Oregon Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
Oregon rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No mold-specific statute — the general habitability duty applies. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, plumbing in good working order, or floors, walls and ceilings in good repair, among other items. ORS 90.320(1); ORS 90.368(1)(b)
The rules in Oregon
| Mold | No mold-specific statute — the general habitability duty applies. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, plumbing in good working order, or floors, walls and ceilings in good repair, among other items. Mold is expressly excluded from the 'minor habitability defect' repair-and-deduct remedy (repairs up to $300), so tenants must use the other habitability remedies. No state mold disclosure or exposure standard for rentals. Tenant remedies for habitability failures include ORS 90.360 (termination/damages) and 90.365 (essential services). Local housing codes (e.g., Portland) may add rules. Source: ORS 90.320(1); ORS 90.368(1)(b) |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | No bed-bug-specific statute. At the start of the tenancy the landlord must deliver buildings and grounds free of rodents and vermin, and must keep areas under the landlord's control free of rodents and vermin. The tenant must keep areas under the tenant's control free of rodents and vermin to the extent the tenant caused the problem, and must reasonably cooperate with the landlord's efforts to remedy it. No state bed-bug disclosure or inspection rule. Responsibility for an infestation inside a unit generally turns on who caused it and the habitability duty. |
| Heat | Yes. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks adequate heating facilities that conformed to applicable law when installed and are maintained in good working order. No statewide minimum indoor temperature or heating season. If the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply heat or other essential services, the tenant has remedies including procuring heat and deducting the cost, recovering damages, or obtaining substitute housing. Local housing codes may set temperature standards. Source: ORS 90.320(1)(d); ORS 90.365 |
| Air conditioning | Partly. For units in buildings whose construction permits were issued on or after April 1, 2024, the landlord must provide adequate cooling in at least one room (not a bathroom) — central air, a heat pump or a landlord-provided portable air conditioner. For all tenancies, a landlord generally may not prohibit a tenant from installing or using a portable air conditioner or evaporative cooler, subject to listed safety, building-code, electrical-capacity and window-installation exceptions; written restrictions must say whether the landlord will offer a community cooling space kept at no more than 80°F during extreme heat events. No state maximum indoor temperature for older buildings. Landlord-supplied air conditioning must be kept in good repair (ORS 90.320(1)(i)). The landlord is immune from liability for damage or injury caused by a tenant-installed portable cooling device. Termination notice periods based on cooling-device violations are extended for each extreme heat day (ORS 90.355(6)). Source: ORS 90.320(1)(n); ORS 90.355 |
| Smoke and CO detectors | The owner of a rental unit must supply, install and maintain the required smoke alarms or detectors and give the tenant written testing instructions at move-in; the owner must provide working batteries before each new tenancy and fix deficiencies (other than dead batteries) after written notice from the tenant. The tenant must test the alarms as the manufacturer recommends, at least every six months, replace dead batteries, and report problems in writing. If a unit has a carbon monoxide source (or is connected to a room with one), the landlord must have working carbon monoxide alarms installed before a new tenancy, supply working batteries at the start, give testing instructions, and repair or replace a deficient alarm after written notice. Smoke and CO alarms are habitability requirements. Carbon monoxide alarm statutes: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors090.html |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
Oregon vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | No mold-specific statute — the general habitability duty applies. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, plumbing in good working order, or floors, walls and ceilings in good repair, among other items. Mold is expressly excluded from the 'minor habitability defect' repair-and-deduct remedy (repairs up to $300), so tenants must use the other habitability remedies. ORS 90.320(1); ORS 90.368(1)(b) | No bed-bug-specific statute. At the start of the tenancy the landlord must deliver buildings and grounds free of rodents and vermin, and must keep areas under the landlord's control free of rodents and vermin. The tenant must keep areas under the tenant's control free of rodents and vermin to the extent the tenant caused the problem, and must reasonably cooperate with the landlord's efforts to remedy it. ORS 90.320(1)(f); ORS 90.325(1)(b) | Yes. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks adequate heating facilities that conformed to applicable law when installed and are maintained in good working order. No statewide minimum indoor temperature or heating season. If the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply heat or other essential services, the tenant has remedies including procuring heat and deducting the cost, recovering damages, or obtaining substitute housing. ORS 90.320(1)(d); ORS 90.365 |
| California | Visible mold growth, as determined by a health officer or code enforcement officer, and dampness of habitable rooms are listed as substandard housing conditions, which make a unit untenantable under the landlord's repair duty. Minor mold on surfaces that can collect moisture during normal use is excluded. The Toxic Mold Protection Act also requires landlords to give written mold disclosures and a state mold booklet to tenants, but those duties do not start until the Department of Public Health adopts mold exposure standards, guidelines and the booklet. Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(11), (a)(13); Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1(a); Health & Safety Code §§ 26147, 26148 | The landlord must keep the building, grounds and all areas it controls clean and free of rodents and vermin, and insect, vermin or rodent infestation is a substandard condition. Under the bed-bug law, the landlord may not show or rent a vacant unit it knows has a current bed-bug infestation, must give every new tenant a written bed-bug information notice (all existing tenants since January 1, 2018), and must notify tenants in writing within two business days of a pest control operator's findings for inspected units (and all tenants for confirmed common-area infestations). Tenants must cooperate with inspections. Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1941.1(a)(6), 1954.602, 1954.603, 1954.604, 1954.605; Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(12) | Yes. A unit is untenantable if it substantially lacks heating facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order, and lack of adequate heating is a substandard condition. State housing regulations (Title 25) require dwelling units to be able to maintain a minimum indoor temperature. Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1(a)(4); Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(6); Cal. Code Regs., tit. 25, § 34 |
