Hillsboro OR rent increase 2026Oregon’s 9.5% statewide cap (SB 611 / ORS §90.323), no local rent control, just-cause eviction after 12 months, 31-day deposit return, and Intel’s 25,000-employee Silicon Forest campus

Oregon statewide rent cap — SB 611 / ORS §90.323

When Oregon enacted Senate Bill 608 in 2019, it became the first state in the nation to pass statewide rent stabilization legislation. The original law capped rent increases at 7% plus CPI, with a 10% ceiling. Senate Bill 611, signed in 2023, refined the formula and the exemption structure, producing the version of ORS §90.323 that governs Hillsboro landlords today. The core calculation remains: the annual cap equals 7% plus Oregon’s CPI-U for All Urban Consumers, subject to a hard 10% maximum regardless of inflation. The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) publishes the official annual cap figure each September for the following calendar year.

For 2026, Oregon DAS has announced an Oregon CPI-U component of approximately 2.5%. Added to the statutory 7% base, the 2026 Hillsboro rent increase cap is 9.5%. This means a landlord with a covered unit currently renting for $1,800 per month may raise the rent by no more than $171 (9.5% of $1,800), bringing the new maximum to $1,971 per month. A unit at $2,200 may increase by no more than $209 to $2,409. Landlords who want to calculate their specific maximum should use RentCeiling’s Oregon rent increase calculator, which applies the correct cap and generates the required 90-day tenant notice automatically.

2026 Hillsboro SB 611 cap: 9.5%

The 9.5% cap is not a target — it is a ceiling. Landlords may raise rent by any amount up to 9.5%, or they may choose not to raise rent at all. The cap simply defines the legal maximum. A few critical operational rules apply alongside the percentage ceiling:

• One increase per 12-month period per tenancy. Regardless of lease structure, a landlord may not raise a given tenant’s rent more than once in any rolling 12-month period. This applies even if the landlord executes a new lease with the same tenant.
• 90 days’ written notice required. Under ORS §90.323(4), the landlord must provide at least 90 days’ advance written notice before any rent increase takes effect. A notice delivered on September 1, 2026 would make the new rent effective no earlier than December 1, 2026.
• Notice must state the new rent amount. The notice must specify the dollar amount of the new rent (not merely the percentage increase) and the date the new rent takes effect.
• Month-to-month and fixed-term tenancies are both covered. The cap applies regardless of whether the tenancy is month-to-month or under a fixed-term lease (at the time of renewal or continuation).
• No limit on the base rent level. Oregon statewide law does not cap the initial rent charged to a new tenant. The cap applies only to subsequent increases during a continuous tenancy.

Violations of the rent cap carry significant consequences. A tenant who receives a noncompliant rent increase notice — one that exceeds the cap or fails the 90-day notice requirement — may challenge the increase and potentially recover damages. Landlords should document every rent increase with dated written notices and retain copies as part of their compliance trail.

15-year age threshold and coverage

The most consequential exemption in ORS §90.323 is the 15-year rolling exemption for new construction. Any residential unit whose certificate of occupancy was issued within the past 15 years is exempt from the rent cap entirely. For calendar year 2026, that means units with a certificate of occupancy issued on or after January 1, 2011 are exempt. Buildings completed in 2010 or earlier are covered.

In practical Hillsboro terms, this distinction creates a two-tier rental market with meaningfully different landlord obligations depending on when a building was constructed. The implications vary substantially by neighborhood:

• South Hillsboro is a master-planned development that has added significant new housing stock throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s. Much of this inventory was completed after 2010 and is entirely exempt from the SB 611 cap for 2026. Landlords in South Hillsboro operating newer buildings have more pricing flexibility.
• Tanasbourne and Sunset Corridor saw substantial apartment construction in the late 2000s and 2010s. Buildings completed between 2006 and 2010 are now covered by the cap; buildings completed in 2011 or later remain exempt. Landlords in this corridor should verify their exact certificate of occupancy date.
• Near Ronler Acres / NE Hillsboro contains significant apartment construction from the late 1990s and 2000s. Much of this stock is well past 15 years old and clearly covered by the 9.5% cap.
• Downtown Hillsboro has predominantly older housing stock. The vast majority of units near the MAX Blue Line and historic downtown were built well before 2010 and are covered.
• Witch Hazel / Reedville features a mixed-age suburban stock, with both older covered units and some newer townhome and apartment additions that may still be within their exemption window.

