Oregon Landlord Selling the House
Oregon rules on landlord selling the house for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Oregon has no state law in its Residential Landlord and Tenant Act that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer. ORS ch. 90 (reviewed); ORS 90.305(2), 90.427(5)(a)(D), (6)
The rules in Oregon
| If the landlord sells the property | Oregon has no state law in its Residential Landlord and Tenant Act that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer. The landlord's duty to disclose in writing who manages the property and who receives notices for the owner must be kept current and is enforceable against any successor landlord or owner. If the landlord has accepted an offer from a buyer who intends in good faith to live in the unit, a month-to-month tenancy (or a fixed term at or after its end) can be ended with at least 90 days' written notice stating the reason, and the landlord generally must pay the tenant one month's rent at the time of the notice (exemptions are in ORS 90.427(6)(b)). Reviewed ORS chapter 90 on 2026-10-28; no provision found. A 60-day notice option exists when the landlord pays an additional month's rent with the notice (ORS 90.427(5)(b)). |
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| Tenants in foreclosure | A tenant who gets actual notice of a foreclosure may apply the security deposit or prepaid rent toward rent and cannot be evicted for doing so. A fixed-term tenant may end the lease with at least 60 days' written notice. For buildings with 4 or fewer units, failure to disclose a pending foreclosure before signing lets a tenant who must move recover twice actual damages or twice the monthly rent, plus prepaid rent. After a trustee's sale, the buyer must give a bona fide tenant written notice: at least 60 days for a fixed-term tenant (30 days if the buyer will live in the unit), and 30 days for month-to-month or week-to-week tenants. The buyer must then use the court eviction process. If the buyer accepts rent or gives no move-out notice within 30 days of the sale, the buyer becomes the landlord. ORS 90.367 and 90.310 are in ORS chapter 90 (https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors090.html). The federal PTFA (90 days) may give more time than the state 30-day notice. |
Related questions
Oregon vs. neighboring states
| State | If the landlord sells the property | Tenants in foreclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | Oregon has no state law in its Residential Landlord and Tenant Act that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer. The landlord's duty to disclose in writing who manages the property and who receives notices for the owner must be kept current and is enforceable against any successor landlord or owner. If the landlord has accepted an offer from a buyer who intends in good faith to live in the unit, a month-to-month tenancy (or a fixed term at or after its end) can be ended with at least 90 days' written notice stating the reason, and the landlord generally must pay the tenant one month's rent at the time of the notice (exemptions are in ORS 90.427(6)(b)). ORS ch. 90 (reviewed); ORS 90.305(2), 90.427(5)(a)(D), (6) | A tenant who gets actual notice of a foreclosure may apply the security deposit or prepaid rent toward rent and cannot be evicted for doing so. A fixed-term tenant may end the lease with at least 60 days' written notice. For buildings with 4 or fewer units, failure to disclose a pending foreclosure before signing lets a tenant who must move recover twice actual damages or twice the monthly rent, plus prepaid rent. After a trustee's sale, the buyer must give a bona fide tenant written notice: at least 60 days for a fixed-term tenant (30 days if the buyer will live in the unit), and 30 days for month-to-month or week-to-week tenants. The buyer must then use the court eviction process. If the buyer accepts rent or gives no move-out notice within 30 days of the sale, the buyer becomes the landlord. ORS 90.367, 90.310, 86.782(6)-(10) |
| California | If a landlord voluntarily sells the rental, the tenants' rights do not change: a tenant with a lease can stay to the end of it on the same terms, and a new owner can end a month-to-month tenancy only as the law allows (just cause may be required under the Tenant Protection Act or local rules). The selling landlord must either transfer the deposits (less lawful deductions) to the buyer or return them to the tenants with an itemized statement, and must notify each tenant in writing, by first-class mail or personal delivery, of the transfer, any deductions, the amount transferred, and the new landlord's name, address and phone number. If the seller does neither, both the seller and the new landlord are responsible for the deposits, and the new landlord may not charge current tenants a new deposit just to make up for deposits it failed to get from the seller. Cal. Dept. of Real Estate, California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landlords' Rights and Responsibilities (2026 ed.) | When a rental is sold at foreclosure, a month-to-month or periodic tenant must get 90 days' written notice to quit before being removed. A tenant with a fixed-term lease signed before the sale may stay until the lease ends, and the lease survives the sale. The new owner may end it early with 90 days' notice only if: the buyer will live in the unit as a primary residence; the tenant is the borrower or the borrower's spouse, child or parent; the lease was not an arm's-length deal; or the rent is far below market (unless subsidized). The buyer must prove that an exception applies. Local just-cause ordinances still apply. When a sale is noticed, the trustee must post on the property, and mail to 'Resident', a statutory notice telling tenants about these rights. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161b; Cal. Civ. Code § 2924.8 |
