Tenant Self-Help Desk

Start with what happened.

Find the closest situation, preserve the facts, and use forms or private review only when they fit. No account is required.

Submit eviction lead

Start here

These paths jump to the checklist that matches the record you need to preserve.

Notice, sticker, or tow threatA paper, sticker, lock change, shutoff, tow warning, or pressure to leave.Build the fact packet Text, email, or verbal demandA message or spoken instruction says you must leave without court papers.Preserve the message record Court papers or filing deadlineYou received FED papers, have a first appearance, or need forms fast.Find court forms and next steps

Same-day packet

Gather these before the story gets fuzzy.

The goal is not to argue the whole case today. It is to keep the record intact enough for review, court forms, or a records request later.

Notice trail

Save the notice, envelope, sticker, text, email, voicemail, and any delivery details.

Access facts

Photograph locks, gates, shutoffs, tow tags, blocked doors, missing property, or service interruptions.

Authority check

Write down case numbers, writs, officer names, badge numbers, tow-company names, and CAD/report numbers.

Timeline and losses

List dates, times, witnesses, rent/payment records, lodging, storage, transport, and replacement costs.

Need private review of a notice or removal threat?

Submit a private lead when you have a sticker, notice, tow threat, officer contact, or source trail you want reviewed. The intake is not monitored in real time and does not create a legal claim or attorney-client relationship.

Submit eviction lead for private review

Notice, sticker, or tow threat

Lockouts, door warnings, service interruptions, and tow threats outside the court process.

Source check

Oregon law gives tenants remedies when a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes a tenant, seriously threatens removal or exclusion, or willfully diminishes essential services. If the issue involves an RV, vehicle, or stored property, preserve the towing and abandoned-property facts separately because different procedures may apply.

ORS Chapter 90 ORS Chapter 98

Self-Service Checklist

Photograph the conditionCapture the sticker, warning, lock, shutoff, tow tag, or blocked access. Include placement, surrounding context, and a date/time clue when possible.
Build the timelineWrite down when you found it, who was present, what changed, and whether any utilities, locks, mail, showers, gates, or belongings were affected.
Separate housing from vehicle/property factsKeep the home, space, vehicle, personal-property, tow-company, and abandoned-property details in separate notes so the right source can be checked.
Do not make a rushed record-damaging moveIf you are unsafe, get safe first. If there is time, avoid treating an informal threat as agreement to leave; preserve the record and seek qualified help.

Submit eviction lead for private review Back to start

Text, email, or verbal demand

Informal notices, text messages, and verbal demands to leave.

Source check

Oregon written-notice rules are formal. ORS 90.155 lists delivery methods for written notices, and termination notices by email require the statutory email addendum path plus first-class mail. Treat text, email-only, or verbal demands as facts to preserve and verify.

ORS 90.155 Oregon Court Self-Help

Self-Service Checklist

Do Not AgreeAvoid replying with language that sounds like you agree to move out, waive notice, or abandon property.
Reply with a record-preserving messageIf it is safe to respond, keep the message factual, short, and focused on preserving notice and delivery issues.
Verify the notice basisSave the cited statute, deadline, delivery method, sender, address, and any rental-agreement language about email or attachment service.

"Under ORS 90.155, written notice delivery has specific requirements. I am preserving this message and do not agree that an informal text, email, or verbal demand is a valid termination notice. Please identify the legal basis and send any required written notice using a method allowed by Oregon law and our rental agreement."

Submit eviction lead for private review Back to start

Court papers or filing deadline

Statutory timelines, FED court filings, and self-represented forms.

Source check

Oregon courts provide statewide landlord-tenant and fee-waiver forms for self-represented people. Court staff can usually answer procedural questions about filing, copies, and check-in, but they cannot give legal advice.

Oregon Court Self-Help Statewide Forms

Self-Service Checklist

Download the right formsStart with the Oregon FED Answer, statewide landlord-tenant forms, and fee-waiver application if cost is a barrier.
Calendar the first appearanceWrite down the court, case number, first appearance date, trial date if any, and every filing deadline shown on the papers.
Ask procedural filing questionsAsk the clerk how many copies are needed, how exhibits are handled, how to request a fee waiver, and where to check in.

FED Answer Landlord/Tenant Forms Fee Waiver Court Self-Help Back to start

Record Preservation Checklist

Locate and preserve the source records that let someone else verify what happened.

Rental receipts and ledgersPreserve all bank statements, money orders, or written receipts showing payments made to the landlord.
Written correspondenceSave emails, texts, letters, envelopes, notices, screenshots, and voicemail details. Preserve originals when possible.
Photos and mediaBack up photos and recordings of conditions, lockouts, stickers, tow tags, changed locks, shutoffs, or damaged property.
Status and payment cluesKeep documents that use words like tenant, rent, account, space, unit, refund, deposit, guest, or lodging. Legal status depends on the whole record, not one label.