The full list of statutory exemptions under ORS §90.323(7) includes: (1) new construction for the first 15 years from certificate of occupancy; (2) owner-occupied residential properties with no more than four units, where the owner occupies at least one unit as their primary residence; (3) housing subject to a federally mandated affordability restriction (such as Section 8, Section 42 LIHTC, or other HUD-regulated programs); (4) commercial or agricultural rental property. Note that the owner-occupancy exemption requires the owner to actually reside in the property — a landlord who owns and lives in a duplex is exempt for both units, but a landlord who moves out loses the exemption.

Just-cause eviction (ORS §90.427 / SB 608)

Oregon Senate Bill 608 (2019) fundamentally changed the eviction landscape statewide by requiring landlords to have a qualifying “for cause” justification before terminating a tenancy that has lasted more than 12 months. This law, codified at ORS §90.427, applies uniformly throughout Oregon — including Hillsboro — and cannot be waived by lease agreement.

The just-cause framework creates two distinct phases of any tenancy:

Phase 1 — First 12 months of tenancy: During the first year of a tenancy, a landlord may terminate a month-to-month tenancy without cause by providing at least 30 days’ written notice under ORS §90.427(4)(a). This no-cause termination right exists only in the first year. Landlords may also use for-cause grounds at any time during the tenancy (non-payment, material violation, etc.).

Phase 2 — After 12 months of tenancy: Once a tenant has resided in a unit for more than 12 consecutive months, the landlord loses the right to terminate without cause. Every termination must be grounded in one of the qualifying reasons listed in ORS §90.427(3) (at-fault causes) or ORS §90.427(5) (no-fault causes). There is no grandfathering for existing lease terms — the law applies based on actual duration of continuous occupancy.

Qualifying at-fault causes under ORS §90.427(3) include: (a) material breach of the rental agreement that is not cured within the applicable notice period; (b) substantial damage to the premises; (c) substantial interference with other tenants; (d) conviction of a crime that involves conduct on or near the premises affecting other tenants; (e) repeated late payment of rent (three or more late payments within 12 months); (f) material false statement in the rental application that materially affected the landlord’s decision to rent.

Qualifying no-fault causes under ORS §90.427(5) include: (a) the landlord or an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling) will occupy the unit as a primary residence; (b) the landlord will demolish the unit or undertake substantial renovations that require the unit to be vacant and that cannot reasonably be accomplished while the unit is occupied; (c) the landlord will convert the unit to a non-residential use; (d) the landlord has accepted a buyout agreement from a governmental agency that requires the unit to be vacated. All no-fault terminations after 12 months of tenancy require 90 days’ written notice and payment of one month’s rent as relocation assistance delivered to the tenant on or before the termination date.

No-fault termination: 90-day notice + 1 month relocation assistance

The relocation assistance requirement attached to no-fault terminations after 12 months is one of the most frequently misunderstood obligations in Oregon landlord-tenant law. Under ORS §90.427(6), the landlord must pay the tenant an amount equal to one month’s periodic rent as relocation assistance. This payment is not optional and is not subject to offset against any amounts the tenant owes. The payment must be made on or before the termination date stated in the notice — a landlord who serves a 90-day no-fault notice but fails to deliver the relocation payment by the end of the 90-day period has not validly terminated the tenancy.

In the Hillsboro market, where one-bedroom rents frequently range from $1,600 to $2,200 per month, the relocation assistance obligation for a no-fault termination could amount to $1,600 to $2,200 out of pocket at the time of termination. Property managers and self-managing landlords alike should budget for this cost when planning any no-fault termination scenario. The payment does not apply to at-fault terminations, where the tenant’s own conduct provides the grounds for termination.

If a landlord gives a no-fault termination notice and subsequently fails to follow through with the stated reason — for example, a landlord who claims owner-occupancy but then re-rents the unit to a new tenant within 90 days — the original tenant may have a claim for damages including up to three months’ rent plus actual damages. Oregon courts have taken these obligations seriously, and documentation of the actual reason for no-fault terminations is important for Hillsboro landlords.

