Portland, OR Public Health Rules: Bed-Bug Rules (2026)

There is no Portland City Code chapter dedicated to bed bugs. Instead, three legal layers apply. First, Oregon's residential habitability statute ORS 90.320 requires landlords to maintain rental units that are 'safe' and free from infestations, and ORS 90.325 establishes tenant obligations to keep units sanitary. Second, Multnomah County's housing standards (Multnomah County Code Chapter 21) and the adopted International Property Maintenance Code Section 308 ('Rubbish and Garbage' / 'Pest Elimination') require owners of structures to provide extermination when infestations exist in multi-tenant buildings. Third, Multnomah County tenant guidance confirms that for multi-unit buildings (apartments, condos), the landlord pays for extermination and must treat adjoining units when an infestation spreads. For single-family rentals (detached house, manufactured home), the tenant may be responsible unless the infestation existed at move-in. Oregon law (ORS 90.302) limits a landlord's ability to charge tenants for pest control absent proof the tenant caused the infestation. Tenants may pursue remedies under ORS 90.360 (essential services / habitability) if the landlord refuses to act. There is no statewide bed bug disclosure law, but tenants can ask before signing.