Springfield, OR Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Article XIX of the Springfield Municipal Code defines 'rentals' broadly in § 7.340 to include four-plex houses, rooming houses, hotels, motels and apartments, meaning any building, structure or dwelling with one or more units kept for sleeping or lodging purposes and offered to the public for rent, whether to long-term tenants, roomers, or short-term transients. Section 7.342 requires a license before establishing, maintaining or operating any such rental property, and treats every building where rentals are offered as a licensed rental property subject to the article regardless of whether the operator calls it a business.

Like other Springfield business licenses, a rental license holder must meet the general standards in §§ 7.000 to 7.006: applications go to the city manager, fees are set by council resolution and paid at application, licenses expire June 30 each year unless the council sets otherwise, and an occupancy inspection covering structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire and life safety conditions may occur before the license issues. Fees themselves are set by council resolution under § 7.344 rather than fixed dollar amounts in the code.

Rental properties with four or more units carry an added obligation under § 7.346: the operator must provide a location for recycling containers that meets the Springfield Development Code's requirements. Operating a rental property without the required license exposes the operator to a civil infraction under § 7.004, with every day of continued unlicensed operation counted as a separate violation.