Columbus Landlord-Tenant Rules
Columbus adds local rules on top of Ohio landlord-tenant law. Here is what is different, with the city code or agency page behind each rule.
| Rent stabilization | Columbus has no rent control, and Ohio bars cities from adopting it. Cities may still enforce their own housing, building, health and safety codes. State preemption. The full rule is covered on the Ohio state page. Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19 |
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| Pay to stay (tender of rent) and late-fee cap | In a nonpayment eviction, a tenant has a defense if the landlord refuses payment of all past-due rent plus reasonable late fees. The payment can come from the tenant or from an agency or person paying for them, and must be offered before the case is filed. After filing, the tenant still has a defense if the landlord refuses past-due rent, reasonable late fees and court costs offered before judgment. A monthly late fee may not exceed $50 or 10% of the monthly contract rent, whichever is greater. The defense does not stop evictions based on other grounds. Ordinance text read through the Legistar API (https://webapi.legistar.com/v1/columbus/matters/127226). A later ordinance (3525-2024) also enacted a section numbered 4551.07, for rent-increase notice. |
| Rent increase notice | Written leases entered into or renewed after January 31, 2025 must require at least 60 days' prior written notice before a periodic or monthly rent increase of more than 10%. This does not apply to subsidized tenancies where rent is based on the tenant's income. Leases must also spell out all required periodic payments, such as rent, deposits, non-refundable move-in fees, parking fees and late fees. The City Council's Housing For All page describes this as 180 days' notice. The ordinance text on Legistar says 60 days for increases over 10%, and this entry follows the ordinance text. |
| Source-of-income discrimination | Landlords may not refuse to rent to, set different terms or fees for, discourage, or falsely say a unit is unavailable to a tenant or applicant because of a lawful source of income. Covered income includes wages, Social Security, SSI, child or spousal support, public assistance, and federal, state or local rent vouchers or subsidies. If a landlord uses a minimum-income test, the voucher or subsidy amount must first be subtracted from the rent. A violation is a first-degree misdemeanor. Ordinance text read through the Legistar API. The Franklin County Municipal Court clerk's rent escrow sheet lists Code Enforcement for housing complaints. |
| Security deposit alternatives and receipts | Landlords with 5 or more rental units who require a security deposit must give written notice of payment alternatives. The tenant may pay the full deposit up front, or in at least 3 or at least 6 monthly installments due with rent. Failing to give this notice is a fourth-degree misdemeanor. A separate ordinance requires written receipts for security deposits and rent payments, except electronic payments that generate an automatic receipt. The text of the receipts ordinance (0496-2021) was not read. Only its Legistar title was seen. |
| Retaliation | Owners may not evict or threaten eviction, raise rent, cut services, refuse to renew, or otherwise force out a tenant because the tenant made a good-faith code complaint to the city or the landlord, or organized with other tenants. Listed retaliatory acts include shutting off utilities, refusing rent, trespassing or forcing entry, and interfering with quiet enjoyment, when done close in time to the protected activity. Once the City shows a prima facie case, the owner must give a legitimate non-retaliatory reason. This is enforced by city prosecution, separate from the state-law retaliation defense. |
| Rental registration and inspections | Starting with calendar year 2027, owners or local operators of residential rental property must register each year with the Department of Building and Zoning Services. Initial registration runs October 1 to December 31, 2026. Registration lists the owner, the entity's principals, a Local Operator living within 100 miles (owners of fewer than 10 units are exempt from this) and an emergency contact. It also requires an affirmation that critical building systems work. Changes and sales must be re-registered within 30 days. Every registered property gets a Preventative Education Inspection every 3 years. The planned fee is $15 per unit, capped at $1,500 per complex. Unfixed violations can bring a $2 per unit per day civil penalty. The full text was read through the Legistar API (matters/136837). The ordinance says the fee will be added to the fee schedule by separate ordinance, which was not verified. |
| Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line | Report housing code problems such as structural defects, rodents, roaches and trash to Columbus Code Enforcement through 311 at (614) 645-3111. Columbus Public Health handles mold questions at (614) 645-6226. Tenants can also use state-law rent escrow at the Franklin County Municipal Court. The Court's Environmental Division hears housing and property-maintenance code cases. |
Eviction cases in Columbus are heard in: Franklin County Municipal Court, Eviction Court (375 S. High St., Courtroom 11B)
Eviction court, fees and help
Right to a lawyer in eviction cases
No guaranteed right to counsel. The city funds the Legal Aid Society of Columbus Tenant Advocacy Project to represent tenants at eviction court (for example, $1.5 million under Ord. 2089-2023). Tenants are screened for eligibility at court. Official source
Local agencies
- Columbus Department of Building and Zoning Services (Code Enforcement) — Enforces the housing code, investigates complaints, and runs the new rental registry. Call 311 / (614) 645-3111.
- Columbus Department of Development, Division of Housing Stability — Created in 2025 (Ord. 1282-2025, which the Council calls its 'Office of Fair Housing' measure) to coordinate enforcement of tenant protections, provide fair-housing information, and run eviction-prevention and tenant-support programs.
- Legal Aid Society of Columbus, Tenant Advocacy Project — City-funded free eviction defense. Attorneys screen tenants at eviction court.
- Franklin County Municipal Court, Dispute Resolution/Mediation — Free on-site mediation in eviction cases.
Frequently asked questions
What landlord-tenant rules does Columbus add on top of Ohio law?
Rent stabilization: Columbus has no rent control, and Ohio bars cities from adopting it. Cities may still enforce their own housing, building, health and safety codes.; Pay to stay (tender of rent) and late-fee cap: In a nonpayment eviction, a tenant has a defense if the landlord refuses payment of all past-due rent plus reasonable late fees. The payment can come from the tenant or from an agency or person paying for them, and must be offered before the case is filed. After filing, the tenant still has a defense if the landlord refuses past-due rent, reasonable late fees and court costs offered before judgment. A monthly late fee may not exceed $50 or 10% of the monthly contract rent, whichever is greater. The defense does not stop evictions based on other grounds.; Rent increase notice: Written leases entered into or renewed after January 31, 2025 must require at least 60 days' prior written notice before a periodic or monthly rent increase of more than 10%. This does not apply to subsidized tenancies where rent is based on the tenant's income. Leases must also spell out all required periodic payments, such as rent, deposits, non-refundable move-in fees, parking fees and late fees.; Source-of-income discrimination: Landlords may not refuse to rent to, set different terms or fees for, discourage, or falsely say a unit is unavailable to a tenant or applicant because of a lawful source of income. Covered income includes wages, Social Security, SSI, child or spousal support, public assistance, and federal, state or local rent vouchers or subsidies. If a landlord uses a minimum-income test, the voucher or subsidy amount must first be subtracted from the rent. A violation is a first-degree misdemeanor.
← All Ohio landlord-tenant rules
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.