Non-refundable fees and Oregon’s approach to deposit alternatives

Oregon’s security deposit framework under ORS §90.300 and related provisions under ORS §90.302 addresses the growing practice of charging non-refundable fees in lieu of or in addition to traditional security deposits. Under Oregon law, a fee charged by a landlord in connection with a tenancy is legally presumed to be refundable unless the rental agreement clearly and conspicuously designates the fee as non-refundable and the tenant agrees to the non-refundable designation in writing.

This has practical consequences for Hillsboro landlords who offer amenity fees, pet fees, administrative fees, or similar charges. If these fees are not properly documented as non-refundable in the lease agreement with the tenant’s signature, they may be treated as part of the security deposit and subject to the 31-day return requirement. Common fee structures that require careful documentation include:

• Pet deposits vs. pet fees: A refundable pet deposit is held and returned (minus documented deductions for pet damage) within 31 days. A non-refundable pet fee must be expressly designated as such in writing. Many Hillsboro landlords use a hybrid approach — a refundable pet deposit plus a non-refundable pet fee — but each component must be correctly documented.
• Administrative or move-in fees: A non-refundable administrative fee for processing the lease, preparing the unit, or similar administrative work is permissible only with proper written designation. Without it, the fee may be subject to the 31-day return window.
• Holding deposits: A fee paid to hold a unit pending lease execution is governed separately. If the tenant completes the rental and takes possession, the holding deposit must be applied to the first month’s rent or the security deposit, not retained as additional income.

Oregon does not cap the total amount of security deposit a landlord may charge. In practice, Hillsboro landlords typically charge between one and one-and-a-half months’ rent as a security deposit, reflecting market norms rather than any statutory ceiling. Some landlords in competitive sub-markets (particularly Tanasbourne and near Ronler Acres) have experimented with reduced-deposit offerings to attract Intel employees and other high-income renters, sometimes paired with non-refundable administrative fees under ORS §90.302.

Oregon security deposit law — ORS §90.300

Oregon’s security deposit statute, ORS §90.300, creates a detailed procedural framework that Hillsboro landlords must follow precisely. Unlike many states, Oregon imposes no cap on the deposit amount — but it imposes strict accounting and return deadlines that expose landlords to significant liability if not followed.

The 31-day return clock

The return period begins when two conditions are both satisfied: (1) the tenant surrenders possession of the unit (returns keys, vacates, and notifies the landlord), and (2) the tenant provides the landlord with a forwarding address. The 31-day clock starts running when the later of these two events occurs. If a tenant vacates without providing a forwarding address, the clock does not start running until the address is provided. However, Oregon courts have held that a landlord who makes no effort to obtain a forwarding address cannot exploit this rule indefinitely.

Within 31 calendar days of the clock starting, the landlord must either:

• Return the entire deposit in full; or
• Provide an itemized written accounting of all deductions taken from the deposit, together with any balance remaining after deductions.

The itemized accounting must describe each deduction with sufficient detail for the tenant to understand what was deducted and why. A generic deduction for “cleaning” or “repairs” without more detail is unlikely to satisfy Oregon’s requirement. Best practice is to attach photos, receipts, or invoices supporting each deduction. Landlords who perform the repair or cleaning work themselves should document their time and the reasonable market rate for such work.

Forfeiture of deduction rights

The consequence for missing the 31-day deadline is severe: the landlord forfeits the right to make any deductions from the deposit and must return the entire deposit to the tenant. This forfeiture rule is absolute — there is no exception for a landlord who had legitimate grounds for deductions but simply failed to document or deliver the accounting in time. Oregon courts have consistently enforced this provision.

A landlord who fails to return the deposit or provide an itemized accounting within 31 days, and who fails to prove the tenant’s failure to provide a forwarding address caused the delay, is subject to the wrongful withholding penalty under ORS §90.300(16): damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus the tenant’s reasonable attorney fees. In a case involving a $2,000 security deposit that was entirely withheld without a timely accounting, the landlord’s exposure could reach $4,000 in statutory damages plus attorney fees — a total that can easily exceed the original deposit amount once legal fees are calculated.

