Summary: There is no single registration requirement for rental properties in the Portland metro - each city sets its own rules, and those rules change meaningfully depending on whether you're operating a long-term rental or a short-term rental. Portland has the most extensive requirements by far, but even the suburbs differ from one another in important ways. This guide breaks down what's required city by city so you know exactly where you stand.

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Rental Property Registration Requirements in the Portland Metro: What Every Landlord Needs to Know

One of the most common misconceptions among Portland metro landlords - especially those who own property in multiple cities - is that rental registration works the same everywhere. It doesn't.

Oregon does not operate a single statewide rental registration program. Registration requirements are established city by city, and in the Portland metro, the rules vary considerably depending on where your property sits and how you're renting it. Short-term rentals add another layer of complexity entirely, with some cities actively enforcing detailed permit programs and others largely leaving it to state and county rules.

At Uptown Properties, we manage properties across the Portland metro and stay current on each jurisdiction's requirements so our clients don't have to track it all themselves. Here's the current breakdown.

Portland: The Most Extensive Requirements in the Metro

Portland has two separate registration obligations for landlords - one for long-term rentals and a separate permit system for short-term rentals. If your property is inside Portland city limits, both may apply depending on how you're renting.

Long-Term Rental Registration - Schedule R

Under Portland City Code 7.02.890, all owners of residential rental units within Portland city limits are required to register every unit annually with the City's Revenue Division. This applies to every landlord - including individual owners with a single rental - and has been in effect since tax year 2018.

Registration is completed by filing Schedule R, which lists the address of every residential rental unit you own within city limits. Schedule R is attached to and filed with your City of Portland and Multnomah County Business Tax Return, due by April 15 each year. You can file online through Portland Revenue Online (PRO) at pro.portland.gov, or submit by fax to the Revenue Division at 503-823-5192.

The Residential Rental Registration fee for tax year 2025 is $70 per unit, per the official Schedule R form from the City of Portland Revenue Division. Units regulated as affordable housing at or below 60% of Area Median Income may be exempt from the fee but must still be filed. If any units are sold during the tax year, that should be noted on the filing.

Failure to register can result in civil penalties of up to 100% of the registration fee owed, per Portland City Code 7.02.700.

Rental activity in Portland is treated as business activity, which also means you must register for a Revenue Division tax account and be prepared to pay the Portland business tax (2.6%) and Multnomah County business income tax (2%) on net rental income.

Short-Term Rental Registration - ASTR Permit

For rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days, Portland requires a separate Accessory Short-Term Rental (ASTR) permit through Portland Permitting & Development, per portland.gov's ASTR permit program page.

Portland's STR rules are among the most restrictive in Oregon. Both permit types require that the property be the host's primary residence and that a long-term resident occupy the dwelling for at least 270 days per calendar year:

• Type A permits allow renting up to 2 bedrooms to no more than 5 overnight guests. These are reviewed and approved administratively.
• Type B conditional uses apply when a resident wants to rent 3 to 5 bedrooms. These require a full Conditional Use Review through Portland Permitting & Development.

Permits renew every two years and must be displayed in the unit with the permit number included on all listings. Non-owner-occupied investor properties operating as full-unit short-term rentals in residential zones are not permitted. Portland ramped up enforcement significantly in 2023–2024 with a dedicated STR enforcement team. Fines start at over $1,000 for a first offense and escalate for repeated violations.

STR hosts in Portland also owe a 6% City Transient Lodgings Tax plus a 5.5% Multnomah County lodging tax, for a combined local rate of 11.5%, plus the state's 1.5% - roughly 13% total.

Beaverton: Simpler Rules, But Not Without Obligations

Beaverton falls under Washington County and is governed by Oregon's statewide landlord-tenant framework rather than Portland's additional city ordinances. There is no Beaverton-specific long-term rental registration program equivalent to Portland's Schedule R requirement.

For long-term rentals, Beaverton landlords are subject to Oregon's statewide rules - rent stabilization caps, just-cause eviction requirements, notice periods, and all other provisions of ORS Chapter 90 - but do not owe a city rental registration fee or a city business tax on rental income the way Portland landlords do.

For short-term rentals, Beaverton does not have a dedicated STR ordinance as of 2025, per Cascadia Getaways' 2026 Oregon STR Regulations Guide. Whole-home rentals are generally permitted. However, Beaverton does require a local agent contact for any rental property and levies a 9% city Transient Lodgings Tax on all STR operations. Standard business registration applies if operating under an LLC or business entity.

The practical takeaway: Beaverton is considerably more permissive than Portland for STR purposes, but the absence of a specific STR ordinance doesn't mean operating without any obligations. The lodging tax is real and applies.

