Oregon 2027 Rent Increase Cap: How to Time and Calculate Your 2027 Increases
The Oregon 2027 rent increase cap is official: 10%. The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) published the number on September 28, 2026, and it applies to most residential tenancies covered by ORS 90.323. In 2026 the cap was 9.5%, so on paper this is a small bump. In practice, the timing rules matter just as much as the percentage, and that's where landlords get hurt.
In our classes, the most common mistake isn't picking the wrong percentage. It's serving a notice one day short, or forgetting that mail adds time. This guide walks through the dates, the math, the exemptions and the penalties, so your 2027 increases hold up.
What the Oregon 2027 rent increase cap actually says
Under ORS 90.324, DAS must publish the maximum annual rent increase percentage for the following calendar year by September 30. The formula is the lesser of 10% or 7% plus the Consumer Price Index. For 2027, that formula lands at the 10% ceiling, per the DAS Rent Stabilization page.
Most residential tenancies (ORS 90.323): 10% maximum for 2027.
Manufactured dwelling and floating home facilities with more than 30 spaces: 6%.
Facilities with 30 or fewer spaces: the same 10% formula as other tenancies.
2026 maximum, for comparison: 9.5%.
Questions about how the cap is administered go to Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), which DAS lists as the contact.
The rules that come with every increase
The percentage is only one of the rules in ORS 90.323. Every increase on a covered tenancy has to follow all of these:
No increase during the first year of the tenancy.
No more than one increase in any 12-month period.
At least 90 days' written notice before the increase takes effect.
The notice must state the amount of the increase, the new rent, and the date the increase takes effect.
If you're claiming an exemption from the cap, the notice must also state the facts that support it.
Count the 90 days the right way
Two statutes control the count. ORS 90.160 says you don't count the day the notice is served. ORS 90.155 says that when you serve by first-class mail, the minimum notice period is extended by three days.
Here's how that works for a March 1, 2027 increase:
Personal delivery: served no later than December 1, 2026. Day 1 is December 2 and day 90 lands on March 1.
First-class mail: mailed no later than November 28, 2026 (90 days plus 3).
Our recommendation: serve at least a week earlier than the legal minimum. A notice that's one day short can cost you the whole increase.
If you were hoping for a January 1, 2027 increase, the deadline for that date was October 3, 2026 by personal delivery. For effective dates from late January 2027 onward there's still time, as long as you count carefully.
and now a couple shameless plugs.
RPM Education teaches the full notice process in our Oregon landlord classes, including how to fill out and serve a rent increase notice that holds up. If you'd rather learn it once than guess every year, take a class with us.
The Portland Area Rental Owners Association (PAROA) gives members landlord forms built for Oregon law, including rent increase notices, so you're not writing them from scratch.
Which year's cap applies?
DAS publishes the cap by calendar year. For an increase that takes effect in 2027, plan around 10%. If the effective date is still in 2026, stay at or under 9.5%. If a date is close to the line, the conservative move is to use the lower number or check with OHCS before you serve.
How to calculate a 2027 increase
The cap is a percentage of the current rent. Multiply the current rent by 1.10 to get the maximum new rent. Here are three examples:
Current rent $1,450 x 10% = $145. The maximum new rent is $1,595.
Current rent $1,800 x 10% = $180. The maximum new rent is $1,980.
Current rent $2,375 x 10% = $237.50. The maximum new rent is $2,612.50.
Keep in mind that 10% is a ceiling, not a target. A good tenant who stays is usually worth more than the last few percent. Before you pick the maximum, price out a vacancy: lost rent, make-ready repairs, advertising and screening time. In many cases a smaller increase is the better business decision.
A Portland warning
If your rental is inside Portland city limits, a 10% increase in a rolling 12-month period triggers the city's relocation assistance rule under Portland City Code 30.01.085. The tenant can request $2,900 to $4,500, depending on unit size. That means the full state maximum carries a real extra cost in Portland, so run that number before you use it.