Permissible deductions from the deposit

Oregon landlords may make documented deductions from security deposits for:

• Unpaid rent or other amounts owed under the lease;
• Damage to the unit beyond ordinary wear and tear;
• Costs to restore the unit to the condition required by the lease (beyond ordinary wear and tear);
• Costs to clean the unit to the condition required by the lease;
• Costs to replace missing or damaged personal property belonging to the landlord.

Oregon law does not define “ordinary wear and tear” by statute, but courts have consistently interpreted it to include normal deterioration from residential use: minor scuffs on walls, carpet wear in high-traffic areas, small nail holes from hanging pictures, and similar degradation that occurs through ordinary habitation over time. Landlords cannot charge for repainting walls that merely show normal aging or for carpet replacement at the end of its useful life. By contrast, large holes in walls, deep stains on carpets, broken fixtures, or damage caused by pets or unauthorized occupants are generally not ordinary wear and tear.

Move-in and move-out documentation

While Oregon does not mandate a specific move-in inspection form, Hillsboro landlords are strongly advised to conduct a detailed move-in walkthrough with the tenant, document the condition of the unit with photographs or video, and have the tenant sign the inspection report. This documentation becomes the baseline against which move-out condition is compared. Absent documentation, disputes over what constituted pre-existing damage become contests of credibility rather than documentary evidence. This is particularly important in Hillsboro’s high-turnover Intel-employee segment, where tenants frequently arrive on relocation packages and may stay only 12–18 months before transferring to another Intel site.

Eviction in Hillsboro — Washington County Circuit Court

Residential evictions in Hillsboro are governed by Oregon’s Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) statute, ORS Chapter 105, and are filed in Washington County Circuit Court at 150 N First Ave, Hillsboro OR 97124. Washington County Circuit Court handles all civil matters for the county, including landlord-tenant disputes and eviction proceedings. The court’s civil division has established procedures for FED cases that have become relatively standardized over the years.

Notice requirements by cause

Non-payment of rent — ORS §90.394: The most common ground for eviction in Hillsboro is non-payment of rent. Oregon requires the landlord to serve a 72-hour notice to pay rent or vacate. The notice must state the specific amount of rent owed and advise the tenant that they must either pay the full amount or vacate the premises within 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays). If the tenant pays the full amount owed within the 72-hour period, the tenancy continues and the notice is deemed rescinded. If the tenant neither pays nor vacates within 72 hours, the landlord may file an FED complaint in Washington County Circuit Court.

Oregon law does allow a landlord to terminate a tenancy without an opportunity to cure after receiving three or more late rent payments within a 12-month period. After the third late payment, the landlord may issue a 72-hour unconditional vacate notice (no option to pay and stay). This provision gives landlords a tool to address chronic non-payment patterns that would otherwise require a fresh 72-hour notice each month.

Curable lease violations — ORS §90.392: For violations of the lease terms other than non-payment of rent — such as unauthorized occupants, noise or nuisance violations, or failure to maintain the unit — Oregon requires a 14-day notice to cure or vacate. The notice must describe the violation with reasonable specificity and state that the tenant has 14 days to correct the violation or vacate. If the tenant cures within 14 days, the tenancy continues. If the tenant fails to cure and fails to vacate, the landlord may file FED after the 14-day period expires.

A tenant who commits the same curable violation three or more times within a 12-month period loses the right to cure. After the third occurrence of the same type of violation within 12 months, the landlord may issue a termination notice without an opportunity to cure, even if the violation would otherwise be curable.

Non-curable violations: Certain violations are deemed non-curable under Oregon law and permit a 10-day unconditional termination notice without an opportunity to cure. These include: intentional unlawful destruction of the landlord’s property; conduct that constitutes a criminal threat to the health or safety of other tenants; burglary; use of the premises for drug manufacturing; and other serious criminal conduct on or near the premises.

First-year no-cause termination — ORS §90.427(4)(a): During the first 12 months of a tenancy, a landlord may terminate a month-to-month tenancy without cause by providing at least 30 days’ written notice of termination. This right disappears after the tenant has been in continuous occupancy for more than 12 months.

