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Can My Landlord Ask Me to Move Out for No Reason?

If you live in Oregon and have been in your rental for less than one year, your landlord can ask you to move out for no reason. (This is called a “no-cause eviction”).  

But after one year of renting, your landlord can only ask you to move out for three reasons: 

  • Reason 1: You did something wrong (like not paying rent or following your rental agreement). 
  • Reason 2: Your landlord has a “qualifying reason.”  
  • Reason 3: You live on the same property as your landlord, and your rental is the only rental on their property. 

These protections apply to you even if you don’t have a signed rental agreement. All you need is a verbal rental agreement to be protected by these laws.

Caution: Any time someone new moves into your rental, the one-year clock restarts. This means if a new roommate moves in with you, your landlord has another year in which they can evict all of you for no reason at all.  

Keep reading to learn more about the reasons your landlord can ask you to move after you’ve been renting for one year. 

Even if you have been renting for more than one year, your landlord can ask you to move out if you:  

  • Don’t pay rent, 
  • Keep a pet when your landlord has a no-pets policy, 
  • Move someone into your rental without permission,  
  • Don’t pay utilities,  
  • Do something violent, dangerous, or threatening at the property (or your pet or a guest does something violent, dangerous, or threatening),  
  • Cause significant damage to your rental, 
  • Live in drug-and-alcohol-free housing but don’t follow the rules about alcohol and drug use, or 
  • Don’t follow other rules in your rental agreement. 

Tip: Even if you do something wrong, your landlord must give you a legal termination notice and go through all the steps in the eviction process to lawfully evict you. You don't have to move out if your landlord doesn’t follow these steps. 

Your landlord can also ask you to move out after you’ve been renting for one year if they have a “qualifying landlord reason.” These are the four qualifying reasons in Oregon: 

  1. Your landlord sold the rental unit to someone who plans to move in,  
  2. Your landlord’s close relative (or the landlord) wants to move in, 
  3. Your landlord intends to repair or remodel your rental, and you can’t safely live there while the work is happening, or 
  4. Your landlord plans to demolish your rental or change your rental unit to a non-residential property. 

Tip: If your landlord wants you to move for one of these reasons, they still must give you a legal termination notice. You don't have to move out if they skip this step. Your landlord must also pay you one month’s rent when they give you the termination notice if they own five or more rentals.

Your landlord can also ask you to move out at any time if you live on the same property as your landlord and your rental is the only rental on that property.  

For example, suppose you're renting a basement apartment, and your landlord lives upstairs. In that case, your landlord can ask you to move out at any time without a reason—even if you have been renting for ten years. 

Tip: If your landlord asks you to move out, your landlord still must give you a legal termination notice. You don't have to move out if they skip this step. 

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