An Ohio residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a residential property and a tenant who wishes to rent it. A residential lease may, on or before move-in, additionally require a security deposit from the tenant as assurance against future property damage.
The below disclosures are required for some or all residential lease agreements in Ohio.
| Disclosure | Applicable To |
|---|---|
| Landlord’s Name and Address | All Units |
| Lead Paint | All Units Built Before 1978 |
Applicable to all Ohio rentals.
Ohio leases must contain the name and address of the landlord or authorized agent. This enables smooth communication of any important legal notice. This contact information is most often written in the lease agreement, for maximum convenience. The landlord has an obligation to notify the tenant in the event of a change in contact information. [1]
Applicable to all Ohio rental properties built before 1978.
For any property built before 1978, federal law requires that an Ohio residential lease must contain a lead-based paint disclosure. This requires landlords to do the following:
The following lease agreement disclosures and addenda are not required by Ohio law in residential lease agreements, but assist with tenant management and help limit landlord liability.
| Optional Disclosure | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Asbestos | Informs tenants about any asbestos hazards related to the property. Tenants can take precautions to reduce asbestos hazards by avoiding any disturbance of asbestos fibers. |
| Bed Bugs | Informs tenants whether the property or an adjacent unit has a history of suspected bed bug infestation, and reminds the tenant of the obligation to report suspected infestation immediately. |
| Late/Returned Check Fees | Specifies late fees or returned check fees related to the lease. In Ohio late fees must be “reasonable,” and there is a cap of $30 or 10% of the bad payment (whichever is greater) on returned check fees. [2] |
| Medical Marijuana Use | Informs tenants about policy related to medical marijuana use on the rental property. Some state laws allow landlords to restrict marijuana usage to non-smoking methods only, or allow use only in designated smoking areas. |
| Mold Disclosure | Informs tenants about actual or suspected mold contamination on the property, along with any remediation efforts, to help limit landlord liability. |
| Move-in Checklist | Provides an inventory of existing property damage, when the tenant takes possession of the rental property. This enables accurate deductions from the security deposit upon move-out. |
| Non-Refundable Fees | Charges not agreed by the tenant in the lease may be refundable upon lease termination. For Ohio landlords to charge a non-refundable fee, it must be disclosed and agreed as such in the lease. |
| Shared Utilities Arrangements | Informs a tenant how utility charges are billed to individual tenants. Ohio rental units sharing a utility meter for the building or property may charge separately for utilities through the installation of a submetering system or ratio billing system. |
| Smoking | Informs tenants of designated smoking areas that do not interfere with the quiet enjoyment of other tenants. |
Some Ohio cities, like Columbus, have more comprehensive rules than the statewide standard. Always check local laws.
Mandatory disclosures outline important health, safety, and property information for both landlord and tenant safety. A landlord who fails to provide federally or state-mandated disclosures could face legal consequences or monetary penalties, either from a tenant lawsuit or from state officials.
Failure to comply with the federal lead-based paint hazard disclosure risks fines of tens of thousands of dollars per violation.
(A) Every written rental agreement for residential premises shall contain the name and address of the owner and the name and address of the owner’s agent, if any. If the owner or the owner’s agent is a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, association, trust, or other entity, the address shall be the principal place of business in the county in which the residential property is situated or if there is no place of business in such county then its principal place of business in this state, and shall include the name of the person in charge thereof.
(A) If a collection agency has been designated to collect on a check, negotiable order of withdrawal, share draft, or other negotiable instrument that has been returned or dishonored for any reason, the collection agency may charge and receive check collection charges of not more than thirty dollars or ten per cent of the face amount of the instrument, whichever is greater, and may charge and receive any charge imposed by a financial institution upon the holder of the check, negotiable order of withdrawal, share draft, or other negotiable instrument that has been returned or dishonored for any reason.
How Long Can a Residential Lease Be in Ohio? Depending on circumstances, in Ohio it’s usually possible to have a lease of any length of time, as long as the length of the lease term is specific and agreed in writing by the landlord and tenant (although there are increased requirements, like notarization, for leases of 3 years and longer). Oral leases can almost never be for a term of more than one year. Read more » Is a Contract to Lease Binding in Ohio? Yes, a contract to lease is legally binding in Ohio. To be valid, a contract to lease may have to be written, especially for a fixed term over one year. Oral leases may be valid in some cases (especially when both parties later behave as though there’s an enforceable oral lease), but often have strict limitations on enforceability for things like length of the lease term. Read more » Do Lease Agreements Need to Be Notarized in Ohio? An Ohio lease agreement only needs notarization if it’s over three years. Otherwise, a notary helps establish the identity of the people signing the lease, if there’s a claim of fraud, but isn’t necessary for a lease to be valid. Read more » Can a Lease Automatically Renew in Ohio? Yes, a lease can automatically renew in Ohio. Most rental agreements will automatically renew when the initial tenancy period is over. Past this point, the lease becomes a month-to-month rental agreement, with the same basic terms and conditions otherwise as the original lease. In some cases, such as if rent is being paid weekly, the lease may become a week-to-week lease. Read more »