The 12-month rule in practice
Because you can raise rent only once in any 12-month period, the date you choose in 2027 sets your earliest possible date in 2028. If you want increases on a consistent calendar, say every March 1, pick that date now and track each unit's notice deadline. Mixing dates across units is fine, but it's also where tracking errors happen.
Exemptions to know
Under ORS 90.323, the percentage cap does not apply when:
The unit's first certificate of occupancy was issued less than 15 years before the date of the rent increase notice.
The unit is regulated or certified affordable housing and the change doesn't raise the tenant's portion of the rent, or the change is required by program rules or by a change in the tenant's income.
Exempt or not, the 90-day notice requirement, the first-year rule and the once-per-12-months rule still apply. And because the 15-year test is measured from the notice date, a building can age into the cap partway through its life. Check each property every year.
and now a couple shameless plugs.
Want someone else to track all of this? Northwest Real Estate and Property Management (NWRPM) handles rent increase notices, timing and documentation for owners across the Portland Metro and Central Oregon areas.
And if you're newer to Oregon landlording, RPM Education offers classes on Oregon rental law basics, rent increases and the notices that go with them.
What it costs to get it wrong
A landlord who raises rent above the allowed maximum is liable to the tenant for three months' rent plus actual damages under ORS 90.323. On a $1,800 unit, that's $5,400 before any other damages. A simple tracking sheet with the current rent, the last increase date, the certificate of occupancy year and the notice deadline is cheap insurance.
For a wider look at your obligations, see our guides to Oregon landlord legal compliance and Oregon rental law basics.
Three scenarios we see every year
The mid-year move-in
A tenant moved in on June 15, 2026. You can't raise rent during the first year, so the earliest effective date is June 15, 2027, with the notice served at least 90 days before that (93 if mailed). A notice that sets a March 2027 effective date is invalid, no matter how good your math is.
The 'I'll just round up' owner
Current rent is $1,725. Ten percent is $172.50, so the maximum new rent is $1,897.50. Rounding up to $1,900 puts you $2.50 over the cap, and that tiny overage is still a violation that can cost three months' rent. Round down, not up. Most owners find $1,895 looks cleaner anyway.
The building that just turned 15
Your fourplex got its first certificate of occupancy in 2011. In 2025 it was exempt from the cap. Serve a notice in late 2026 and it's past the 15-year mark, so the cap now applies. Pull the certificate of occupancy date from city or county records, write it in your file, and don't rely on memory.
Pitfalls that void an otherwise good increase
Leaving the effective date off the notice, or writing only the new rent without the dollar amount of the increase.
Serving by email or text when your lease and Oregon law don't allow electronic service for that notice.
Counting the day you served as day one.
Forgetting the three extra days for first-class mail.
Raising rent twice in 12 months because a roommate changed, a pet was added, or you 'restarted' the lease. Changes to other charges can count as rent depending on how your lease defines it, so be careful.
If you're ever unsure whether a notice was served correctly, the safest fix is usually to serve a fresh, correct notice and push the effective date out. Losing a month of the increase is much cheaper than defending a bad notice.
Your Oregon 2027 rent increase cap checklist
List every unit with its current rent and its last increase date.
Flag any tenancy still in its first year. No increase is allowed until the first year ends.
Confirm whether the 15-year new-construction exemption or an affordable-housing exemption applies.
Check whether the unit is inside Portland city limits and price the relocation trigger.
Pick the effective date, then count back 90 days (93 if mailing), plus your cushion.
Calculate the new rent at or below the 10% maximum.
Prepare the written notice with the increase amount, the new rent and the effective date (plus exemption facts if used).
Serve the notice and keep proof of service.
This post is general education, not legal advice. Local rules can add requirements, so confirm current law before you act.
Christian Bryant
President of both the Portland Area Rental Owners Association (PAROA)
Join PAROA for Oregon landlord forms, including rent increase notices, plus member support when the rules change.
Own rentals in the Portland Metro or Central Oregon areas? Hire NWRPM for full management or eviction processing, and let us handle the notice calendar for you.
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