Oregon Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Oregon's security deposit statute (ORS § 90.300), the 31-day return deadline, and the double-damages penalty for wrongful withholding. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
31 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
2× damages
flat, for wrongful withholding under ORS 90.300(16)
Statute
§ 90.300
Oregon Revised Statutes
Under ORS § 90.300, your landlord has 31 days after your tenancy ends and you deliver possession to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized accounting of any deductions.
If the landlord wrongfully or in bad faith withholds your deposit, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $3,000. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Living in Portland? The city adds its own deposit protections (PCC 30.01.087) on top of the state rule — a separate penalty of up to $250 per violation plus actual damages and fees, distinct from the state’s 2×. Your letter applies both layers when they fit your situation.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Oregon's deadlines under § 90.300.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 90.300, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Oregon law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Some cities layer their own security deposit rules on top of state law — and some don't. Here's where Oregon's major cities stand.
31 days after you move out.
A landlord who wrongfully withholds is liable for twice the amount wrongfully withheld under ORS 90.300(16) — Oregon courts treat the doubling as flat and non-discretionary — and failure to give the itemized accounting forfeits the right to withhold.
ORS § 90.300. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Portland has local ordinance rules on top of (or instead of) the state default.
Sources & verification
The Oregon rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Oregon statutes that apply to your situation.
ORS § 90.300 and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Oregon landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39