ORS § 90 § 90.365

Failure of landlord to supply essential services; remedies.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/7/2026OregonRepair and Deduct

Operative Text

ORS § 90 § 90.365
(1) If contrary to the rental agreement or ORS 90.320 or 90.730 the landlord intentionally or negligently fails to supply any essential service, the tenant may give written notice to the landlord specifying the breach and that the tenant may seek substitute services, diminution in rent damages or substitute housing. After allowing the landlord a reasonable time and reasonable access under the circumstances to supply the essential service, the tenant may:

(a) Procure reasonable amounts of the essential service during the period of the landlord’s noncompliance and deduct their actual and reasonable cost from the rent;

(b) Recover damages based upon the diminution in the fair rental value of the dwelling unit; or

(c) If the failure to supply an essential service makes the dwelling unit unsafe or unfit to occupy, procure substitute housing during the period of the landlord’s noncompliance, in which case the tenant is excused from paying rent for the period of the landlord’s noncompliance. In addition, the tenant may recover as damages from the landlord the actual and reasonable cost or fair and reasonable value of comparable substitute housing in excess of the rent for the dwelling unit. For purposes of this paragraph, substitute housing is comparable if it is of a quality that is similar to or less than the quality of the dwelling unit with regard to basic elements including cooking and refrigeration services and, if warranted, upon consideration of factors such as location in the same area as the dwelling unit, the availability of substitute housing in the area and the expense relative to the range of choices for substitute housing in the area. A tenant may choose substitute housing of relatively greater quality, but the tenant’s damages shall be limited to the cost or value of comparable substitute housing.

(2) If contrary to the rental agreement or ORS 90.320 or 90.730 the landlord fails to supply any essential service, the lack of which poses an imminent and serious threat to the tenant’s health, safety or property, the tenant may give written notice to the landlord specifying the breach and that the rental agreement shall terminate in not less than 48 hours unless the breach is remedied within that period. If the landlord adequately remedies the breach before the end of the notice period, the rental agreement shall not terminate by reason of the breach. As used in this subsection, “imminent and serious threat to the tenant’s health, safety or property” shall not include the presence of radon, asbestos or lead-based paint or the future risk of flooding or seismic hazard, as defined by ORS 455.447.

(3) For purposes of subsection (1) of this section, a landlord shall not be considered to be intentionally or negligently failing to supply an essential service if:

(a) The landlord substantially supplies the essential service; or

(b) The landlord is making a reasonable and good faith effort to supply the essential service and the failure is due to conditions beyond the landlord’s control.

(4) This section does not require a landlord to supply a cooking appliance or a refrigerator if the landlord did not supply or agree to supply a cooking appliance or refrigerator to the tenant.

(5) If the tenant proceeds under this section, the tenant may not proceed under ORS 90.360 (1) as to that breach.

(6) Rights of the tenant under this section do not arise if the condition was caused by the deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant or a person on the premises with the tenant’s consent.

(7) Service or delivery of actual or written notice shall be as provided by ORS 90.150 and 90.155, including the addition of three days to the notice period if written notice is delivered by first class mail.

(8) Any provisions of this section that reasonably apply only to a structure that is used as a home, residence or sleeping place does not apply to a manufactured dwelling, recreational vehicle or floating home if the tenant owns the manufactured dwelling, recreational vehicle or floating home and rents the space.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

ORS § 90.365 addresses what happens when a landlord fails to supply essential services—such as heat, water, or electricity—either intentionally or negligently. Depending on the severity of the failure, tenants may pursue remedies ranging from deducting the cost of substitute services from rent, to recovering damages for reduced rental value, to vacating the unit entirely if it becomes unsafe. If the failure poses an imminent and serious threat to health or safety, the tenant may give 48-hour written notice of termination. Landlords are not considered in violation if they substantially supply the service or are making a good-faith effort under circumstances beyond their control.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 7, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under ORS § 90.365, operators who supply essential services as part of a rental agreement must maintain those services consistently and in good faith. A compliant operator responds promptly when notified of a service failure, provides reasonable access for repairs, and documents efforts to restore service—particularly when disruptions stem from conditions outside their control. Landlords who substantially supply the required service, or who are actively working to restore it under difficult circumstances, generally fall outside the scope of intentional or negligent failure under this provision.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

ORS § 90.365 gives tenants several options when a landlord fails to supply an essential service. Depending on the situation, a tenant may deduct the cost of obtaining that service elsewhere, seek damages reflecting reduced rental value, or—if the unit becomes unsafe—secure substitute housing and withhold rent for the period of noncompliance. If the failure poses an imminent and serious threat to health or safety, written notice of termination may be given with at least 48 hours for the landlord to remedy the breach. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help identify which remedy paths may apply under this section.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 7, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

ORS § 90.320
Not yet ingested
ORS § 455.447
Not yet ingested
ORS § 90.360
Not yet ingested
ORS § 90.150
Not yet ingested

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 127L
Repairs by tenants of residential premises to cure violations; reimbursement for cost
§ 47a-13
Failure of landlord to supply essential services. Tenant's remedies.
§ 5-3-7-3
SELF-HELP FOR MINOR DEFECTS AND RENT WITH-HOLDINGS

Source Information

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