Oregon Security Deposit Not Returned
If your Oregon security deposit was not returned, first check whether 31 days have passed after the tenancy terminated and you delivered possession. Oregon generally requires a written accounting and return of any unclaimed deposit balance within that 31-day period.
If the 31 days have not passed, use the time to gather proof: your lease, deposit amount, key-return record, current address notice, photos, and any move-out messages. If the deadline has passed, the practical question is whether the landlord sent nothing, sent a weak accounting, or kept money for charges you can challenge.
If no written accounting was sent
A written accounting is a written list explaining what the landlord kept and why. Oregon says the accounting should state the basis or bases of the claim.
If the landlord kept money but did not send that accounting within 31 days after termination and delivery of possession, your demand should point to Oregon's return-and-accounting rule.
Keep the demand simple. State the date the tenancy ended, how you delivered possession, the deposit amount, your mailing address, and what you have not received. Attach or save proof of sending so the next step is not just your word against theirs.
If deductions were claimed
Oregon deductions should fit allowed categories and be reasonably necessary. Common categories include unpaid rent, tenant defaults under the rental agreement, tenant-caused damage beyond ordinary wear, and carpet cleaning only when Oregon's carpet-cleaning conditions are met.
If a charge is really normal use, routine turnover, unsupported cleaning, or a vague lump sum, dispute it in writing.
Do not just say "I disagree." Point to the charge, explain why it does not fit, and ask for the basis of the claim and the amount calculation. Photos, move-in notes, cleaning records, and messages matter because they turn the dispute into something concrete.
If prepaid rent or last month's rent is involved
ORS 90.300 also covers prepaid rent and last month's rent deposits. If those are part of your dispute, ask for separate accounting so the landlord explains what happened to each category of money.
That separate accounting matters because a security deposit deduction, unused prepaid rent, and a last month's rent deposit are not the same thing. If the response blends them together, ask the landlord to break it out.
What to do next
- Check the Oregon security deposit deadline
- Write an Oregon security deposit demand letter
- Organize Oregon security deposit evidence
- Review Oregon small claims basics
The free path is to check the deadline, preserve proof, send a clear written demand, and escalate only if the record supports it. The paid Oregon Recovery System is a shortcut through that sequence: move-out notice, deposit-due request, entitlement notice, and final demand in order.
Get the Deposit Recovery System
Important: This page provides general information and is not legal advice.