| Idaho | If a rental changes ownership during a tenancy, the new owner is liable for refunding the security deposits paid on it. A buyer of rented property gets the same rights to collect rent and enforce the lease that the seller had, and a tenant has the same remedies against the buyer for breach of the lease that the tenant had against the original landlord (except on covenants about title, encumbrances or possession). Idaho Code §§ 6-321(3), 55-301, 55-303 | Not verified yet |
| Nevada | Yes, the lease continues. Unless the new owner and tenant agree otherwise, a new owner after a voluntary sale takes on the previous landlord's rights, obligations, and liabilities under the existing rental agreement, and the tenant keeps theirs. The new owner must notify the tenant within 30 days of the sale where to pay rent, that the lease continues, and how much deposit the new owner holds. The selling landlord must, within a reasonable time, either tell the tenant in writing who the successor is and that the deposit balance was transferred, or return the deposit balance to the tenant; before recording the deed, the seller must transfer the deposit to the buyer in writing or notify the buyer in writing that it was returned. NRS 118A.349, 118A.244 | Before renting, a landlord must disclose in writing if the property is in foreclosure; a willful violation is a deceptive trade practice. After a residential foreclosure sale, a tenant in possession (not the borrower) can be removed only after notice of the change of ownership. The notice period is at least 60 days for month-to-month or longer periodic tenancies and at-will tenancies, or one full rental period for periods under 1 month. During that period the lease continues, the new owner takes on the old landlord's ch. 118A duties, and the notice must say where to pay rent. NRS 118A.275; NRS 40.255(2)-(5) |
| Washington | If the landlord's role passes to someone else during the tenancy (for example, by sale), the security deposit money in the landlord's trust account must be moved at the same time to an equivalent trust account of the new landlord. The new landlord must promptly tell the tenant about the transfer and give the name, address and location of the new depository. If the unit is foreclosed on and the deposit is not passed to the successor, the former owner must refund the full deposit to the tenant right away or be liable for up to twice the deposit. RCW 59.18.270 | In a nonjudicial (deed of trust) foreclosure of tenant-occupied property, the trustee must post and mail a notice to the 'Resident of property subject to foreclosure sale' when posting the notice of trustee's sale, warning that the property may be sold in 90 days or more and the new owner may offer a new rental agreement or give a 60-day notice to vacate. A tenant or subtenant in possession when the property is sold in foreclosure must get at least 60 days' written notice to vacate before removal (eviction for waste or nuisance excepted); the rule does not apply to a borrower who stays on as a tenant. Separately, under just-cause eviction rules, an owner who elects to sell a single-family residence must give at least 90 days' written notice to end the tenancy. RCW 61.24.143; 61.24.146; 59.18.650(2)(e) |
City rules that may add to state law
More Oregon rental law
- Oregon Security Deposit Law
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- Oregon Notice to Vacate Rules
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- Oregon Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
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- Squatters' Rights in Oregon
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- Oregon Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Oregon landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Oregon
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Oregon Landlord Selling the House FAQ
What happens to my lease if my landlord sells the house in Oregon?
Oregon has no state law in its Residential Landlord and Tenant Act that requires a selling landlord to transfer the security deposit to the buyer. The landlord's duty to disclose in writing who manages the property and who receives notices for the owner must be kept current and is enforceable against any successor landlord or owner. If the landlord has accepted an offer from a buyer who intends in good faith to live in the unit, a month-to-month tenancy (or a fixed term at or after its end) can be ended with at least 90 days' written notice stating the reason, and the landlord generally must pay the tenant one month's rent at the time of the notice (exemptions are in ORS 90.427(6)(b)). (ORS ch. 90 (reviewed); ORS 90.305(2), 90.427(5)(a)(D), (6))
What are tenants' rights in a foreclosure in Oregon?
A tenant who gets actual notice of a foreclosure may apply the security deposit or prepaid rent toward rent and cannot be evicted for doing so. A fixed-term tenant may end the lease with at least 60 days' written notice. For buildings with 4 or fewer units, failure to disclose a pending foreclosure before signing lets a tenant who must move recover twice actual damages or twice the monthly rent, plus prepaid rent. After a trustee's sale, the buyer must give a bona fide tenant written notice: at least 60 days for a fixed-term tenant (30 days if the buyer will live in the unit), and 30 days for month-to-month or week-to-week tenants. The buyer must then use the court eviction process. If the buyer accepts rent or gives no move-out notice within 30 days of the sale, the buyer becomes the landlord. (ORS 90.367, 90.310, 86.782(6)-(10))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.