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Renters' Rights · Security Deposit

Security Deposit Laws in Oregon

The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Oregon.

Draft entry: figures pending statute verificationStatute ORS 90.300Source oregon.public.law

Prefer a calculator? Run your rent and move-out date through the Oregon security deposit calculator →

Security deposit at a glance · Oregon
No cap
Oregon sets no statutory maximum on a residential security deposit. Your lease sets the amount.
Maximum depositNo cap
Return deadline31 days
Interest to tenantNot required (state)
Separate accountNot required (state)
ItemizationRequired
Penalty2x wrongfully withheld
StatuteORS 90.300

What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back

Enter your rent for the Oregon maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.

Deposit calculator · Oregon
Most a landlord can hold
No legal maximum
Oregon sets no statutory cap; the lease controls the amount.
Return clock: 31 days
The deadline runs after the tenancy ends and the tenant hands back possession of the unit. Give your landlord a written forwarding address at move-out so the clock starts.

Estimate only, based on Oregon's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.

The full rules, with the statute

Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.

Maximum deposit
No statutory limit

Exceptions: ORS 90.300 does not cap the security deposit amount. Portland is the exception: under city code, if the landlord requires last month’s rent then the security deposit cannot exceed one-half of one month’s rent, and if last month’s rent is not required the deposit cannot exceed one month’s rent. A separate state rule bars a landlord from requiring a new or increased security deposit during the first year after the tenancy begins.

Return deadline
Within 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession, the landlord must return the deposit or send a written accounting of any amount kept.
Interest to tenant
Not requiredState law does not require a landlord to pay interest on a security deposit. Portland is different: if a Portland landlord holds the deposit in an interest-bearing account, the interest belongs to the tenant (the landlord may keep a small administrative share), so check the local rule if you rent in the city.
Separate account
Not requiredState law does not require the deposit to sit in a separate or escrow account; the landlord holds it for the tenant but may choose how. Portland does require a segregated, federally insured account and disclosure of the bank, so local rules can be stricter.
Itemization
Required whenever any amount is kept. Within 31 days the landlord must give a written accounting that states specifically the basis of each claim, delivered by personal delivery or first class mail, with a separate accounting for the security deposit and for any prepaid rent. The landlord may claim only what is reasonably necessary to cover the tenant’s defaults, including unpaid rent, and to repair damage the tenant caused, not counting ordinary wear and tear.
Local ordinances
Portland adds its own rules under city code. Deposits are capped (one month’s rent, or one-half month’s rent if last month’s rent is also collected), must sit in a segregated federally insured account, and any interest earned belongs to the tenant. Check the Portland Housing Bureau if you rent in the city.

Penalties & recent changes

What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.

If the landlord withholds wrongfully
If the landlord keeps money without giving a written accounting, or keeps it in bad faith, the tenant can recover twice the amount that was wrongfully withheld. A prevailing tenant may also recover court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
Recent changes

HB 3521 (2025) (effective 2026-01-01): Oregon added penalties for landlords who break an agreement to rent a habitable unit after taking a hold deposit. If a tenant rejects the unit over serious habitability defects, the landlord must return the hold deposit within five business days or face minimum damages. This concerns hold deposits, which are separate from the security deposit rules in ORS 90.300.

What Oregon renters get wrong

Oregon gives a landlord 31 days after your tenancy ends and you hand back the unit to either return your security deposit or send you a written accounting that spells out exactly what is being kept and why. If the landlord keeps money without that written accounting, or keeps it in bad faith, you can recover twice the amount that was wrongfully withheld, and a court can add your costs and attorney fees. State law sets no cap on how large the deposit can be, though it bars a landlord from requiring a new or larger deposit during your first year in the unit. A landlord can claim only what is reasonably necessary to cover unpaid rent, other defaults, and damage you caused, never ordinary wear and tear. All of this comes from ORS 90.300. Portland renters get extra protection: the city caps the deposit, requires a segregated bank account, and hands any interest earned back to the tenant.

Common questions

How long does an Oregon landlord have to return my security deposit?

Thirty-one days after your tenancy ends and you deliver possession of the unit, whichever is later. Within that window the landlord must either return the full deposit or send a written accounting that lists specifically what is being kept and why, by personal delivery or first class mail.

Is there a limit on how much a security deposit can be in Oregon?

State law sets no cap on the amount. One protection does apply statewide: a landlord cannot require you to pay a new or increased security deposit during the first year after your tenancy begins. Portland has its own cap, so check local rules if you rent in the city.

What happens if my Oregon landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?

If the landlord keeps money without giving you the required written accounting, or keeps it in bad faith, you can recover twice the amount that was wrongfully withheld. If you win in court you may also recover your court costs and reasonable attorney fees.

Does my Oregon landlord have to pay interest or use a separate account?

Not under state law. ORS 90.300 does not require interest on the deposit or a separate escrow account. Portland is stricter: it requires a segregated, federally insured account, and any interest the account earns belongs to the tenant.

Primary source
→ ORS 90.300
Oregon Revised Statutes 90.300 (Security deposits; prepaid rent) · oregon.public.law
Draft: pending editorial review
Every figure is corroborated by three or more independent sources. The public.law mirror of ORS 90.300 and the FindLaw statute mirror were both fetched directly and return matching subsection text (no cap, 31-day return and accounting, twice-the-amount penalty, no interest or separate-account mandate), and a third summary (LeaseRunner) agrees. However, the official Oregon Legislature page at oregonlegislature.gov refused the connection this session, so the verbatim government text could not be confirmed here. The record stays draft until a human opens the .gov source in a browser. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

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