Moving to Tualatin, OR?

TMC 6-14-040 prohibits operating amplified sound equipment so that the sound is plainly audible within a noise-sensitive property or more than 150 feet away on public property. The standard is plain audibility, not a decibel reading, and applies at all hours.

Tualatin does not ban gas-powered leaf blowers. Under TMC 6-14-040, residential power equipment - including leaf blowers, lawn mowers, lawn edgers, hand tools, saws, and drills - may operate between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Operation between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is unlawful.

Under TMC 6-14-040, it is unlawful to keep or permit any animal that barks, cries, or whimpers on a frequent or continuous basis for 15 minutes or longer if the sound is audible at neighboring properties. The rule applies 24 hours a day, not only at night.

Tualatin Municipal Code Chapter 6-14 governs noise. TMC 6-14-030 prohibits creating or permitting a noise disturbance, and TMC 6-14-040 sets a 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. nighttime window for several specific noise sources, including power equipment, vehicle idling over 15 minutes, and vehicle repair or testing audible at neighboring properties.

Construction work in Tualatin - excavation, demolition, alteration, or repair of a building - is allowed between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. seven days a week without a variance. Work outside that window requires advance variance approval from the City Engineer under TMC Chapter 6-14.

Tualatin has not adopted a short-term-rental-specific occupancy limit in the Tualatin Municipal Code or Tualatin Development Code. Maximum occupancy at an STR is set instead by the Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC) and the Oregon Structural Specialty Code provisions applied through Tualatin Building Division plan review, which derive occupant load from bedroom count, egress, and life-safety criteria, together with the TDC's general dwelling-unit definition. Because TMC 6-13 treats an STR as a 'residential rental unit,' the unit must remain in conformance with the dwelling-unit standards under which it was built.

Tualatin Municipal Code Chapter 9-9 (Ordinance 1408-18) does not impose a minimum liability insurance coverage requirement on short-term rental operators. The City Manager may, under TMC 9-9-360 Security for Collection of Tax, require a transient lodging tax collector to deposit cash, bond, or other security up to five times the average monthly tax liability or $5,000, whichever is less, but this is a tax security, not a liability policy.

Short-term rentals inside Tualatin city limits are subject to a layered transient lodging tax stack. The City of Tualatin imposes a 2.5% Transient Lodging Tax under TMC Chapter 9-9, created by Ordinance 1408-18 and effective February 26, 2018. Oregon imposes a 1.5% State Transient Lodging Tax under ORS Chapter 320, administered by the Oregon Department of Revenue. Washington County imposes a county-level transient lodging tax (commonly reported at 9%). Airbnb collects and remits the city and state lodging taxes on Tualatin bookings made through its platform; direct bookings remain the operator's responsibility. Additional city fees include the $10.00 annual Rental Housing License under TMC 6-13.

Tualatin has not codified short-term-rental-specific quiet hours. STR guests are subject to the general noise control provisions of Tualatin Municipal Code Chapter 6-14 (Noise Ordinance), which prohibits any person from knowingly creating, permitting, or assisting in the creation or continuance of a noise disturbance. TMC 6-14 limits industrial, agricultural, construction, and demolition sounds to 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and limits residential power-equipment use (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, lawn edgers, snow removal equipment, hand tools, saws, drills, and similar tools used for home or building repair, maintenance, landscaping, alteration, or manual arts) to 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Complaints route through the Tualatin Police Department.

STR guests must comply with Tualatin parking regulations. Vehicles must park in driveways or designated paved areas on private property. Abandoned vehicles on streets for over 24 hours are subject to towing. Residential parking zones exist in designated areas.