Post-12-month no-fault termination — ORS §90.427(5)–(6): After 12 months of tenancy, no-fault terminations require 90 days’ written notice plus payment of one month’s rent as relocation assistance, as described above.

Filing and court process in Washington County

Once the applicable notice period expires without tenant compliance, the landlord may file an FED complaint in Washington County Circuit Court. The complaint must include: the plaintiff landlord’s name and contact information; the defendant tenant’s name; the address of the rental unit; the grounds for eviction; a copy of the relevant notice; and a request for return of possession and, if applicable, a money judgment for unpaid rent. Filing fees are subject to Oregon court fee schedules and vary based on the amount of any damages claimed.

After filing, the court will schedule a first appearance, typically within 7 to 14 days. At the first appearance, the defendant tenant may contest the eviction, which will result in a trial date being set, or may fail to appear (default). In uncontested cases where the tenant either fails to appear or does not contest the eviction, Washington County Circuit Court typically issues a default judgment for the landlord within one to two business days of the first appearance. The landlord can then apply for a writ of execution, which authorizes the Washington County Sheriff to physically restore possession of the unit if the tenant does not voluntarily vacate.

For a straightforward non-payment-of-rent case with an uncontested outcome, the typical timeline in Washington County runs approximately:

• Day 1: Serve 72-hour notice
• Day 4: File FED complaint if tenant has not paid or vacated
• Day 11–18: First appearance / hearing date
• Day 13–21: Default judgment entered (if uncontested)
• Day 18–28: Writ of execution issued and served by Sheriff
• Day 22–42: Physical lockout by Sheriff (if tenant has not vacated)

The total elapsed time from notice to lockout in an uncontested case is typically 4 to 6 weeks. Contested cases involving a trial can extend the process significantly — 2 to 4 months is not unusual for a fully litigated FED action in Washington County. Hillsboro landlords are advised to consult with an Oregon landlord-tenant attorney for complex cases or any case where the tenant signals an intent to contest the eviction.

Money judgments and post-eviction collection

A successful FED action restores possession of the unit to the landlord but does not automatically recover unpaid rent or damages. If the landlord also seeks a money judgment (for back rent, lease termination penalties, or damages), that amount must be included in the FED complaint or pursued in a separate civil action. Oregon law allows landlords to combine a possession claim with a money claim in a single FED proceeding if the amount does not exceed the jurisdictional threshold of Washington County Circuit Court’s small claims division ($10,000). For larger claims, a separate civil action is required. Money judgments obtained in Oregon may be used to garnish wages and bank accounts, subject to Oregon’s garnishment exemption rules.

Intel Hillsboro campus — Silicon Forest rental demand anchor

To understand the Hillsboro rental market in 2026, it is impossible to overstate the role of Intel Corporation. Intel’s Hillsboro operations constitute the company’s largest single manufacturing and process development site in the world, and Intel is the single largest private employer in the state of Oregon by total payroll. This extraordinary concentration of one company’s operations in a single mid-size metro area creates rental dynamics unlike anywhere else in Oregon and sets Hillsboro apart from every other city in Washington County.

Ronler Acres: Intel’s most advanced manufacturing site

The Ronler Acres campus, located at 2111 NE 25th Ave in Hillsboro, is Intel’s flagship semiconductor fabrication complex and the physical heart of the Silicon Forest. Ronler Acres houses Intel’s most advanced semiconductor fabs — Fab D1D and Fab D1X (comprising Modules 1, 2, 3, and 4) — where Intel develops and refines its leading-edge process technology nodes. As of 2026, Ronler Acres is the site where Intel 18A, Intel 3, and Intel 4 process nodes were developed and qualified, representing the frontier of semiconductor manufacturing capability globally. The sheer capital intensity of these facilities — each module of D1X required billions of dollars in equipment investment — ensures that Ronler Acres will remain a centerpiece of Intel’s global strategy for the foreseeable future.

