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Rental Application Fee Laws in Oregon

Oregon limits an applicant screening charge to the landlord's average actual screening cost (or the customary screening company charge) and requires a refund within 30 days if the landlord fills the unit before screening or never screens an applicant who withdraws in writing.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Oregon at a glance

Fee limit
Average actual screening cost
May not exceed the landlord's average actual cost or the customary charge of screening companies. Only one charge per 60 days per landlord.
Refund required
Yes, within 30 days if not screened
Portable screening report rule
Not addressed

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Oregon

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in Oregon?

Fee limit in Oregon: Average actual screening cost. May not exceed the landlord's average actual cost or the customary charge of screening companies. Only one charge per 60 days per landlord.

Does a landlord in Oregon have to refund an unused application fee?

Yes, within 30 days if not screened. Refund required in Oregon: yes, within 30 days if not screened.

Does Oregon law address reusable (portable) tenant screening reports?

Not addressed. Portable screening report rule in Oregon: not addressed.

Where do the Oregon rental application fee laws come from?

The rules above come from Or. Rev. Stat. 90.295. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Before accepting a screening charge, the landlord must give the applicant written notice, and must give a receipt for the charge. A landlord may require only one screening charge from an applicant within any 60-day period. An applicant can recover twice the charge plus $250 for certain violations, including a failure to refund (ORS 90.295(6)). The section was last amended in 2023 (2023 c.319).

What this means in practice

Before collecting a fee, landlords can tell applicants in writing how much it is, what it pays for, and the screening criteria that will be used. Several statutes require some of this disclosure, and it also reduces disputes when an application is denied.

Keep a copy of the invoice or receipt from the screening company. Where the law ties the fee to actual cost or requires an itemized receipt, that record shows the fee was lawful.

Check local law as well as state law. In many states a city or county ordinance can set a lower limit or add refund and notice rules, and the stricter rule usually applies. A few states bar local rules on application fees.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.