In Oregon, you may send a notice of foreclosure and sale at default, but it must demand payment by a date at least 30 days after the default. After that you advertise for two weeks and sell at least 15 days after the first ad, so the earliest sale is about day 45 (a derived count).
This page is general information, not legal advice. Review your notices and sale plan with your attorney before you act.
Oregon lien timeline at a glance
Oregon's law is the Oregon Self-Service Storage Facility Act, ORS 87.685 to 87.695. Note that ORS 87.151 and the sections near it cover a different lien (for labor and services on personal property), not self storage.
| Step | Earliest timing | What the law requires | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Default | Day 0 | Failure to perform in time any duty in the rental agreement. | 87.685(1) |
| 2. Late fee | Once per month | Amount and date it may be charged must be in the rental agreement. | 87.694 |
| 3. Notice of foreclosure and sale | At default (derived: day 0) | Registered, certified or other verified mail, or email. Demand for payment at a date at least 30 days after default. | 87.689(2), (3) |
| 4. Advertise | After the notice period ends (derived: day 30) | Once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper, if value is over $1,000. | 87.691(1), (2) |
| 5. Sale | At least 15 days after the first ad (derived: day 45) | Public sale. May be listed online but completed at the facility or the closest suitable place. | 87.691(3), (4) |
The Act sets no waiting period before you may send the notice, only the demand date at least 30 days after default. Days 0, 30 and 45 are our reading of that.
Worked example
Say rent of $110 is due on August 1 and unpaid. You mail a certified notice on August 2 that demands payment by September 1 (30 days after default). On September 2 you place the first ad and run it again September 9. You may sell no earlier than September 17, which is 15 days after the first ad. That is day 47 in this example. Had you placed the ad on September 1, the earliest sale would be day 46, but the notice period must end before the ad runs.
Notice requirements
Send by registered or certified mail, other verified mail (USPS or a private service that provides evidence of mailing), or email to the last known address. The last known address is the postal or email address in the latest rental agreement or a later written change. The notice must include:
- An itemized claim as of the notice date.
- Identification of the storage space.
- A statement of access denial, if the agreement allows it.
- A demand for payment by a stated date.
- A conspicuous statement that the property will be advertised and sold at a stated time and place.
- Your name, street address and phone.
Email delivery is presumed if you have a record that it was sent to the address the tenant designated in the rental agreement.
Alternate contact
Oregon has no alternate contact provision in the Act.
Advertising the sale
If you believe the contents are worth more than $1,000, publish once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or county of the facility. If there is no such newspaper, post the ad in at least six conspicuous places nearby. The ad lists the facility address, space number, the tenant's name, and the time, place and manner of sale.
If you reasonably value the contents at $1,000 or less, based on your previous experience, you may dispose of them at your sole discretion after the notice period, with no ad. The Act does not define how that value can be challenged. Keep photos and notes that support your estimate.
Late fee limits
You may charge a reasonable late fee once a month. The amount and the date it may be charged must be in the rental agreement. A fee not above the greater of $20 or 20% of monthly rent is reasonable (ORS 87.694). On a $110 unit, 20% is $22, so $22 is the safe amount. You may charge it in addition to other lawful fees.
Sale rules, surplus and records
You need no auctioneer license. A sale may be offered on a publicly accessible website that regularly lists personal property for sale, but it must be completed at the facility or the suitable place closest to the property. If no one bids and you dispose of the property another way, you, your employees, affiliates and relatives may not acquire it. The tenant may redeem before the sale. A good faith purchaser takes free of the tenant's rights even if you missed a step. Your lien has priority except over liens perfected before it attached.
Surplus: satisfy the lien from the proceeds and hold the balance for the tenant on demand. If it is unclaimed two years after the sale, it is presumed abandoned and must be reported and delivered to the State Treasurer under ORS 98.352. Keep every notice, ad, bid and the accounting.
Vehicles, boats and trailers
If the property is a motor vehicle, watercraft or trailer, rent and charges are unpaid 60 days or more, and notice went out as under ORS 87.689, you may have it towed. You are not liable for damage once the tower takes possession, and the tower has a lien under ORS 98.812. For a motor vehicle stored or parked at the facility, you may instead proceed as a parking facility owner under ORS 98.810 to 98.818 (87.691(6); 87.693(2)).
Active-duty military (SCRA)
We found no Oregon servicemember rule in ORS 87.685 to 87.695. Federal law adds protections, and you should check a tenant's military status before any sale. See 50 U.S.C. 3958 for the federal rule.
What we could not confirm
- We did not separately check changes from the 2026 legislative session.
- The statute sets no fixed overlock timeline.
- Days 0, 30 and 45 are derived, and the "$1,000 by previous experience" test is not defined.
Common mistakes checklist
- A pay-by date less than 30 days after default.
- Advertising before the notice period has ended.
- Selling less than 15 days after the first ad.
- Skipping the ad on a unit worth more than $1,000.
- Finishing an online sale somewhere other than the facility or closest suitable place.
- Letting staff or relatives buy property after a no-bid sale.
- A late fee that is not in the lease, or charged more than once a month.
- Not checking active-duty status before the sale.
Tools and next steps
Plan your dates with the lien timeline calculator. Compare other states on the self storage lien laws hub. Read the self storage auction process guide for the full walk-through, and start from the lien notice template. If you want the dates tracked for you, see lien and auction management.
Sources and review
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026. Laws change, and courts read them differently. This is general information, not legal advice. Review every notice and sale with your attorney before you act.