Pet Addendum in Ohio

Adds pet terms to a lease. Assistance animals for people with disabilities are not pets: no pet fee or pet rent may be charged for them under federal fair housing rules.

What Ohio law says

Pet deposits and fees	No statute — Ohio has no security deposit cap and no statute on pet deposits, pet fees or pet rent. Any deposit (including a pet deposit) held as security is handled under the general deposit rules: interest on the amount above $50 or one month's rent (whichever is greater) if the tenant stays 6 months or more, and an itemized return within 30 days after move-out. Whether a nonrefundable pet fee is a 'security deposit' under 5321.16 is not defined in the statute. Source: Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321; 5321.16
Service & support animals (state law)	No Ohio housing statute on emotional support animal documentation or misrepresentation. Refusing a reasonable accommodation needed by a person with a disability to use and enjoy a dwelling is an unlawful discriminatory practice under Ohio's fair-housing law, which applies to assistance animal requests. A separate statute gives people with qualifying disabilities and trainers equal access with assistance dogs in public accommodations and lodging places and bars charging a fee for the dog. § 955.43 (amended effective March 20, 2026) covers public accommodations, not private rental housing generally: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-955.43. Federal Fair Housing Act rules on documentation and pet fees apply. Source: Ohio Rev. Code §§ 4112.02(H)(19), 955.43

Pet deposits and fees

No statute — Ohio has no security deposit cap and no statute on pet deposits, pet fees or pet rent. Any deposit (including a pet deposit) held as security is handled under the general deposit rules: interest on the amount above $50 or one month's rent (whichever is greater) if the tenant stays 6 months or more, and an itemized return within 30 days after move-out.

Whether a nonrefundable pet fee is a 'security deposit' under 5321.16 is not defined in the statute.

Source: Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321; 5321.16

Service & support animals (state law)

No Ohio housing statute on emotional support animal documentation or misrepresentation. Refusing a reasonable accommodation needed by a person with a disability to use and enjoy a dwelling is an unlawful discriminatory practice under Ohio's fair-housing law, which applies to assistance animal requests. A separate statute gives people with qualifying disabilities and trainers equal access with assistance dogs in public accommodations and lodging places and bars charging a fee for the dog.

§ 955.43 (amended effective March 20, 2026) covers public accommodations, not private rental housing generally: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-955.43. Federal Fair Housing Act rules on documentation and pet fees apply.

Source: Ohio Rev. Code §§ 4112.02(H)(19), 955.43

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PET ADDENDUM to the lease for [rental address] dated [lease date]

Tenant: [tenant name] Pet(s): [type, breed, name, weight]

Pet deposit: $[pet deposit] (counts toward any state deposit limit where the law says so). Monthly pet rent: $[pet rent]

The tenant keeps the pet under control, cleans up after it, and pays for damage it causes beyond normal wear and tear.

Signatures and dates: [signatures]

Pet Addendum for other states · Ohio tenant rights

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.