Who licenses collection agencies in Oregon?

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, through its Division of Financial Regulation, registers collection agencies under ORS Chapter 697. Oregon-based agencies post a $10,000 bond; an out-of-state agency with no Oregon location generally must register through NMLS and post a $15,000 bond before collecting from Oregon residents.

What is the statute of limitations on unpaid rent in Oregon?

Unpaid rent pursued as a contract debt has a six-year limitations period under ORS 12.080, which covers written and oral rental agreements and most rent-based open accounts. A separate one-year limit under ORS 12.125 applies to claims that arise specifically under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act rather than as ordinary contract debt.

Can a partial payment restart the Oregon statute of limitations?

Yes. Under ORS 12.240, a payment of principal or interest made before the limitations period expires restarts the clock from the date of that payment. A signed written acknowledgment of the debt can also revive it under ORS 12.230.

How long does an Oregon landlord have to return a security deposit?

Thirty-one days after the tenancy ends and the tenant returns possession, under ORS 90.300. Within that window the landlord must return the deposit or send a written, itemized accounting of any deductions. Failing to comply can expose the landlord to damages of up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

What late fee can an Oregon landlord charge on unpaid rent?

Under ORS 90.260, a late charge is allowed only if the rent is not received by the fourth day of the rental period and the written rental agreement spells out the charge. The amount must fit one of three permitted structures: a reasonable flat fee, a capped per-day amount, or 5 percent of the rent payment charged per five-day delinquency period.

Does Oregon have its own debt collection law beyond the FDCPA?

Yes. ORS 646.639 defines unlawful collection practices under state law and ORS 646.641 lets an injured consumer sue to recover actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus potential punitive damages and attorney's fees. It runs in parallel with the federal FDCPA and specifically bars collecting fees or interest beyond the actual debt unless a contract or statute authorizes them.

Rent Collection Laws in Oregon: What Landlords & Property Managers Need to Know

Who Registers Collection Agencies in Oregon

Oregon requires collection agencies to register with the state, and out-of-state agencies are not exempt by default.

Oregon's collection-agency rules live in ORS Chapter 697, which makes it unlawful to operate as a collection agency in the state without registering with the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) through its Division of Financial Regulation. Registration runs through the NMLS system. An Oregon-based agency posts a $10,000 bond under ORS 697.031; an agency located out of state with no Oregon office generally must post a larger $15,000 electronic surety bond before collecting from Oregon residents (Oregon DFR, Collection Agencies). Oregon will waive registration for an out-of-state agency only where the agency's home state extends the same reciprocity to Oregon agencies. That registration regime is also exclusive under ORS 697.053, so cities and counties can't stack additional agency licenses on top of it.

Oregon's Two Clocks: Contract Debt vs. Landlord-Tenant Claims

Most unpaid-rent claims get six years; claims framed under the landlord-tenant act get only one.

Unpaid rent pursued as ordinary contract debt falls under ORS 12.080, which sets a six-year limitations period for actions on a contract, whether written or oral. Oregon treats written leases, oral rental agreements, and most rent-based open accounts under that same six-year window. But a separate statute, ORS 12.125, imposes a one-year limit on any action that "arises under a rental agreement or ORS chapter 90," meaning the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The practical line is this: a straight breach-of-contract claim for unpaid rent gets the six years, while a claim seeking statutory remedies specific to the landlord-tenant act must be brought within one year of the violation. The clock generally starts at the tenant's default, not when the debt is later sold or charged off.

Oregon limitations periods for rent-related claims
Claim type	Limitations period
Written lease (contract debt)	6 years (ORS 12.080)
Oral rental agreement / open account	6 years (ORS 12.080)
Claim arising under ORS ch. 90 (ORLTA)	1 year (ORS 12.125)
Effect of partial payment or signed acknowledgment	Restarts the clock (ORS 12.230 / 12.240)

One consequence worth flagging for placement policy: a token "good faith" payment on a nearly expired account can reset the six-year clock under ORS 12.240, and a signed written acknowledgment can revive an otherwise time-barred debt under ORS 12.230. For how Oregon's timeline compares to Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Washington, see Statute of Limitations on Rent Debt: A State-by-State Guide.

Oregon's Own Unlawful Collection Practices Statute

ORS 646.639 is Oregon's state-law analog to the FDCPA, and it reaches conduct the federal rule doesn't.

Oregon doesn't lean solely on the federal FDCPA. ORS 646.639 defines a set of unlawful collection practices under state law, including threatening force, threatening arrest or criminal prosecution, using abusive language, contacting an employer about a debt, and simulating legal process. Critically for rent debt, it bars collecting "interest or other charges or fees that exceed the actual debt" unless a contract or a law expressly authorizes them. It also conditions filing suit on possessing business records that establish the nature and amount of the debt. Enforcement comes through a private right of action in ORS 646.641: an injured consumer can recover actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus possible punitive damages and attorney's fees (ORS 646.639–646.641).

