The City of Portland puts together codes to help keep our city safe. If you need to make a report or if you got a notice about a violation, call the contact listed here to find out about next steps. You can also report violations or check the status of a report online.
Commercial and residential concerns
Description of violation | Bureau | Contact |
---|---|---|
Camping on public property and public right-of-ways. The homelessness toolkit provides information regarding homelessness issues. | Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program | 311 |
Unlicensed short-term rental | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Commercial businesses in a residential zone | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Exit concerns for commercial businesses (i.e., blocked/locked exit ways, exit signs not working, etc.) | Fire Marshal's office | (503) 823-3700 |
Over height (taller than 6 feet) accessory structures in building setbacks | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Pavement placed for parking purposes without the required zoning permit | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Over height fence in front setback (usually fences are required to be 3½ feet in the front setback). | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Home businesses with customers or an employee without the required home occupation permit | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Violations of a Land Use Review conditions of approval | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Overlay zone (E-zones, scenic resource zones, others) violations | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Plan Districts violations | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Temporary activities exceeding time or area limits, including garage sales | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Light glare from a commercial site to a residential site | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Tree cutting or other vegetation removal in an environmental zone | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Safety issues such as collapsing buildings or retaining walls | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Erosion issues on a property | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Landslides | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Maintenance of a residential structure, i.e., leaking roof, peeling paint, people living in a garage, etc. | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Ext. Maintenance of non-residential structures, i.e., peeling paint, missing siding, etc. Derelict Buildings, i.e. boarded, vacant. | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Illegal Occupancies | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Vacant structure open to entry | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Trash/debris on the exterior of a property | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Tall Grass/Weeds | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Basketball hoops on parking strips | Street Systems, Transportation | (503) 823-7002, Option 4 |
Basketball hoops on telephone poles | Electrical Utility Company | Contact PGE or PP & L (whichever is the provider for the area) |
Bushes/trees/vegetation encroaching into right of way | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Broken/unsafe sidewalks | Maintenance Operations, Transportation | (503) 823-1711 |
Structures/fences built in right of way | Street Systems, Transportation | (503) 823-7002 |
Visibility at Intersections | Traffic Management, Transportation | (503) 823-5211 |
Construction without permit concerns
Description of violation | Bureau | Contact |
---|---|---|
Electrical, plumbing or mechanical work without permits | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Grading and/ or fill work without permits (in excess of # cu yds) | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Residential structural work without permits (i.e. addition to a house, construction of a new garage or accessory structures over 200 sq.ft., fences over seven feet tall, demolition of a house, etc.) | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Commercial structural work without permits (i.e. change of occupancy without required permits, addition to structure, structural tenant improvements, etc.) | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Illegal units unoccupied. If occupied, then a housing case. | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Noise concerns
Description of violation | Bureau | Contact |
---|---|---|
Airplane noise | Port of Portland | (503) 460-4100 |
Animal Noises - Legal animal facilities, such as kennels, doggie day cars, or stables | Portland Permitting & Development | (503) 823-7350 |
Animal Noises - Other animal noises, such as residential to residential noises or a neighbor's barking dog | Multnomah County Animal Services | Animal Nuisances (503) 988-7387 (Note: they only accept barking dog complaints online) |
Construction activity outside permitted hours | Portland Permitting & Development | (503) 823-7350 |
Garbage hauler complaints, including truck /pick-up noise | Bureau of Planning and Sustainability | (503) 823-7202 |
Helicopter noise | If the helicopter is from a news agency, contact that agency to file a complaint. Otherwise there is no agency that covers helicopter noise. | |
Leaf blower noise | Portland Permitting & Development | (503) 823-7350 |
Music too loud | Portland Permitting & Development | (503) 823-7350 |
Noise (other than music) from establishments that sell liquor) | Portland Permitting & Development | (503) 823-7350 |
Loud voices | Possibly covered by the police | (503) 823-3333 (police non-emergency) - do not call 911 |
Other amplified sounds that are too loud | Portland Permitting & Development | (503) 823-7350 |
Railroad noise | Federal Railway Administration | Violation Report |
Other types of concerns
Description of violation | Bureau | Contact |
---|---|---|
CROW (Commercial containers stored on the right-of-way | Bureau of Planning and Sustainability | (503) 823-7202 |
Empty garbage/recycling containers left on the curb | Bureau of Planning and Sustainability | (503) 823-7202 |
Exterior display/storage by a commercial business in a zone that does not allow this activity | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Garbage at bus shelters | TriMet | (503) 238-7433 #4 |
Garbage dumped in the street that is blocking traffic | Bureau of Maintenance | (503) 823-1700 |
Garbage dumped that is not blocking traffic | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Graffiti (Online Reporting Form) | Bureau of Planning and Sustainability | 311 |
Illegal Dumping | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Liquid waste draining into street drain | Bureau of Environmental Services | (503) 823-7180 |
Sewer and/or rain drain breaks | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Sidewalk obstructions | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Trees and vegetation concerns
Description of violation | Bureau | Contact |
---|---|---|
After hours tree complaints | Urban Forestry | Tree Code Information Line |
Bushes/trees/vegetation encroaching into right-of-way | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Damage or removal of a tree to be preserved during development | Urban Forestry | Tree Code Information Line |
Dead or dying trees on private property | Urban Forestry | Tree Code Information Line |
Low tree limbs over adjacent street/sidewalk from private property trees | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Low tree limbs over adjacent street/sidewalk from public property trees | Urban Forestry | Tree Code Information Line |
Tree cutting or other vegetation removal in an environmental zone | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Tree removal on private property | Urban Forestry | Tree Code Information Line |
Vehicle concerns
Description of Violation | Bureau | Contact |
---|---|---|
Abandoned/disabled vehicles in the right-of-way | Abandoned autos | (503) 823-7309 |
Auto repair in the right-of-way - If being done by an auto repair shop | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Auto repair/service in wrong zones (i.e. auto business in a residential zone) | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Illegally parked vehicles in the right-of-way | Parking Patrol | (503) 823-5195 |
Oversized trucks parked in residential zones | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Parking accessory recreational vehicles in the wrong area on a property | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Visibly disabled vehicles on private property | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Vehicles parked on unpaved areas | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Vehicles parked/stored without required screening, landscaping and setbacks (generally commercial properties) | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
Vehicle sales, repair or service business parking, storing, and/or repairing vehicles in the right of way (Title 16) | Portland Permitting & Development | Property Compliance Help Line |
If you need help with mediation, contact Resolutions Northwest.