Ohio Landlord-Tenant Law for DIY Landlords (2026)

Security deposits, deposit interest, late fees, the three-day notice and the Ohio eviction timeline, in plain English for landlords who manage their own rentals.

Last updated September 23, 2026

Ohio keeps its rental rules in two places. Chapter 5321 of the Revised Code covers the lease, deposits, repairs and notice. Chapter 1923 covers eviction, which Ohio calls forcible entry and detainer.

Ohio is light-touch on pricing. No deposit cap, no late-fee cap, no rent control. The traps sit on the deposit side, where a paperwork slip can cost you double plus the tenant's lawyer. Here is what a small Ohio landlord has to get right, with the code section behind each rule.

Security deposits

There is no cap on the amount. Chapter 5321 sets no maximum. Most Ohio landlords ask for one month's rent, and the interest rule below is the practical reason why.

Deposits above the threshold earn 5 percent interest. Any security deposit over fifty dollars or one month's rent, whichever is greater, bears interest at 5 percent a year on the excess if the tenant stays in possession six months or more. You compute it and pay it to the tenant annually (O.R.C. § 5321.16(A)).

You have 30 days to return it. The clock runs from termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession. Every deduction has to be itemized and identified in a written notice, delivered to the tenant together with the amount due (§ 5321.16(B)).

The tenant owes you a forwarding address. Ohio puts that duty on the tenant, in writing (§ 5321.16(B)). Ask for it on the move-out form. If none arrives, send the itemization and the balance to the last known address and keep proof of mailing.

Deduct for past-due rent and tenant damage. The deposit can go to unpaid rent and to damage from the tenant's failure to meet § 5321.05 or the lease (§ 5321.16(B)). Ordinary wear and tear is not damage.

The penalty is double plus attorney fees. Miss the 30 days or withhold money you cannot justify, and the tenant recovers the money due plus damages equal to the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees (§ 5321.16(C)).

Ohio does not require a separate escrow account for deposits, and it does not require a move-in damage checklist. Both are still worth doing. Dated photos and a signed condition report are what win the itemization argument.

Late fees

Ohio sets no late-fee cap and no grace period. Chapter 5321 has no section on either one, so your lease controls. A court can still strike a fee it reads as a penalty rather than a fair estimate of your cost. Keep it modest, flat and in writing.

Rent increases and rent control

No state limit on the size of an increase. Your lease term and your notice are the only limits.

Local rent control is off the table. House Bill 430 added § 5321.20, effective September 23, 2022. The General Assembly declared its intent to preempt political subdivisions from imposing rent control or rent stabilization on private residential rentals.

Timing follows the tenancy. On a fixed term, wait for renewal. On a month-to-month, give at least 30 days' notice before the periodic rental date (§ 5321.17(B)).

Do not raise rent as payback. Raising rent, cutting services or filing for possession after a tenant reports a code violation is retaliation. The tenant can raise it as a defense and recover actual damages and attorney fees (§ 5321.02).

Entering the unit

Give reasonable notice and enter at reasonable times. The statute treats 24 hours as presumed reasonable notice absent evidence to the contrary (§ 5321.04(A)(8)). Emergencies are the exception.

Abusing access has a price. Entering without notice, entering unreasonably, or making repeated demands that harass the tenant lets the tenant recover actual damages, get an injunction and attorney fees, or end the lease (§ 5321.04).

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

Thirty days, from either side (§ 5321.17(B)). Week-to-week is seven days (§ 5321.17(A)). A three-day path exists where you have reasonable cause to believe the tenant or a household member is involved in the drug activity described in § 1923.02 (§ 5321.17(C)).

A termination notice is not an eviction notice. If the 30 days run out and the tenant stays, you still serve the three-day notice below before you file.

When rent isn't paid

Serve a written three-day notice to leave the premises. You have to notify the tenant to leave at least three days before you start the action (§ 1923.04(A)).

The statutory warning has to be on it. The notice must carry this language in conspicuous type. "You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you. If you are in doubt regarding your legal rights and obligations as a tenant, it is recommended that you seek legal assistance." (§ 1923.04(A)).

Serve it a way the statute allows. Certified mail with return receipt requested, hand delivery, leaving it at the tenant's usual place of abode, or leaving it at the premises (§ 1923.04(A)).

The eviction process, step by step

Three-day notice. Serve it and keep proof. Count the three days before you file (§ 1923.04).
File the complaint. File in the municipal or county court covering the property. The complaint has to describe the premises particularly (§ 1923.05).
Service and hearing. Service has to be at least seven days before the trial date, and the possession claim is set no sooner than the seventh day after service is complete (§ 1923.06).
Judgment. If you win, the court enters judgment for restitution of the premises.
Writ of restitution. Once the writ issues, the officer has ten days from receiving it to restore you to possession (§ 1923.14).

New in 2025. Senate Bill 237 amended § 1923.05 effective April 9, 2025. You cannot list a minor tenant as a defendant if a parent or adult guardian is named on the same complaint. The court dismisses that part and can award attorney fees.

Never do it yourself. Changing locks, hauling out belongings or shutting off utilities to get possession is barred, and you owe all damages caused plus attorney fees (§ 5321.15).

Repairs and habitability

Ohio puts a running set of duties on you. Meet building, housing and health codes, keep the unit fit and habitable, keep common areas safe and sanitary, and keep plumbing, heating, electrical and supplied appliances working (§ 5321.04).

If a tenant gives you written notice of a defect and you do not fix it within a reasonable time considering severity, or within 30 days, whichever comes first, a tenant who is current on rent can deposit rent with the clerk of court, ask the court to order the repair or reduce the rent, or end the lease (§ 5321.07).

Two carve-outs matter for small owners. The escrow section does not reach a landlord party to rental agreements covering three or fewer dwelling units who states that fact in the written agreement, or delivers written notice of it at the start of an oral tenancy (§ 5321.07(C)). Student tenants are outside it too (§ 5321.07(D)).

Put your name and address, and your agent's, in every written lease. Leaving it out waives your right to receive the tenant's written notice under § 5321.07(A) and § 5321.08(A) (§ 5321.18).

The short version

No deposit cap, but anything over one month's rent earns 5 percent annual interest after six months
Itemize and return the deposit within 30 days of termination and delivery of possession
Miss that and you can owe the amount wrongfully withheld twice over, plus attorney fees
No late-fee cap and no grace period in the statute, so your lease controls
No rent control anywhere in Ohio, and cities cannot add it
24 hours is the presumed reasonable entry notice
30 days to end a month-to-month, then a separate three-day notice before filing
Service at least seven days before trial, then ten days for the officer to execute the writ

Let Taz handle the paperwork

Taz is an AI property manager for landlords who would rather not live in the code books. It tracks deposit deadlines and interest, sends rent reminders, takes maintenance requests day and night, and keeps the records an Ohio magistrate would ask for, at a flat monthly price per door instead of a cut of your rent. See how Taz works.

Where this guide says a state has no rule on something, that means we found no statute setting one, which is not the same as none existing. Local ordinances and court practice can add requirements. Confirm anything you plan to rely on.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and your city or county may add rules. Talk to an Ohio attorney before acting on a specific situation. Last checked September 2026.