The workforce supporting these fabs is enormous and highly skilled. Process development engineers, integration engineers, lithography engineers, yield engineers, and equipment engineers at Ronler Acres typically earn total compensation packages (base salary plus bonus plus Intel Restricted Stock Units) ranging from $120,000 to well over $200,000 per year. Equipment technicians and process operators supporting fab operations typically earn $50,000 to $90,000 in total compensation, plus Intel’s substantial benefits package (which includes comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) with generous company match, and Intel RSU grants at many levels). Even administrative and support staff associated with Ronler Acres operations typically earn $55,000 to $80,000.

Gordon Moore Park campus and the broader Intel footprint

Adjacent to Ronler Acres, Intel’s Gordon Moore Park campus — formerly known as the Jones Farm campus and recently renamed to honor the company’s legendary co-founder and the author of Moore’s Law — adds more than five million square feet of office, administrative, laboratory, and research and development space. Gordon Moore Park houses Intel’s Oregon-based corporate functions, design teams, software engineering groups, and the administrative infrastructure that supports Ronler Acres manufacturing. Intel also operates an additional R&D and office campus in Aloha, the unincorporated Washington County community bordering Hillsboro to the east.

In aggregate, Intel’s Hillsboro and Washington County campuses employ approximately 20,000 to 25,000 Oregon-based workers. Intel has consistently been ranked as Oregon’s largest private employer by payroll, with estimated annual Oregon payroll in the $3 billion to $4 billion range. For context, that is a larger payroll than the Oregon state government’s executive branch and public university systems combined. When Intel announces major new investments in its Hillsboro campuses — as it has periodically done in connection with new fab modules, new process node qualifications, and federal CHIPS Act incentives — the announcement reliably triggers discussion in Hillsboro’s real estate and property management community about anticipated demand increases.

How Intel shapes Hillsboro’s rental market

Intel’s presence creates several distinct demand dynamics in the Hillsboro rental market that are not present in other Oregon cities:

Structural baseline demand: Even without any hiring changes, Intel’s existing 20,000+ local workforce generates substantial and persistent rental demand in Hillsboro, Beaverton, and adjacent communities. Unlike seasonal or cyclical demand drivers, Intel’s manufacturing workforce must be physically present at the fab — semiconductor manufacturing cannot be done remotely — which means demand does not evaporate during economic downturns in the same way that demand tied to office workers might.

Hiring waves and fab expansions: When Intel ramps a new fab module or executes significant hiring cycles, the influx of new employees and their families into the Washington County rental market can be rapid and pronounced. New engineers often arrive from other Intel sites nationally or internationally and need rental housing immediately. Hillsboro property managers with strong presences near Ronler Acres have learned to track Intel’s public hiring announcements and campus news as leading indicators for their own occupancy trends.

High-income renter profile: Intel employees — particularly engineers — are high-income renters capable of supporting rents at the upper end of the Hillsboro market. This has encouraged the development of higher-quality apartment product (Class A and Class B+) in Hillsboro, particularly in the Tanasbourne and Sunset Corridor neighborhoods adjacent to Gordon Moore Park. These higher-income renters tend to be less price-sensitive to moderate rent increases (including increases within the SB 611 cap) but highly sensitive to unit quality, building amenities, and proximity to Intel campuses.

Relocation-driven short-term tenancies: Intel regularly transfers employees between its global campuses in Oregon, Arizona (Chandler/Gilbert), New Mexico (Rio Rancho), Israel (Kiryat Gat, Haifa), Ireland (Leixlip), and other locations. As a result, the Hillsboro rental market sees a steady flow of tenants who arrive on Intel relocation packages and may leave after 12 to 24 months. This pattern affects landlord strategy around lease terms, security deposits, and the first-year no-cause termination right under ORS §90.427(4)(a), since an Intel renter who has been at the site for only 11 months may be approaching the 12-month just-cause threshold precisely when the landlord might want pricing flexibility.

