Legal Aid Services of Oregon

Oregon Law Help, at oregonlawhelp.org and run by the Oregon State Bar, connects people to free civil legal information and help, written by Oregon attorneys. Use its Search for Legal Help and legal aid offices directory, and for public benefits problems, Oregon Legal Aid runs a Public Benefits Hotline at 800-520-5292.

Start with the eviction rule that changed, because outdated advice is everywhere. For a month-to-month tenant behind on rent, the landlord must give either at least 10 days' written notice (no sooner than the 8th day of the rental period) or at least 13 days' (no sooner than the 5th day) before terminating for nonpayment. The old 72-hour and 144-hour notices no longer apply to month-to-month tenants; that changed in 2023. A 72-hour notice now applies only to week-to-week tenancies.

The notice must state the rent owed and the date and time to pay to cure. Paying by that deadline stops the eviction, so the notice is a chance to fix it, not an order to leave.

Other reasons carry different rules. A for-cause termination, like a lease violation, needs at least 30 days' notice, and the tenancy does not end if you cure the violation by a date at least 14 days after delivery. A repeat of substantially the same violation within six months can get a 10-day notice with no right to cure.

No-cause rules depend on how long you have lived there. In the first year, a landlord can end a month-to-month tenancy with 30 days' no-cause notice. After the first year, they generally need a qualifying landlord reason, like demolition or conversion, at least 90 days' notice, and payment of one month's rent when the notice is delivered.

Oregon Law Help covers termination notices, what happens in an eviction (FED) case, defenses, and illegal lockouts and utility shutoffs, plus a Guided Help tool to route you to the right information. Pair it with 2-1-1 for local rent funds that can end a nonpayment case.