| Idaho | No statute — Idaho has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law and no state agency that regulates mold inspection or removal in rentals. Mold is handled under the tenant's right to sue a landlord who maintains the premises in a manner hazardous to health or safety, fails to provide reasonable waterproofing and weather protection, or fails to maintain plumbing and ventilation facilities. The Attorney General advises tenants to report leaks, excess moisture, or recurring mold to the landlord immediately. Idaho Code § 6-320(a)(1)–(3); Idaho AG, Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), pp. 16–17 | No statute — Idaho law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. The Attorney General lists insect infestations as an example of a condition that may violate housing standards and the landlord's duty not to maintain the premises in a manner hazardous to health or safety. Idaho Code § 6-320(a)(3); Idaho AG, Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), pp. 11–12 | No statute sets a minimum temperature or requires landlords to supply heat, but a tenant may sue a landlord who fails to maintain in good working order heating facilities the landlord supplied. The Attorney General lists nonfunctioning heating units as a condition that may violate housing standards. Idaho Code § 6-320(a)(2); Idaho AG, Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), p. 12 |
| Nevada | No statute — general habitability duty applies. The landlord must maintain the unit in a habitable condition at all times; a unit is not habitable if it violates housing or health codes on health, safety, sanitation, or fitness, or substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, working plumbing, or walls, floors, and ceilings in good repair. NRS 118A.290(1) | At the start of the tenancy, the building, grounds, and other areas under the landlord's control must be clean, sanitary, and reasonably free of rodents, insects, and vermin. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. No bed-bug-specific statute. NRS 118A.290(1)(g); NRS 118A.310 | Yes. A unit is not habitable if it substantially lacks adequate heating facilities that conformed to law when installed and are maintained in good working order. No statewide minimum temperature or heating season is set. If the landlord is required to supply heat and willfully or negligently fails to, the tenant has additional remedies, including damages of up to $2,500. NRS 118A.290(1)(d); NRS 118A.380 |
| Washington | Disclosure required: the landlord must give tenants information provided or approved by the Department of Health about the health hazards of indoor mold and how tenants can control mold growth, either in writing to each tenant or posted in a visible public location on the property. The landlord is immune from civil liability for failing to do so unless the failure is knowing and intentional. There is no mold-specific remediation standard; mold is handled under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit for habitation, comply with health and safety codes and make repairs. RCW 59.18.060(1), (5), (14), (15) | The landlord must provide a reasonable program for the control of insects, rodents and other pests at the start of the tenancy and, except in a single-family residence, must control infestation during the tenancy unless the tenant caused it. No bed-bug-specific statute (no disclosure or inspection rule). The tenant must pay all extermination and fumigation costs for an infestation the tenant caused. RCW 59.18.060(4); 59.18.130(2) | Yes. The landlord must provide facilities adequate to supply heat (and water and hot water) as reasonably required by the tenant, and keep heating facilities it supplies in reasonably good working order. After notice, a defect depriving the tenant of heat must be remedied within 24 hours (where possible). State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. RCW 59.18.060(8), (11); 59.18.070(1) |
City rules that may add to state law
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Oregon Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in Oregon?
No mold-specific statute — the general habitability duty applies. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, plumbing in good working order, or floors, walls and ceilings in good repair, among other items. Mold is expressly excluded from the 'minor habitability defect' repair-and-deduct remedy (repairs up to $300), so tenants must use the other habitability remedies. (ORS 90.320(1); ORS 90.368(1)(b))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in Oregon?
No bed-bug-specific statute. At the start of the tenancy the landlord must deliver buildings and grounds free of rodents and vermin, and must keep areas under the landlord's control free of rodents and vermin. The tenant must keep areas under the tenant's control free of rodents and vermin to the extent the tenant caused the problem, and must reasonably cooperate with the landlord's efforts to remedy it. (ORS 90.320(1)(f); ORS 90.325(1)(b))
Does a landlord have to provide heat in Oregon?
Yes. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks adequate heating facilities that conformed to applicable law when installed and are maintained in good working order. No statewide minimum indoor temperature or heating season. If the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply heat or other essential services, the tenant has remedies including procuring heat and deducting the cost, recovering damages, or obtaining substitute housing. (ORS 90.320(1)(d); ORS 90.365)
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in Oregon?
Partly. For units in buildings whose construction permits were issued on or after April 1, 2024, the landlord must provide adequate cooling in at least one room (not a bathroom) — central air, a heat pump or a landlord-provided portable air conditioner. For all tenancies, a landlord generally may not prohibit a tenant from installing or using a portable air conditioner or evaporative cooler, subject to listed safety, building-code, electrical-capacity and window-installation exceptions; written restrictions must say whether the landlord will offer a community cooling space kept at no more than 80°F during extreme heat events. No state maximum indoor temperature for older buildings. (ORS 90.320(1)(n); ORS 90.355)
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in Oregon?
The owner of a rental unit must supply, install and maintain the required smoke alarms or detectors and give the tenant written testing instructions at move-in; the owner must provide working batteries before each new tenancy and fix deficiencies (other than dead batteries) after written notice from the tenant. The tenant must test the alarms as the manufacturer recommends, at least every six months, replace dead batteries, and report problems in writing. If a unit has a carbon monoxide source (or is connected to a room with one), the landlord must have working carbon monoxide alarms installed before a new tenancy, supply working batteries at the start, give testing instructions, and repair or replace a deficient alarm after written notice. Smoke and CO alarms are habitability requirements. (ORS 479.270, 479.275; ORS 90.316, 90.317, 90.325)
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.