Important Updates – Changes to ORHA Form #T3 (24-Hour Notice for Unlawful Occupant) & Form #S7 (Deposit to Hold Agreement)
Attention all Members,
New Squatter Eviction Authority Approved
During the 2025 Oregon Legislative Session, lawmakers enacted a change to termination rules under ORS Chapter 91 that allows squatters to be removed with 24 hours’ notice.
Under ORS 90.100, a squatter is defined as:
“A person occupying a dwelling unit who is not entitled to occupy the unit under a rental agreement and who is not authorized by the tenant to occupy the dwelling unit.”
Previously, ORS 90.403 allowed a 24-hour notice for an unlawful occupant only in very limited circumstances—specifically, when individuals remained in a unit after a lawful tenant vacated, were not tenants themselves, and had never paid rent to the landlord. The new law expands the situations in which a 24-hour notice may be used to remove unlawful occupants, including squatters.
Because this law is brand new and untested, members are strongly encouraged to seek legal advice before proceeding in any specific situation.
Effective January 1, 2026, the 24-Hour Notice for Unlawful Occupant (ORHA Form T3) will be updated to reflect this change. The revised form will include the following language:
“Or you are a squatter as defined in ORS 90.100.”
To avoid purging existing form stock, members may print this language on labels and affix them to current forms. The revised form will be available on the ORHA website by January 2, 2026, and will also be available for ordering through our printing company.