Other major Hillsboro-area employers

While Intel dominates, Hillsboro and the broader Silicon Forest corridor house several other significant employers that contribute to rental demand:

• Nike World Campus (Beaverton, adjacent): Nike’s global headquarters in Beaverton, directly adjacent to Hillsboro, employs approximately 15,000 people in its Oregon operations. Many Nike employees choose to live in Hillsboro, particularly in the Tanasbourne and Sunset Corridor areas that offer easy access to both the Nike campus and the MAX Blue Line. Nike’s typical compensation profile for creative, technology, and business professionals also skews toward the upper end of the rental market.
• Tektronix (Danaher): Tektronix, the test and measurement equipment maker now owned by Danaher Corporation, has deep historical roots in the Beaverton-Hillsboro area and continues to operate significant engineering and manufacturing operations in the Silicon Forest corridor. Tektronix engineers contribute to demand for mid-market rental units particularly in Witch Hazel and Reedville areas closer to their facilities.
• Intel supply chain — Lam Research, Applied Materials: The concentration of Intel fab operations in Hillsboro has attracted significant service and support operations from Intel’s major equipment suppliers. Lam Research and Applied Materials, two of the world’s largest semiconductor equipment manufacturers, maintain service offices and field engineering teams in Washington County to support their equipment installed at Intel’s fabs. These field engineers — who are typically highly paid and often rotated through on temporary assignments — add additional rental demand, particularly for furnished or short-term units near Ronler Acres.
• OHSU West Campus (Hillsboro Medical Center area): Oregon Health & Science University operates a west campus in Hillsboro, anchored by Hillsboro Medical Center (formerly Tuality Healthcare), which has approximately 175 beds and 1,200 employees. Healthcare workers, including OHSU-affiliated medical staff and residents, generate significant demand for rental housing within commuting distance of the medical campus. Healthcare workers tend to prefer different neighborhoods than Intel engineers, with greater demand for units near Hillsboro Medical Center on the city’s south and southwest sides.
• Hillsboro School District: With approximately 21,000 to 22,000 students and 2,500 employees, Hillsboro School District is one of the county’s largest employers. School district employees — teachers, administrators, classified staff — represent a significant segment of the mid-market rental population and tend to prioritize proximity to schools and affordable price points, making them a more price-sensitive segment than Intel engineers.
• Columbia Sportswear HQ (Portland/Beaverton area): Columbia Sportswear’s headquarters draws several hundred additional high-income workers to the broader Washington County corridor, some of whom rent in Hillsboro.

Hillsboro rental market by neighborhood — 2026 rent ranges

Hillsboro’s rental market in 2026 is stratified by geography, building age, and proximity to the Intel and Nike employment centers. The city spans a large geographic area, and rent levels vary considerably by sub-market. Understanding these sub-markets is essential for both landlords setting rents and property managers advising clients on where in the SB 611 cap calculation their properties fall.

Tanasbourne / Sunset Corridor — $1,800–$2,400 (1BR)

The Tanasbourne district and adjacent Sunset Corridor, in the northeastern quadrant of Hillsboro near the junction of Highway 26 and Cornell Road, represent the highest-demand and highest-rent sub-market in Hillsboro. This area is immediately adjacent to Intel’s Gordon Moore Park campus and offers relatively easy access to both the Nike World Campus in Beaverton (via Cornell Road) and the broader Washington County employment corridor.

The dominant housing stock in Tanasbourne consists of mid-rise and garden-style apartment complexes built predominantly in the 2010s, featuring modern finishes, fitness centers, community rooms, and covered parking — the amenities that Intel engineers and Nike professionals expect. One-bedroom units in newer Tanasbourne complexes range from $1,900 to $2,400 per month in 2026; older complexes (late 2000s construction now past the 15-year threshold) typically range from $1,800 to $2,100. For buildings completed in 2010 or earlier, the 9.5% SB 611 cap applies — an important consideration for buildings in this area that date to the pre-2011 development wave.

Tanasbourne also benefits from the Sunset Transit Center, which connects to MAX Blue Line service providing a car-free commute option to downtown Portland and points west. This transit access adds premium value for tech workers who commute between Hillsboro and Portland (where many also have offices), making Tanasbourne a uniquely well-connected sub-market within Hillsboro.

South Hillsboro — $1,700–$2,200 (1BR)

South Hillsboro is Hillsboro’s newest and fastest-growing residential sub-market. The South Hillsboro master-planned development, located south of Tualatin Valley Highway (TV Highway / OR-8), was planned under Metro’s urban growth boundary expansion and has added thousands of new housing units since the mid-2010s, including both for-sale and rental product.

