Know Your Rights

This notice gives you 72 hours (3 days, not counting weekends or holidays) to pay the full amount owed or vacate. If you pay in full before the deadline, the notice is void and your tenancy continues.

• The amount listed must be accurate — errors can void the notice
• Late fees cannot be included in the rent amount for this notice
• You can pay to cure right up until the deadline
• If the landlord refuses your payment, document it immediately

A longer notice (6 days) sometimes used at the landlord's discretion or required after certain prior notices. Same rules apply — pay in full to cure.

• Check which notice type you actually received — the hours matter
• Keep the envelope it arrived in (proves delivery date)

For month-to-month tenancies in Oregon, a landlord can end your tenancy with 30 days written notice during the first year. After the first year, 90 days notice is required and must include a valid reason (Oregon's relocation assistance law).

• After 1 year of tenancy: landlord must give 90 days AND a qualifying reason
• Some no-cause terminations trigger a relocation assistance requirement
• Check if your city (Ashland, Medford) has additional local protections

If the landlord claims you violated the lease, they must state the specific violation in writing. Some violations allow you to cure (fix the problem) within the notice period.

• Curable violations: 30-day notice, 14 days to cure
• Repeat violations: Shorter timelines may apply
• Serious violations (damage, criminal activity): 24-hour notice possible
• The violation must be described specifically — vague notices can be challenged

Oregon law (ORS 90.155) requires notices to be delivered in specific ways. Improper delivery can mean the notice does not legally count.

• Personal delivery to you or someone 18+ at your home
• First-class mail (adds 3 days to the timeline)
• Posted on the door PLUS mailed the same day
• Email or text only if you both agreed to that in writing

Tip: If it was taped to your door and never mailed, the notice timeline may not have started properly.

A landlord cannot remove you without a court order. Illegal self-help eviction includes:

• Changing the locks while you still live there
• Removing doors or windows
• Shutting off utilities (water, heat, electricity)
• Removing your belongings
• Threatening or intimidating you to leave

If any of these happen, call Oregon Law Center or Legal Aid immediately. You may be entitled to damages.

A landlord cannot retaliate against you for exercising your legal rights. Retaliation includes raising rent, reducing services, or starting an eviction within 90 days of you:

• Complaining about habitability or repairs
• Contacting a code enforcement agency
• Organizing with other tenants
• Filing a complaint with a government agency

Document everything with dates. A timeline showing the sequence of events is your strongest evidence.

Oregon landlords must return your security deposit (or an itemized statement of deductions) within 31 days of move-out.

• Deductions must be itemized and in writing
• Normal wear and tear cannot be charged
• If they miss the 31-day deadline, you may recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld
• Take timestamped photos at move-out — this is your best protection

Oregon law requires landlords to maintain rental units in a habitable condition. This includes:

• Working heat, plumbing, and electrical systems
• Weatherproofing (windows, roof, walls)
• Safe common areas
• Functioning smoke and CO detectors
• Pest-free conditions (landlord caused or pre-existing)

Put repair requests in writing and keep copies. If unresolved, contact Medford Code Enforcement.