How to Search for Portland Property Records

Portland property records contain vast information about parcels and their owner(s). You can find deeds, mortgages, liens, foreclosures, bankruptcies, ownership history, taxes, values, assessments, and more. Property records are public, and you can access them through a variety of sources. Use the resources below to find the records you need.

Multnomah County Records and Archives Division

The Multnomah County Records and Archives Division is the city's repository for property records like deeds, liens, and mortgages. They have set up a search tool where you can locate the property owner of a parcel of land and view property tax records.

Multnomah County Oregon Property Search Tool

Multnomah County has a property search tool that allows you to find details about a property by entering its address or ID. This tool is compiled from data provided by Multnomah County associates.

Multnomah County Assessment and Taxation Office

If you are looking for tax records, tax liens, unpaid taxes, and property assessments, the place to look is the Multnomah County Assessment and Taxation Office. On its website, the taxation office has a section for Records and Recording, Reports and Data, and Search Tools and Maps to help you find what you need.

Multnomah County Circuit Court - 4th Judicial District

Court records also contain a lot of useful information, and many of them are public records. You can search the Multnomah County Circuit Court - 4th Judicial District to find liens (judgment & mechanic's), foreclosures, bankruptcies, probate records, divorce cases that involve property, and property dispute cases. Use the collection of search tools available to find the cases you need.

In Portland, Oregon, property taxes fund most local services, including education, public transportation, public safety (fire, police, EMTs), infrastructure, parks, road maintenance, and more. Portland has one of the highest median property taxes in the U.S., ranked 203 out of 3143 counties. You can pay your annual property taxes through the Multnomah County Office of Assessment and Taxation by phone, mail, online, in person at 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214, or via Dropbox.

Assessments

The Multnomah County Office of Assessment and Taxation handles the valuation of property and assesses all real property each year to determine the value for tax purposes. The MultCoPropTax.com tool can help you locate property tax records for a specific property. You can search by name, address, legal description, property ID, alternate account number, or map tax lot.

Appraisals

Property appraisals are another type of property valuation. They use various methods, the most common of which is the comparison method, which is most similar to the Portland assessment process. Lenders, probate courts, and estate planners use appraisals to value property. If an Indianapolis assessor has issues evaluating a piece of property, they can hire a certified appraiser to help.

Tax Rates

The average effective tax rate in Portland, Oregon, is 1.08%, which is much higher than the national average of 0.99% and Oregon's state median of 0.86%. Home prices are very high, making the average tax payment $5,381. Compared to other areas of Oregon, Portland property taxes stand out. For example:

• Baker County 0.89%
• Benton County 1.03%
• Jefferson County 0.81%
• Marion County 0.91%
• Union County 0.83%
• Yamhill 0.81%

Exemptions

As property taxes rise, especially in Portland, Oregon, some families need a break from property taxes through tax exemptions. The tax exemptions offered by the state include:

• Disabled Veteran or Surviving Spouse Property Tax Exemption
• Active-Duty Military Exemption
• Commercial Facilities Under Construction
• Enterprise Zone Exemption
• Property of Charitable and Religious Organizations

Contact the Oregon Department of Revenue for more information or to apply for any of these.

Before building any new structure, demolishing or renovating one, you must apply for a building permit through the Portland Development Services Center. You can apply online or visit them in person at 1900 SW 4th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. Use the Development Hub PDX to apply online. You must create an online account to use this system. Some of the available permits you can get include:

Residential

• New Construction
• Demolish
• Build, Demolish, or Move a Structure
• Addition
• Alterations
• Build a Deck
• Build or Replace Exterior Stairway
• Build a Retaining Wall
• Build a Fence
• Site Development
• Swimming Pool
• Reroof
• Solar Panels

Commercial

• Construct New Building
• Construct Multi-family Building
• Cell phone antenna- Contact Land Use Review to see if Land Use Review is required.
• Change the Use or Occupancy in an Existing Building.
• Construct an addition
• Demolish a structure
• Disabled access upgrades
• Install racks/storage shelving
• Install siding
• Move or construct walls, even if non-bearing partitions
• Replace or add new windows or doors
• Seismic upgrade
• Tenant improvements

The building inspector must inspect the work throughout any construction project. You can schedule these periodic inspections by calling 503-823-7300, emailing ppd@portlandoregon.gov, or through the portal. Routine inspections ensure that the work complies with local building and safety codes.

The city of Portland, Oregon, has a population of 630,498 people. Portland has a total of 305,000 housing units to house all residents. Oregon's largest city includes various types of housing units such as single-family homes, multi-dwelling units (duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhomes, and courtyard buildings), apartments, micro-units, co-living affordable housing, single-resident occupancy (SRO), accessory dwelling units (ADU), tiny homes, and manufactured homes. The average price of a house in Portland is between $524,964 and $550,000 (up 1.7%), depending on the source consulted.

• Southwest Hills (97201) $1.1 million
• Hazelwood (97212) $377,500
• Downtown Portland (97204) $420,000
• Lents (97266) $425,000
• Arbor Lodge (97217) $550,000
• Ardenwald-Johnson Creek (97222) $523,750
• Argay (97230) $475,000
• Alameda (97212) $862,500

The real estate market in Portland is somewhat competitive, with house prices rising slowly. High interest rates make it difficult for many to afford a home. Single-family homes make up about 60% of the housing units in Portland.