Wage Garnishment Runs Well Above the Federal Floor

Oregon protects more of a debtor's paycheck than federal law does, and the protected amount keeps rising.

Oregon's wage-garnishment exemption in ORS 18.385 protects 75% of disposable earnings and adds statutory dollar floors that sit well above the federal minimum. As amended by Senate Bill 1595, effective April 4, 2024, those floors step up over time. For wages payable on or after July 1, 2026, the minimum exempt amounts are $400 per week, $832 per two-week period, $912 per half-month, and $1,792 per month, and they convert to a formula tied to Oregon's own minimum wage for wages payable on or after July 1, 2027. A creditor can take at most the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above those floors. There is no separate head-of-household exemption layered on top; the formula applies uniformly. For a rent judgment, that means expected wage recovery has to be calculated against the current-year table, not the federal cap.

Security Deposits and the 31-Day Clock

A move-out balance isn't clean to place until Oregon's deposit-return window has run.

Under ORS 90.300, a landlord has 31 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant returns possession to either refund the deposit in full or deliver a written, itemized accounting of deductions along with any balance. The clock runs from when possession is actually given up, typically when keys come back, not merely the lease end date. Permitted deductions include unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear and tear. A landlord who wrongfully withholds can be liable for up to twice the amount improperly kept, often with attorney's fees. Because deposit application can materially change the net balance owed, an Oregon move-out account should generally be treated as final for placement only after the 31-day window has run and the written accounting has issued.

What a Landlord Can Actually Charge on Late Rent

Late fees are collectible only if the lease authorizes them and the amount fits a permitted structure.

ORS 90.260 controls late charges. A landlord may impose one only if the rent isn't received by the fourth day of the rental period and the written rental agreement specifies the charge, its type and amount, and the due dates. The amount has to fit one of three permitted forms: a reasonable flat fee charged once per period, a capped per-day amount, or 5% of the rent payment charged once per five-day delinquency period. Interest on an unpaid late charge is allowed only at the judgment rate under ORS 82.010, and only where the agreement provides for it. Combined with the ORS 646.639 bar on collecting fees beyond the actual debt, the practical rule is that nothing beyond unpaid rent, lease-authorized late fees within the statutory structure, and contractually authorized interest should ever be placed for collection in Oregon.

Key takeaways

Collection agencies register with DCBS's Division of Financial Regulation under ORS Chapter 697; out-of-state agencies generally post a $15,000 bond.
Unpaid rent as contract debt gets a six-year limitations period (ORS 12.080); claims arising under the landlord-tenant act get only one year (ORS 12.125).
A partial payment or signed written acknowledgment can restart the clock (ORS 12.230 / 12.240).
ORS 646.639 is Oregon's own collection-practices statute, with a private right of action for the greater of actual damages or $1,000.
Wage-garnishment exemptions under ORS 18.385 run well above the federal floor and rise over time.
Security deposits must be returned or itemized within 31 days, with up to double damages for wrongful withholding (ORS 90.300).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who licenses collection agencies in Oregon?

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, through its Division of Financial Regulation, registers collection agencies under ORS Chapter 697. Oregon-based agencies post a $10,000 bond; an out-of-state agency with no Oregon location generally must register through NMLS and post a $15,000 bond before collecting from Oregon residents.
What is the statute of limitations on unpaid rent in Oregon?

Unpaid rent pursued as a contract debt has a six-year limitations period under ORS 12.080, which covers written and oral rental agreements and most rent-based open accounts. A separate one-year limit under ORS 12.125 applies to claims that arise specifically under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act rather than as ordinary contract debt.
Can a partial payment restart the Oregon statute of limitations?

Yes. Under ORS 12.240, a payment of principal or interest made before the limitations period expires restarts the clock from the date of that payment. A signed written acknowledgment of the debt can also revive it under ORS 12.230.
How long does an Oregon landlord have to return a security deposit?

Thirty-one days after the tenancy ends and the tenant returns possession, under ORS 90.300. Within that window the landlord must return the deposit or send a written, itemized accounting of any deductions. Failing to comply can expose the landlord to damages of up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
What late fee can an Oregon landlord charge on unpaid rent?

Under ORS 90.260, a late charge is allowed only if the rent is not received by the fourth day of the rental period and the written rental agreement spells out the charge. The amount must fit one of three permitted structures: a reasonable flat fee, a capped per-day amount, or 5 percent of the rent payment charged per five-day delinquency period.
Does Oregon have its own debt collection law beyond the FDCPA?

Yes. ORS 646.639 defines unlawful collection practices under state law and ORS 646.641 lets an injured consumer sue to recover actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus potential punitive damages and attorney's fees. It runs in parallel with the federal FDCPA and specifically bars collecting fees or interest beyond the actual debt unless a contract or statute authorizes them.