Because South Hillsboro development has been concentrated in the 2015–2025 period, the vast majority of rental units in this sub-market are well within their 15-year new-construction exemption window — some will remain exempt until 2030 or beyond. Landlords in South Hillsboro are not subject to the SB 611 9.5% cap for 2026 as long as they can document certificates of occupancy from 2011 or later. One-bedroom rents in South Hillsboro range from $1,700 to $2,200, reflecting the premium for new construction against the slightly longer commute to Intel and Nike campuses relative to Tanasbourne.

Near Ronler Acres / NE Hillsboro — $1,600–$2,100 (1BR)

The neighborhoods immediately surrounding Intel’s Ronler Acres fab complex in northeastern Hillsboro represent one of the most Intel-correlated sub-markets in the city. The proximity to Fab D1D and D1X makes these neighborhoods particularly popular with Intel’s fab manufacturing workforce — process engineers, equipment technicians, fab operators — who value the short commute and the ability to reach the fab quickly for shift work, including overnight and weekend shifts.

Apartment complexes in this area were built predominantly in the late 1990s and 2000s — a development wave that tracked Intel’s own fab expansion phases. These buildings are now clearly beyond the 15-year threshold, making virtually all covered rental units in this sub-market subject to the 9.5% cap for 2026. One-bedroom rents run from $1,600 to $2,100, with buildings closer to the Ronler Acres campus and those with better condition and amenities commanding the upper end of that range. Landlords in this sub-market have a more price-sensitive tenant mix (including fab operators at lower income levels than engineers), but also benefit from extremely low vacancy rates driven by persistent demand from Intel’s shift workforce.

Downtown Hillsboro — $1,400–$1,900 (1BR)

Downtown Hillsboro, centered on the historic downtown core southeast of the Washington County Fairgrounds and served directly by the MAX Blue Line Hillsboro Transit Center, offers the most affordable rental option in the city. The housing stock in this sub-market is primarily older — buildings from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s predominate — and has received less capital investment than the newer suburban sub-markets.

The overwhelming majority of downtown Hillsboro rental units were built well before 2010 and are clearly covered by the SB 611 9.5% cap. Landlords in this sub-market must plan rent increases carefully within the cap. The MAX Blue Line connection — which provides direct access to Beaverton, the Nike campus area, Hillsboro’s other neighborhoods, and Portland — provides meaningful value for car-free or car-light renters, and the area has seen some renewed investment interest as the city has worked on downtown activation initiatives. One-bedroom rents in downtown Hillsboro range from $1,400 to $1,900 per month in 2026.

Witch Hazel / Reedville — $1,500–$1,900 (1BR)

The Witch Hazel and Reedville communities in northwestern Hillsboro and adjacent unincorporated Washington County represent an older suburban stock of primarily single-family homes converted to rentals, older apartment complexes, and some newer townhome development. This sub-market appeals to a mix of tenants: Intel and Tektronix workers who prefer a quieter residential setting, healthcare workers from nearby OHSU facilities, and school district employees.

Building ages in this sub-market are genuinely mixed. Older apartment complexes built in the 1980s and 1990s are clearly covered by the 9.5% cap. Some newer townhome developments from the 2013–2018 period may still be within their exemption window. Landlords with properties in Witch Hazel and Reedville should verify individual certificate of occupancy dates before applying or assuming cap applicability. One-bedroom rents in this sub-market range from $1,500 to $1,900 per month in 2026.

Hillsboro vs. Oregon peer markets — 2026 rent cap comparison

How does Hillsboro compare to other Oregon cities and regional markets where landlords also operate under Oregon statewide law? The following table summarizes key 2026 metrics for Hillsboro alongside its Oregon peers and the broader Pacific Northwest comparison market of Seattle.

All Oregon cities are subject to the same statewide SB 611 / ORS §90.323 cap formula (7% + Oregon CPI-U, max 10%), producing the same 9.5% cap for 2026. Oregon state law preempts local rent control ordinances, meaning no Oregon city may impose a local cap either higher or lower than the statewide cap. Seattle’s local rent control ordinance is a Washington state matter and does not affect Oregon markets. Rent ranges represent one-bedroom market-rate units; subsidized housing is governed by federal program rules regardless of state law. Data current as of September 2026.