Are Rental Application Fees Legal in Oregon?
What Oregon lets a landlord charge to apply — and how that compares to what screening actually costs.
actual cost only — A screening charge can't exceed the landlord's actual cost. A landlord can't charge a fee when there's no available unit, must give a receipt, and must accept an applicant-provided screening report in many cases.
A full tenant screen costs a landlord about $30. Landlords typically charge applicants $55 — so any fee well above ~$30 is mostly markup, and in Oregon that overage is refundable or unlawful.
| Cap type | Actual cost only |
|---|---|
| The legal line | actual cost only |
| Refund rights | If the landlord doesn't process your application or no unit is available, the fee must be refunded. |
| Receipt required | Yes |
| Reusable screening report | Yes — you can supply your own |
| Statute | ORS 90.295 |
Check your Oregon application fee
We'll compare it to the law and the real cost of screening.
How Oregon compares
See every state's cap, the real cost of screening, and the markup landlords add — the full picture in one place.
Informational only, not legal advice — verify ORS 90.295 and current screening costs before acting.