As the holiday season kicks into full gear here in the Portland metro area and across Oregon, many landlords start hearing from tenants about special requests. Extra guests coming to town, strings of lights going up, maybe a Christmas tree in the living room or a menorah on the windowsill—these are all normal parts of the season. But as landlords and property managers, we also have to protect our investments, stay compliant with Oregon law, and keep things fair for everyone.

HB 3521 mandates that landlords must pay a minimum amount of damages if they breach an agreement to execute a rental agreement after accepting a holding deposit from a tenant[1]. This provision is designed to protect tenants from losing money when landlords fail to honor their commitments.