As of May 2026, the City of Tualatin has not codified a short-term-rental-specific licensing chapter in the Tualatin Municipal Code (TMC) or the Tualatin Development Code (TDC). Vacation rentals, Airbnb listings, and other dwellings rented to non-owner occupants are treated as 'residential rental units' under TMC Chapter 6-13 (Rental Housing Maintenance Standards), which requires every owner or operator of a rental dwelling unit to obtain an annual Rental Housing License from the City Finance Department at $10.00 per unit. Operators must also obtain a City of Tualatin Business License and confirm that transient lodging use is permitted in the underlying TDC zoning district. The state Transient Lodging Tax registration with the Oregon Department of Revenue is separately required.

Tualatin is an urbanized Willamette Valley city in Washington and Clackamas Counties; the Oregon Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map (finalized by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon State University in 2024 under SB 762) classifies most developed Tualatin parcels in the low to moderate hazard range. Tualatin is not on the Oregon Department of Forestry's list of high-hazard wildland-urban interface communities, and there is no Tualatin Municipal Code chapter establishing locally adopted defensible-space zones beyond the noxious vegetation duties in TMC Chapter 6-04.

Tualatin Municipal Code Chapter 6-04 (Noxious Vegetation) requires every owner or person in charge of property to cut down weeds, grass, brush, and other noxious vegetation as often as needed to prevent it from becoming a fire hazard, going to seed, or unreasonably interfering with neighboring property. Lawns must be kept at no more than 10 inches in height, and the maintenance duty runs March 1 through October 31 each year.

Tualatin sits inside Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue's (TVF&R) jurisdiction, and TVF&R - operating under the Oregon Fire Code (adopted statewide) - sets the operative rules for backyard fire pits, fire tables, and campfires in the city. Recreational fires are allowed if the fuel/burn area stays at three feet in diameter and two feet in height, in a safe location away from combustibles and vegetation, and are fully extinguished after use.

Outdoor burning in Tualatin is governed by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) under the Oregon Fire Code. TVF&R recognizes two backyard burn seasons - Spring (March 1-June 15) and Fall (October 1-December 15) - but burn rules change daily with weather and air quality, and TVF&R routinely enacts High-Fire Danger Burn Bans that suspend all open burning of yard debris, agricultural waste, and land-clearing material.

Oregon-legal consumer fireworks may be sold and used in Tualatin only during the state-approved window of June 23 through July 6. Consumer fireworks are prohibited entirely in Tualatin City Parks and State Parks. Illegal fireworks - those that fly, explode, or travel more than a few feet - remain banned year-round under Oregon law, and Tualatin Police warn that civil fines can exceed $500 and criminal charges may be filed.

Tualatin treats a vehicle left on a public street more than 24 hours that appears disabled or abandoned as towable under ORS 819.100. TMC 6-13-040(13) bars vehicles in major disassembly or disrepair on residential rental property for more than 5 days unless stored inside a permitted structure.

Home occupation vehicles must comply with Development Code Chapter 34 standards. Working on 3 or more motor vehicles per week at a residence creates a presumption of an unauthorized home occupation. Commercial vehicle storage is subject to home occupation rules.

Abandoned vehicles on streets for over 24 hours may be towed at the owner's expense under ORS 819.100. Residential parking zones exist in areas near schools and designated neighborhoods. Parking against traffic, over 18 inches from curb, and blocking cluster mailboxes are prohibited.

Tualatin requires RVs, trailers, and recreational vehicles on residential property to be parked in the driveway or a paved or graveled area parallel to the driveway farthest from the residence. On-street storage over 72 hours is barred by TMC 8-1-260.

TDC Chapter 73C sets driveway widths for residential lots: single-family driveways must be at least 10 feet wide and are capped at 26 feet for a 1-2 car garage or 37 feet for a 3+ car garage.

Construction and placement of private residential fences are generally not regulated by the Tualatin Development Code, but fences over 6 feet tall need a building permit per the city's Fences handout, and TDC 73.400(16) bars any fence 30 inches to 8 feet above curb height inside a vision clearance triangle.

Tualatin does not require a permit for most residential fences, but the city's Fences handout requires a building permit for fences over 6 feet tall, fences around any pool, pond, or hot tub deeper than 24 inches, and retaining walls over 4 feet or supporting a fence or surcharge.

