Seek help for a landlord lockout or utility shutoff Housing & Rent Oregon preparation and procedure guide Source review: 2026-10-11 Scope: Shared Oregon or applicable federal procedure; confirm local requirements Preserve proof of occupancy and ask for urgent help when a landlord forces a tenant out without the court process. Who this route is for Oregon renters locked out or forced out without the required court process. Hotel, motel and recovery-program occupancy can have special rules. Timing and notices Seek help promptly because access, belongings and safety may be affected. Any court papers create separate dates that still require attention. Prepare (conditional documents may have alternatives) [ ] Rental agreement or other proof you live there [ ] Photographs of changed locks or removed belongings [ ] Utility notices and messages [ ] Dates and names of people involved [ ] Any court order or eviction papers How to proceed 1. Check for any court order and preserve the notice, messages, changed-lock photographs and proof that you live there. 2. Tell the landlord in writing that you dispute the lockout or shutoff and ask for access or restored service using the publisher's sample letter if appropriate. 3. If the situation continues, use the publisher's police or legal-help routes; describe the occupancy and whether a court order exists. 4. Contact a tenant lawyer promptly about restoring access, recovering belongings and any court remedy. 5. Get advice before sending a notice ending the tenancy; preserve receipts for losses and all responses. Open current instructions: https://oregonlawhelp.org/topics/housing/rental-housing/evictions-termination-notices-and-landlord-lockouts/illegal-evictions Limits: Do not assume every hotel stay or program placement is a residential tenancy. Returning to a property may be unsafe. This guide does not direct forced entry or determine the right to damages. Publisher sources Illegal Evictions | Oregon Law Help https://oregonlawhelp.org/topics/housing/rental-housing/evictions-termination-notices-and-landlord-lockouts/illegal-evictions Evidence type: publisher-html-snapshot SHA-256: 10578877d2f773810da84b283236345ff080bc777a384dd037e38eeed1cebf3e This site helps you prepare. It does not submit filings, calculate personal deadlines, decide eligibility or replace professional review. A complaint or help request does not pause another case or deadline. Start here Check for any court order and preserve the notice, messages, changed-lock photographs and proof that you live there. Where and how to submit Read the linked publisher instructions to confirm the receiving office, accepted submission method and current forms. This page has not separately verified those details. A county filter does not decide the correct court or filing location. https://oregonlawhelp.org/topics/housing/rental-housing/evictions-termination-notices-and-landlord-lockouts/illegal-evictions What will it cost? Fees and fee-waiver eligibility have not been separately verified for this route. Check the current provider instructions. For a court filing, ask the court about its fee-waiver or deferral forms. After submission Keep a copy of what you send and its confirmation or receipt. Ask the receiving office how to track it, when to expect a response and how it will request missing information. These follow-up details have not been separately verified for this route. Corrections, denials and appeals Read any returned filing, correction request or denial notice promptly. Ask the responsible office for the correction, review or appeal instructions and the deadline that applies to your notice. This guide does not verify a route-specific appeal process. Language, disability and offline help Ask the receiving office about language assistance, disability accommodations and an alternative to online submission. Available options have not been separately verified for this route.