ask to pay that $800 over three months, for example about $267 a month.
What Oregon law adds
Under ORS 90.300:
The landlord must give you a receipt for any deposit.
A written rental agreement must list the deposit.
A landlord can't charge a pet deposit for a service or companion animal you need as a disability accommodation.
In a month-to-month tenancy, a landlord can't keep your deposit for not staying a minimum number of months.
Ask for the list of covered items
Portland's code says a landlord can use the deposit to repair or replace only fixtures, appliances, equipment, or personal property identified in the rental agreement. Items the landlord expects the deposit to cover must be itemized in the rental agreement. Read that list before signing. If something isn't listed, the landlord can't charge your deposit for it under PCC 30.01.087(C).
Stage 2: Move-In Week
This is where most deposit disputes are won or lost.
The condition report (PCC 30.01.087(D))
Before your move-in date, the landlord must make reasonable efforts to schedule a walk-through with you. It should be at a time convenient for both of you.
The landlord prepares a condition report covering everything listed in the rental agreement and any damage. You both sign it.
The landlord must take photos of the items noted in the report.
If you can't find a time to walk through together, the landlord must still complete the report before move-in. They must share the photos with you on your move-in date.
Your 7-day addendum
Within 7 days of move-in, you can submit a condition report addendum on a form the landlord provides. Use it to note anything the landlord missed: stains, scratches, chipped tiles, broken blinds.
If you don't submit one within 7 days, the landlord's report becomes final.
If you do submit one, the landlord has 7 days to dispute it in writing. If they don't, the report plus your addendum becomes the official baseline for move-out.
What to do in week one:
Walk every room with your phone. Take dated photos and video, including inside cabinets, the oven, the fridge, and under sinks.
Fill out the addendum and deliver it in a way you can prove, such as email or a signed copy.
Keep the condition report, the addendum, and the photos in one folder.
The bank account
Under PCC 30.01.087(B), within two weeks of receiving your deposit or last month's rent, the landlord must put it in an account at a secure financial institution, separate from their personal and business accounts. If the account earns interest, the interest belongs to you proportionately. It must be returned with your unused deposit.
Stage 3: During the Lease
No surprise deposit increases in year one. Under ORS 90.300(5), a landlord can't require a new or larger deposit in the first year. The exception is if you both agree to change the lease, such as adding a pet, and the deposit relates to that change.
After year one, a landlord who requires a new or bigger deposit must give you at least three months to pay it.
Repairs get recorded. The landlord must update the condition report to reflect repairs and replacements during the tenancy and give you the update. You can update your addendum too.
Rent history on request. Within five business days of your request, or of the landlord giving a notice of termination, the landlord must give you a written rent payment history covering up to two years, plus a completed rental history form from the Portland Housing Bureau website. This is useful when you apply for your next place.
Stage 4: Move-Out
The final inspection
Under PCC 30.01.087(D)(2):
Within one week after your tenancy ends, the landlord must do a walk-through. You can choose to be there, or send a representative.
The landlord must give you at least 24 hours' notice of the date and time.
Go if you can. Bring your move-in photos.
What the landlord can and can't charge
Oregon law lets a landlord claim only what's reasonably necessary to cover unpaid rent and other lease defaults, and to repair damage you caused beyond ordinary wear and tear (ORS 90.300(7)).
Portland adds that a landlord can't charge your deposit for:
routine maintenance;
ordinary wear and tear;
replacing items that failed for reasons other than your actions;
costs covered by the landlord's insurance;
interior painting, unless it's to repair specific damage you caused beyond normal wear, or to repaint walls you painted without permission;
flooring, except for damage beyond normal wear, and then only for the discrete area affected, such as one room or hallway, not the whole unit.
The paperwork you're owed
Itemized list with photos. Portland requires the landlord to itemize repairs and replacements and document damage with photos, provided with the written accounting.
Labor over $200. If the landlord charges more than $200 in labor, they must give documentation showing the cost is reasonable.
Notice of rights. With the accounting, the landlord must give you a written notice of your deposit rights, including your right to damages. It can be a copy of PCC 30.01.087 with contact information for Legal Aid Services of Oregon or the Oregon State Bar.
The 31-day deadline
Under ORS 90.300(12)–(13), within 31 days after the tenancy ends and you return possession, the landlord must:
give you a written accounting stating specifically why they're keeping any money (separate accountings for deposit and prepaid rent); and
return the rest.
It must go by personal delivery or first-class mail. Email is allowed only if you've agreed under ORS 90.155. Give your landlord a forwarding address in writing.
Last month's rent: If you paid a last month's rent deposit, ORS 90.300(9) says the landlord must apply it to your last month when either side gives notice to end the tenancy, when you agree to end it, or when a fixed-term lease ends.
If Your Landlord Gets It Wrong
Oregon (ORS 90.300(16)): If the landlord doesn't return what's owed on time, or withholds money in bad faith or without a written accounting, you can recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
Portland (PCC 30.01.087(G)): A landlord who violates any part of the Portland deposit rules owes you up to $250 per violation, plus actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and costs. Examples include no move-in photos, no notice of rights, no separate account, or charging for painting.
Steps:
Write a demand letter. List each problem and the code section, the amount owed, and a deadline. Keep a copy.
Gather proof: lease, condition report, addendum, photos, the accounting, and the date you returned the keys.
Get advice. The notice of rights should point you to Legal Aid Services of Oregon or the Oregon State Bar. The Portland Housing Bureau's Rental Services Office has deposit information at portland.gov/phb/rental-services.
Small claims court is an option for many deposit disputes. Ask a legal aid office which court and limits apply.
FAQ
What's the maximum security deposit in Portland? One month's rent if no last month's rent is required. If last month's rent is required, the extra deposit is capped at half a month's rent. Conditional approvals can add half a month, payable over up to three months.
How long does a Portland landlord have to return my deposit? 31 days after the tenancy ends and you return possession (ORS 90.300).
Can my landlord charge me for repainting? Not under Portland's code, unless it's to repair specific damage you caused beyond normal wear or to cover walls you painted without permission.
What if I didn't do a condition report addendum? The landlord's report becomes final after 7 days. Your own move-in photos still help as evidence.
What can I recover if my landlord breaks the rules? Up to $250 per Portland violation plus actual damages and fees. Under Oregon law, twice the amount withheld in bad faith or without an accounting.
Related Guides
Sources
Portland City Code 30.01.087, Security Deposits; Pre-paid Rent: https://www.portland.gov/code/30/01/087
Portland Housing Bureau, Security Deposits: https://www.portland.gov/phb/rental-services/security-deposits
ORS Chapter 90 (90.300): https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors090.html
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