Oregon does not have a shared fence cost statute. Each property owner is responsible for their own fence. Fences on property lines are not specifically regulated beyond height and material standards. Spite fences may be actionable as a nuisance under common law.

TMC Chapter 6-15 lets residents in the Low Density Residential (RL) Planning District keep up to four domestic fowl with a city license. Roosters, on-site slaughter, and traditional livestock are prohibited, and coops must meet strict setback and size limits.

Oregon prohibits keeping exotic animals without a valid ODA permit issued before January 1, 2010, or as provided under ORS 609.351. Cities may enact additional bans. Tualatin follows Oregon state law on exotic animal restrictions.

Tualatin Municipal Code 6-4-040 requires all animals to be restrained when off the keeper's private property. Dogs must be on leash in all city parks and at schools, and licensing is handled by Washington County Animal Services.

Tualatin has no city ordinance restricting residential beekeeping; the city has been a designated Bee City USA Affiliate since 2019 and supports pollinators. Beekeepers must register colonies with the Oregon Department of Agriculture under ORS 602.

Neither Tualatin nor Washington County enforces breed-specific legislation. Oregon state law (ORS 609.095) uses behavior-based criteria for potentially dangerous dogs. Oregon does not preempt local breed bans but Tualatin has not enacted any.

TMC 6-4-090 prohibits noxious vegetation on any property between March 1 and October 31. Listed nuisance plants include uncontrolled blackberry, tansy ragwort, poison oak and ivy, and any weeds taller than 10 inches that harbor vermin, shed noxious pollen, or pose a fire hazard.

Tualatin caps lawn grass at ten inches under TMC 6-4-090 (noxious vegetation) and reinforces it in TMC 6-13-040 for rental housing. Enforcement runs March 1 through October 31, the prime growing season for pollen and seed production.

Property owners are responsible for maintaining adjacent sidewalks, tree grates, and planter strips in good condition. Trees and shrubs must be trimmed to prevent hazards. Owners may be liable for injuries caused by negligent sidewalk and vegetation maintenance.

Tualatin has no mandatory day-of-week outdoor watering schedule. The city buys water wholesale from the Portland Water Bureau and asks residents to follow the Regional Water Providers Consortium's voluntary Weekly Watering Number guidance from April through September.

Tualatin Development Code Chapter 33 regulates removal of any tree eight inches or larger in diameter (measured 4 feet above grade) on private property. Homeowners may remove up to four qualifying trees per calendar year without a permit, but heritage trees and site-plan trees always require review.

A residence housing a home occupation may have only one sign. Sign structures require a building permit application through the Planning Department. Sign permit applications are available through the city's forms portal.

Home occupations in Tualatin are allowed in residential zones as a conditional accessory use of a dwelling under Tualatin Development Code (TDC) Chapter 34 (Special Regulations), with additional standards drawn from the city's published Home Occupation Standards. The operator must hold a current City of Tualatin Business License, must own or operate the home occupation as a resident at the site, may employ only one on-site non-resident employee (off-site employees are unlimited), must store all materials and equipment inside built structures on the premises, and may not generate noise, smoke, or odors exceeding normal residential use. One sign is permitted. Customer trips between 10:00 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. are restricted.

No employee, client, subcontractor, or delivery trips may be made between 10:00 PM and 7:30 AM. Working on 3 or more motor vehicles per week creates a presumption of unauthorized home occupation. All materials must be stored inside structures.

Building permits and inspections are required for all pools and spas. Oregon Residential Specialty Code (OAR 918-480) governs construction standards. Anti-entrapment drain covers required per federal VGB Act. Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits may all be needed.

Above-ground pools are subject to the same barrier and permit requirements as in-ground pools under Oregon Residential Specialty Code. Pool barriers are required regardless of pool type. Building permit application through the Tualatin Building Division.