Hillsboro: Minimal Requirements Currently

Like Beaverton, Hillsboro is a Washington County city that defaults to Oregon's statewide landlord-tenant framework for long-term rentals, with no city-specific rental registration program.

For short-term rentals, Hillsboro has no specific STR regulations in place as of the most recent available information from Host2Host, a regional STR advocacy organization. The city has been actively researching whether to regulate STRs. Hosts are currently required to hold a business license and pay the 9% Washington County Transient Lodgings Tax. Major platforms like Airbnb collect and remit this tax automatically on your behalf, but if you're operating independently, manual registration with Washington County is required.

Given that Hillsboro is still developing its STR policy, this is an area worth monitoring. Requirements could change.

Lake Oswego: Owner-Occupancy Required for STRs

Lake Oswego sits in Clackamas County and, like other suburbs, does not have the dual-layer Portland city/county registration system for long-term rentals.

For short-term rentals, Lake Oswego has adopted meaningful restrictions. Per Host2Host's city-specific regulatory guide, STRs in Lake Oswego are limited to properties containing a detached single-family house. The property owner must make their primary residence on the same property licensed for STR use, though the owner is not required to be physically present during rentals. An approved accessory dwelling unit on the same lot may also be used for STR purposes.

The effect of Lake Oswego's rules is similar to Portland's in one critical way: investor-owned, non-owner-occupied short-term rentals are not permitted. This has effectively closed the door on STR investment properties in Lake Oswego, per Cascadia Getaways' 2026 regulatory summary.

Gresham: Lighter Touch

Gresham is the largest city in Multnomah County outside Portland. For long-term rentals, Gresham landlords operate under Oregon's statewide framework without a city-specific registration fee program.

For short-term rentals, Gresham currently has no specific STR ordinance. Multnomah County itself does not have a special STR permitting program for unincorporated areas as of 2025, per Cascadia Getaways. STR operators in Gresham should confirm whether the Multnomah County lodging tax applies to their specific address and ensure any required business registration is in order.

Unincorporated Areas: County Rules Apply

Properties located in unincorporated Washington County, Multnomah County, or Clackamas County - outside any city limits - fall under county jurisdiction rather than city ordinances. Requirements vary by county:

• Unincorporated Multnomah County has no STR permit program as of 2025.
• Washington County requires the 9% Transient Lodgings Tax for STRs and a business license for those operating under a business entity.
• Clackamas County rules vary; property owners should verify directly with Clackamas County before operating.

If you're unsure whether your property is inside or outside a city limit, Washington County's online mapping tools and Multnomah County's PortlandMaps (portlandmaps.com) can confirm jurisdiction by address.

The Key Differences at a Glance

Long-term rentals: Portland is the only major city in the metro with a mandatory annual rental registration fee (Schedule R, $70/unit) and city business tax on rental income. Suburban cities rely on Oregon's statewide framework without a parallel city registration program.

Short-term rentals: Portland has the most restrictive and actively enforced STR rules in the metro, requiring an ASTR permit, primary residency, and compliance with detailed permit conditions. Lake Oswego similarly restricts STRs to owner-occupied properties. Beaverton and Hillsboro are significantly more permissive with minimal STR-specific regulation, though lodging taxes apply in both. Gresham and unincorporated areas currently have no STR permit programs.

Lodging taxes: Any STR operation in the metro - regardless of city - is subject to some combination of state, county, and city transient lodgings tax. Portland's combined rate is approximately 13%. Washington County cities are at approximately 10.5% (9% city/county + 1.5% state). These are non-negotiable obligations even where permitting requirements are minimal.

One More Thing Worth Knowing

Registration requirements across the Portland metro are not static. Cities that currently have minimal STR regulations - Hillsboro in particular - are actively evaluating whether to adopt formal ordinances. Portland periodically revisits its STR rules, and there has been ongoing discussion about tightening the unhosted rental provisions further. Staying current on your specific city's requirements is an ongoing obligation, not a one-time research task.

Let Uptown Properties Keep Track of It

Navigating registration obligations across multiple jurisdictions is one of the most tedious and error-prone aspects of owning rental property in the Portland metro. At Uptown Properties, we stay current on registration requirements, tax obligations, and regulatory changes across the cities we serve - so our clients stay compliant without having to monitor every city council agenda themselves.

• Own a rental property? We handle registration, compliance, leasing, and ongoing management across the Portland metro.
• Thinking about buying? Our brokerage team can walk you through the registration and tax obligations before you close.
• Looking for a rental? We manage quality homes across Portland and the surrounding area.