Oregon rent receipt law: ask for it and the landlord must give it, whatever the payment method
Under ORS 90.140(2), an Oregon tenant who asks for a writing that shows a payment is entitled to it as a condition of making the payment. The writing can be a receipt, an account statement or another acknowledgment, and it must show the amount, the date and who the landlord or which property it is. Oregon does not limit this to cash.
What does ORS 90.140 say about receipts?
Subsection (2) says a tenant who requests a writing that evidences the tenant's payment is entitled to receive it from the landlord as a condition for making the payment. In other words, a tenant can ask for it when handing over the money, and the landlord cannot treat the request as a reason to delay or refuse.
The rule covers more than rent. Subsection (1) lists the payments a landlord may require or accept, including applicant screening charges, security deposits, fees, rent, prepaid rent, utility or service charges, late charges and damages. A request for a writing applies to a payment of any of these kinds.
What can the writing be, and what must it contain?
The writing may be a receipt, a statement of the tenant's account or another acknowledgment of the payment. It must include three things:
- The amount paid.
- The date of payment.
- Information identifying the landlord or the rental property.
That makes an account statement an acceptable answer, as long as it shows those three items for the payment in question.
What if the tenant pays by mail or deposit?
If the tenant pays by mail, deposit or any method other than in person and asks for the writing, the landlord must provide it within a reasonable time. The statute says to deliver it in a manner consistent with ORS 90.150, the section on how a landlord serves written notices.
Example a made-up tenant deposits $1,450 into your account on the 1st and emails on the 2nd asking for proof. You send an account statement on the 3rd showing $1,450, the date of the deposit, and the property address. That meets all three content items and arrives quickly.
Is the security deposit receipt a separate rule?
Yes. ORS 90.300(2) separately says that if you require a security deposit, you must give the tenant a receipt for it. The tenant does not need to ask. Keep the two ideas apart: a deposit gets a receipt automatically, while other payments get a writing when the tenant requests one.
What does the statute leave out?
ORS 90.140 sets no retention period for your copies and no penalty of its own. The sensible habit is the one in our guide on how long to keep rental records. If you give receipts routinely, you will never be caught answering a request late. Do landlords have to give rent receipts? walks through the general picture.
A simple receipt routine for Oregon landlords
The practical lesson from Oregon's wording is that a request, not the payment type, triggers the duty. So build a reply you can send in under a minute. Many landlords keep an account statement for each tenant that lists every payment with its date and amount and the property address. Sending the current statement answers a request for a receipt for rent, a fee or a deposit in one step. Reply in the same channel the tenant used to ask, and keep a copy of what you sent. If a tenant mails a payment and writes to ask for proof, treat the clock as running from the day you read the request, and do not let it sit for weeks.
How DoorKeeping fits in Oregon
DoorKeeping matches each bank deposit to a tenant and a unit, so the date, the amount and the property for a payment sit together in your books. That is the information Oregon's writing has to show, ready when a tenant asks. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current text of the law and your lease before you act.
Sources
Questions
- Does an Oregon landlord have to give a rent receipt?
- Yes, when the tenant asks for a writing that shows the payment. ORS 90.140(2) entitles the tenant to it as a condition of making the payment.
- What must an Oregon rent receipt include?
- The amount paid, the date of payment and information identifying the landlord or the rental property.
- Does the Oregon rule apply to mailed rent?
- Yes. If the tenant pays by mail, deposit or another method and asks for the writing, the landlord must provide it within a reasonable time.