Eugene Security Deposit Rules: What the Rental Housing Standards and Protections Code Adds to Oregon Law

A landlord in Eugene has to satisfy two sets of rules at once: the Oregon statute, Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300, and the city's own Rental Housing Standards and Protections Code (EC § 8.425(15)). The state law sets the 31-day return deadline after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession; the local ordinance adds rules on deposit cap, paying the deposit in installments, receipt and itemization, relocation assistance and rent-increase notice. Where the two overlap, the landlord has to meet the stricter one.

What the Rental Housing Standards and Protections Code adds

• Deposit cap: A security deposit may not exceed two months' rent; an additional deposit of up to one month's rent may be required for a pet/modification or for an applicant who could have been denied under ORS 90.304, with at least three months to pay it. (EC 8.425(15)(a)-(d))
• Paying the deposit in installments: Any additional deposit under (15)(b) or (c) must be payable over at least three months. (EC 8.425(15)(d))
• Receipt and itemization: Landlords must give move-in condition documentation with the tenant's written confirmation, and with the ORS 90.300 accounting must provide condition documentation and a written statement justifying any withheld deposit. (EC 8.425(11)(a)-(c))
• Relocation assistance: For a no-cause or landlord-qualifying-reason termination, or refusal to renew a first-year fixed term, the landlord must give 90 days' notice and pay relocation assistance equal to two months' rent per unit. (EC 8.425(17)(a)-(b))
• Rent-increase notice: A landlord raising rent by the state's maximum annual percentage (ORS 90.324) must give 90 days' notice stating the amounts and relocation rights, and the tenant may request two months' rent as relocation assistance within 30 days. (EC 8.425(17)(c))

Who it covers: Rental housing in Eugene; relocation assistance exempts week-to-week tenancies, owner-occupied shared/middle-housing/ADU arrangements (after six months' owner occupancy), temporary rental of a principal residence, affordable housing, URA units, uninhabitable units, short pre-demolition rentals and fixed-term intent-to-sell leases, provided the landlord gives written exemption notice.
Worth knowing: The 90-day rent-increase notice equals the Oregon state minimum; it is listed because in Eugene it also triggers a relocation payment of two months' rent. Read from a 2025 archived copy of the city code; ordinance numbers were not in the captured text.

What Oregon law already requires

• Return deadline: 31 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession.
• Itemized deductions: required in writing.
• Forwarding address: not a statutory condition of getting the deposit back.
• Penalty for wrongful withholding: Bad-faith failure to return or account exposes the landlord to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
• Small claims limit: $10,000.
• Statute: Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300.

Using both rules together

1. Read the lease for the deposit amount, the move-in date, and any clause that mentions the ordinance.
2. Check the local rule first: deposit cap under EC § 8.425(15), then paying the deposit in installments, receipt and itemization, relocation assistance and rent-increase notice.
3. Count the Oregon deadline of 31 days from termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession.
4. A written demand that cites both Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300 and EC § 8.425(15) carries more weight than one that cites either alone. Bad-faith failure to return or account exposes the landlord to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Eugene require interest on security deposits?
A: The Rental Housing Standards and Protections Code does not add an interest rule, so Oregon law governs. Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300 does not require interest on deposits.

Q: Is the Eugene deposit return deadline different from Oregon law?
A: No. The Rental Housing Standards and Protections Code does not change the return deadline, so the Oregon rule applies: 31 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession under Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300.

Q: Does the Rental Housing Standards and Protections Code apply to my unit?
A: Rental housing in Eugene; relocation assistance exempts week-to-week tenancies, owner-occupied shared/middle-housing/ADU arrangements (after six months' owner occupancy), temporary rental of a principal residence, affordable housing, URA units, uninhabitable units, short pre-demolition rentals and fixed-term intent-to-sell leases, provided the landlord gives written exemption notice. Check the section cited below for the full list of exemptions before relying on it.

Q: Can I sue my landlord in small claims court for my Oregon deposit?
A: Yes. Oregon small claims court hears claims up to $10,000, which covers most deposits plus the statutory penalty. A dated written demand that cites Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300 is the usual first exhibit.

Sources Checked

• EC 8.425(11); EC 8.425(15); EC 8.425(17), Rental Housing Standards and Protections Code: code text, read 2026-09-20
• Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300 (the Oregon statute cited above)
• LeaseLenses Oregon deposit data set, last reviewed 2026-09-19; the same data powers the Oregon demand letter tool
• Oregon landlord-tenant overview and the Oregon deposit rules page

This page is general legal information for Eugene, Oregon, not legal advice. Local ordinances are amended more often than state statutes; read the current code text before relying on a figure in court.