Ohio landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 14 Ohio rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, evictions, rent regulation, tenant protections, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Ohio at a glance

RuleOhio
Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Ohio?5 % per year on the portion over $50 or one month's rent when held six months or longer.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Ohio?30 days
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Ohio?3 days (notice to vacate)
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Ohio?24 hours
How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Ohio?30 days
How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Ohio?30 days
Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Ohio?A landlord who locks out or cuts utilities is liable for actual damages and reasonable attorney fees.
How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Ohio?The first cause of action for possession is heard within 30 days of filing; the tenant may but need not answer in writing.
What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Ohio?Serve the 3-day notice with the statutory language
Is there rent control in Ohio?Prohibited by state law
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Ohio?Prohibited; no set period
Do contractors charge sales tax in Ohio?Consumer of materials
Is appliance repair taxable in Ohio?Taxable, with the parts
Is contractor labor taxable in Ohio?Taxable — commercial only

Security deposits in Ohio

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Ohio?

Yes. Ohio requires a landlord to pay the tenant interest on a security deposit. 5 % per year on the portion over $50 or one month's rent when held six months or longer. The deposit itself must be returned within 30 days of the end of the tenancy. This is Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Ohio?

In Ohio, a landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. Ohio also requires interest to be paid on the deposit: 5 % per year on the portion over $50 or one month's rent when held six months or longer. This is Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Ohio

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Ohio?

In Ohio, a landlord must give 3 days written notice to vacate before filing a nonpayment eviction. It is a notice to leave rather than a demand to pay. This is Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.17, 5321.04, 1923.04.

Entry: 24 hours. Late rent: 3-day notice.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Ohio?

In Ohio, a landlord must give 24 hours notice before entering an occupied rental, other than in an emergency. This is Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.17, 5321.04, 1923.04.

Entry: 24 hours. Late rent: 3-day notice.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Ohio?

In Ohio, a landlord must give 30 days written notice before raising the rent. This is Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.17, 5321.04, 1923.04.

Entry: 24 hours. Late rent: 3-day notice.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Ohio?

In Ohio, a landlord must give 30 days written notice to end a tenancy or decline to renew it. This is Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.17, 5321.04, 1923.04.

Entry: 24 hours. Late rent: 3-day notice.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Evictions in Ohio

Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Ohio?

No. A landlord who locks out or cuts utilities is liable for actual damages and reasonable attorney fees. O.R.C. § 5321.15. In Ohio a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by O.R.C. §§ 1923.02, 1923.04, 1923.08, 5321.15.

Ohio’s three-day notice must contain a specific statutory sentence, verbatim and conspicuously: "You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you..." A notice without it is void.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Ohio?

In Ohio, the time a tenant has to respond to an eviction case is governed by O.R.C. §§ 1923.02, 1923.04, 1923.08, 5321.15. The first cause of action for possession is heard within 30 days of filing; the tenant may but need not answer in writing.

Ohio’s three-day notice must contain a specific statutory sentence, verbatim and conspicuously: "You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you..." A notice without it is void.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Ohio?

In Ohio, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 3 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Serve the 3-day notice with the statutory language — O.R.C. § 1923.04; (2) File a forcible entry and detainer complaint — O.R.C. § 1923.02; (3) Hearing within 30 days of filing — O.R.C. § 1923.08. Ohio’s three-day notice must contain a specific statutory sentence, verbatim and conspicuously: "You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you..." A notice without it is void. The procedure as a whole is set by O.R.C. §§ 1923.02, 1923.04, 1923.08, 5321.15.

Ohio’s three-day notice must contain a specific statutory sentence, verbatim and conspicuously: "You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you..." A notice without it is void.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Rent regulation in Ohio

Is there rent control in Ohio?

No. Ohio has no statewide rent control, and its cities and counties cannot simply adopt their own: no political subdivision may enact, maintain or enforce any charter provision, ordinance or other measure that imposes or requires rent control or rent stabilization on residential premises. The express rent control and rent stabilization language took effect on September 23, 2022. This is Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Ohio

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Ohio?

No. In Ohio, a landlord may not retaliate by raising the rent, cutting services, or bringing or threatening an eviction because a tenant complained to a government agency about a health or safety code violation, complained to the landlord about a required repair, or joined other tenants to bargain collectively. A tenant may use retaliation as a defense to an eviction or end the lease, and the statute sets no period of presumed retaliation. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.02.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Ohio

Do contractors charge sales tax in Ohio?

In Ohio a contractor is treated as the CONSUMER of the materials they build into real property. That means the contractor pays sales tax when they buy the materials, and does not add sales tax to the customer's invoice for that work — the tax is already inside the price. Ohio also has county, city or special-district rates on top of the state rate, so the rate depends on where the job site is, not where the contractor is based. Source: Ohio Rev. Code §5739.01(B)(3); §5739.02 (building maintenance and janitorial service is a taxable service; real property construction contractors are consumers of materials).

Ohio taxes building maintenance and janitorial service, and repair of tangible personal property, but not real property construction — on which the contractor is the consumer. The commercial flag here reflects the maintenance service, not construction repair.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is appliance repair taxable in Ohio?

Yes. Ohio taxes the LABOR on repairs to tangible personal property — an appliance, a boiler or a unit that never becomes part of the building — as well as the parts. This is a different question from work on the real property itself: the same technician on the same visit can be doing taxable work on an appliance and differently treated work on the structure, and the invoice has to tell them apart. Source: Ohio Rev. Code §5739.01(B)(3); §5739.02 (building maintenance and janitorial service is a taxable service; real property construction contractors are consumers of materials).

Ohio taxes building maintenance and janitorial service, and repair of tangible personal property, but not real property construction — on which the contractor is the consumer. The commercial flag here reflects the maintenance service, not construction repair.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is contractor labor taxable in Ohio?

It depends on the property. Ohio taxes the LABOR on repair and maintenance work to COMMERCIAL or non-residential real property, but not the same work on residential property. Repair and maintenance is not the same thing as a capital improvement, which is exempt to the customer in Ohio — the classification of the job is what decides the tax, not the wording on the invoice. Source: Ohio Rev. Code §5739.01(B)(3); §5739.02 (building maintenance and janitorial service is a taxable service; real property construction contractors are consumers of materials).

Ohio taxes building maintenance and janitorial service, and repair of tangible personal property, but not real property construction — on which the contractor is the consumer. The commercial flag here reflects the maintenance service, not construction repair.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • O.R.C. §§ 1923.02, 1923.04, 1923.08, 5321.15
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.02
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19
  • Ohio Rev. Code §5739.01(B)(3); §5739.02 (building maintenance and janitorial service is a taxable service; real property construction contractors are consumers of materials).
  • Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.17, 5321.04, 1923.04

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Evictions. Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

Rent regulation. This page states whether the state lets its cities control rent, and any statewide limit on an increase, so a renewal can be checked before it is offered. In New York City, Seayora’s rent-increase advisor goes further: it computes the highest increase the Rent Guidelines Board order and the Good Cause standard allow for each apartment, with the law cited, and gives no number where the law is not verified.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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