Tenant Resources

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The links, documents, and resources on this page are intended to help tenants know what protections are in place to help them, what programs exist to support them, and who they can reach out to with questions.

 

Information:

  • State Landlord Tenant Law: ORS Chapter 90 – Residential Landlord and Tenant
    • Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) Chapter 90, Residential Landlord Tenant Law, is the section of state law that governs rental housing business, relationships, and standards in the state of Oregon. It is divided into sections that address different facets of rental housing (e.g., ORS 90.300 Security Deposits).
      • Oregon Law Help is a website designed and maintained by the Oregon State Bar that provides accessible, plain-language information, answers to common questions about the law, and occasionally step-by-step guidance and templates for certain situations (e.g., “How to Get Your Landlord to Make Repairs”). Visit the Rental Housing section of their Information Library here: Rental Housing | Oregon Law Help            
  • Fair Housing & Housing Discrimination:
    • Federal and State Fair Housing Law protects renters from discrimination. Housing discrimination is approximately defined as unequal treatment of a tenant on the basis of the tenant’s identity as a member of a protected class. Race, color, national origin, religion, disability, familial status (e.g., families with children), and sex (including additional protections for survivors of domestic violence) are all federally protected classes. The state of Oregon has also designated sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, and source of income (i.e., recipients of housing supports such as HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers) as state protected classes. The state of Oregon also has additional protections in place for survivors of domestic violence and immigration status.
    • To learn more, visit our webpage: Housing Discrimination | Corvallis Oregon
    • Or the Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO): Fair Housing Council Of Oregon - Home - Fair Housing Council of Oregon

If you believe you may be experiencing housing discrimination, you can submit a report to:

  • Corvallis Connect: Report a Problem with Corvallis Connect | Corvallis Oregon
    • The City of Corvallis Livability Code outlines building, maintenance, and sanitation standards to which landlords are obligated to maintain the rental properties that they own. Certain maintenance defects in a rental property (e.g., plumbing issues) may be a violation of municipal or building code and tenants can submit complaints to the City through the Corvallis Connect online tool.
    • To submit a potential rental housing violation, click the link above and then select the “Private Property,” option in the orange menu, then select “Rental Housing Violation.”
  • General Guidance for Tenants:
    • If you have a question or conflict with your landlord, you may want to review your rental agreement to double-check the terms that you agreed to.
      • A rental agreement is a private contract entered into and agreed upon by you and your landlord. The City of Corvallis Housing & Neighborhood Services Division cannot intervene in landlord-tenant disputes. If you are in need of legal services, see the below list of programs that may be able to help you.
    • Maintaining documentation of communication with your landlord can be beneficial for record keeping, helping ensure clear and consistent communication, and even in the event of a conflict. Saving copies of written communications (e.g., emails, text messages, posted notices) and generating a log of verbal conversations (e.g., phone calls, in-person encounters) can be part of your documentation. For verbal conversations, you could keep a record of when conversations happened and what was discussed or even send an email following up on important conversations to clarify and document the discussion.
    • If you are having an issue with your landlord, you can try to find out if they answer to a larger property management company. Escalating your concerns there may be another route to seeking resolution to your issue.
    • Here is a collection of renter’s handbooks linked from the Oregon Law Help website: Housing Resources for Practitioners | Oregon Law Help

Reminder: The maximum allowable rent increase for 2026 is 9.5%. For more information, click here.

 

Assistance Programs:

 

Legal Services:

Should you find yourself in a situation that may require legal guidance or support, here are a handful of organizations that may be able to help you:

 

If you have further questions or would like more information, you can reach out to the City of Corvallis Housing & Neighborhood Services Division at (541) 766-6552 or housing@corvallisoregon.gov.

Supporting Documents

Welcome to Corvallis - Things to Know
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