If want to be a renter, know that when you sign a lease, you'll enter into what's known as a "landlord-tenant relationship." This is partly what it means when you sign a lease; it's a two-way deal, meaning that while you're responsible to keep up the property, the landlord has responsibilities as well. For example, the term "exclusive possession" means you have a right to privacy even though you don't own the property you're renting. This is why a landlord should give you notice before a worker or exterminator enters the dwelling.
Landlords are supposed to take care of properties they rent. Renters in Clackamas County have the right to live in places that are safe and clean. Oregon law also requires landlords properly maintain the electrical wiring and plumbing of any house or apartment and keep the dwelling free of pests. You should know that a property owner may even forfeit his right to collect rent if the residence isn't habitable...but it's your responsibility to give the landlord notice and then time to fix problems.
Renters who have major plumbing or electrical problems in their homes, those that may result in an injury of some kind, for example, need to inform a landlord with a written notice. Some renters falsely assume that because a problem exists, they aren't obligated to keep their end of the landlord-tenant relationship; they may immediately stop paying rent or keep a landlord from entering a dwelling. While you do have the right to exercise your privacy, you should understand you may not have the right to prevent someone else from exercising theirs.
If you get a three-day notice to leave your home, don't do it. Clackamas County landlords must take you to court to legally evict you. The law requires your case be heard in front of a legal representative, meaning an arbitrator or judge. Your landlord can't legally re-obtain the residence without going through this process, so don't let a property owner intimidate you or scare you off. If a landlord illegally changes the locks, throws your stuff out or something of the sort, remember to keep cool. You have the right to obtain an injunction to get back in.