If you’ve been following housing policy in Oregon, you may have heard about House Bill 3522 — legislation that passed unanimously in the Oregon Legislature in 2025 and took effect on January 1, 2026. This bill provides residential property owners with a more streamlined legal process to remove unauthorized occupants (commonly known as “squatters”) from their property.
At its core, HB 3522 updates Oregon law to make it easier and faster for residential property owners to remove squatters. Prior law failed to provide property owners with a clear path to use the regular eviction system when someone was occupying their property without permission and without paying rent. Instead, owners had to file a separate civil lawsuit known as “ejectment,” which could take much longer and cost more than a residential eviction. HB 3522 changes that.
Under the new law:
- Residential property owners can use Oregon’s standard eviction process (called Forcible Entry and Detainer or FED) when someone is unlawfully occupying the property as a squatter.
- Before starting that process, a property owner must give the squatter 24 hours’ written notice to vacate, specifying that their occupancy is unauthorized. This short notice window lets owners move more quickly compared to the old ejectment process.
- If the squatter does not leave within that 24-hour period, the owner can file an FED action in court — the same expedited and straightforward process used in typical landlord-tenant evictions.
This approach streamlines what could previously develop into a lengthy and drawn-out battle just to regain control of your property.
Importantly, HB 3522 applies to unauthorized occupants only — meaning individuals who are not tenants under a rental agreement and are not paying rent or otherwise legally entitled to the property. The law does not change standard tenant protections under Oregon’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act for legitimate tenants. Traditional tenants remain covered by existing rights and obligations, including notice requirements and other protections under ORS chapter 90.