Pool barriers are required under the Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC Appendix G). Barriers must be at least 42 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates. Vertical spacing between fence members must not exceed 1.75 inches when horizontal members are less than 45 inches apart.

Tualatin Development Code Chapter 40 (Low Density Residential RL Zone) governs carports and other accessory structures. Table 40-3 sets minimum setbacks of 15 feet front, 5 feet side, 15 feet rear, and 20 feet for a garage door, with a maximum structure height of 35 feet and a maximum lot coverage of 45 percent for single-family dwellings. A non-habitable detached accessory structure under 200 square feet and 15 feet tall does not require a building permit but must still meet TDC setbacks.

Per Tualatin's Planning FAQ, a non-habitable one-story detached accessory structure like a shed needs no building permit if its floor area does not exceed 200 square feet and it is no higher than 15 feet. Zone setbacks under TDC 40 and 41 still apply.

Per TDC 40.220 (RL zone) and TDC 41.220 (RML zone), accessory dwelling units are a permitted housing type subject to TDC 34.600. The city's ADU page confirms three reviews — land use, engineering, and building — are required.

Converting a Tualatin garage into living space requires Building Division permits (building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical). If the conversion becomes a separate dwelling unit it must also meet ADU standards under TDC 34.600 and pass land use approval.

Stormwater and surface-water management in Tualatin is governed by Tualatin Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 3-05 (Surface Water Management and Water Quality), under a co-implementation partnership with Clean Water Services (CWS), the regional sanitary and surface-water utility for the Tualatin River Watershed. New development and redevelopment must meet CWS Design and Construction Standards, including erosion-prevention and water-quality requirements, and obtain a CWS Service Provider Letter through the city permit process.

Portions of Tualatin sit in the Tualatin River 100-year floodplain. Development inside a mapped flood hazard area is regulated under Chapter 70 (Floodplain District, FP) of the Tualatin Development Code (TDC). Any project within the 100-year floodplain requires a Flood Hazard Area Development (FHAD) permit, may require an elevation certificate, no-rise certification, or floodproofing certification, and must be reviewed by the City's Floodplain Manager.

The City of Tualatin has not adopted a city-specific just-cause eviction ordinance. Residential evictions inside Tualatin city limits are governed by the statewide just-cause framework under ORS 90.427 (part of the Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, ORS Chapter 90), which was substantially amended by Senate Bill 608 (2019) and extended by Senate Bill 611 (2023). After the first 12 months of tenancy on a month-to-month tenancy, a landlord may terminate only for a qualifying landlord-based reason (sale to a buyer who will occupy, owner/family move-in, demolition or major renovation, or removal from residential use) and must pay one month's rent as relocation assistance. TMC Chapter 6-13 requires landlords to give tenants a copy of the chapter; ORS 90 controls the substantive eviction rules.

Tualatin has not adopted a city-level rent-control ordinance. Residential rents inside Tualatin city limits are subject to the statewide Oregon rent cap codified at ORS 90.323 (and ORS 90.600 for manufactured-home facilities), enacted by Senate Bill 608 in 2019. The cap limits annual rent increases on covered units to 7% plus the September West Region CPI, with a hard ceiling of 10%. The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis publishes the maximum annual rate each September for the following calendar year; the 2026 maximum is 9.5%. Buildings less than 15 years old (measured by certificate of occupancy) are exempt, as are most subsidized units and certain other categories under ORS 90.323(7).

Under TMC 6-4-150, no minor may be in or upon any street, highway, park, alley, or other public place in Tualatin between 12:00 a.m. (midnight) and 4:00 a.m. Exceptions in ORS 419C.680 apply. Minors found in violation are released to a parent and referred to the Washington County Juvenile Department.

Tualatin parks are open from sunrise to sunset, except for the lit areas of Tualatin Community Park - the skate park, basketball courts, and tennis courts - which are open until 10:30 p.m. The juvenile curfew in TMC 6-4-150 also bars minors from any park between midnight and 4:00 a.m.