Last updated July 17, 2026
Free template
Download a free Ohio residential lease agreement template
Ohio-labeled blank form with the jurisdiction set to Ohio. The PDF is printable and the Word file is editable—no account or payment required. Review current state and local requirements and attach any required disclosures or addenda before signing.
What is an Ohio residential lease agreement?
An Ohio residential lease agreement is the written record of a rental arrangement for a home in Ohio. It names the parties and the premises, sets rent and term, allocates utilities and maintenance, and gives house rules and disclosures a written home. Most residential tenancies in Ohio are governed by Ohio's Landlords and Tenants Act in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321, with eviction procedure set out separately in Chapter 1923. Chapter 5321 fixes baseline duties the parties cannot simply contract around. The free PDF and Word versions on this page are labeled for Ohio and are a practical starting document — not a substitute for checking which statutes, disclosures, and local rules apply to a particular property.
Chapter 5321 covers "residential premises" under § 5321.01 and routes several arrangements — correctional, transient, manufactured-home (Chapter 3733), and single-room-occupancy among them — to separate paths. Because the Legislative Service Commission updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, confirm the live section text for the property before relying on any term.
Key features
- Ohio-labeled PDF for printing and handwriting
- Editable Ohio Word template
- Fields for parties, premises, rent, deposits, utilities, and house rules
- Owner and agent identity prompts tied to Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.18
- A guided builder for property-specific terms
Ohio security deposits, interest, and move-out accounting
Ohio takes an unusual approach to deposits. Section 5321.16 sets no statewide security-deposit ceiling, so the amount is fixed by negotiation and any local rule. What the statute does require is interest: when a tenant stays in possession for at least six months, the landlord owes 5% annual interest on the part of the deposit exceeding the greater of $50 or one month's periodic rent (§ 5321.16(A)).
At move-out, the deposit may be applied only to past-due rent and to damage from the tenant's noncompliance with the statute or the agreement. The landlord must then deliver an itemized written notice of any deductions and any amount due within 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession (§ 5321.16(B)-(C)); the tenant should provide a written forwarding address for that accounting.
Habitability, access, and required disclosures
Section 5321.04 lists the landlord's core duties: comply with building, housing, health, and safety codes; keep the premises fit and habitable and in good repair; maintain safe common areas and the supplied electrical, plumbing, and heating systems; supply running water, reasonable hot water, and heat; and provide waste receptacles in a structure with four or more units. Entry is limited: except for an emergency or where notice is impracticable, the landlord must give reasonable notice and enter at a reasonable time, with 24 hours presumed reasonable, not an unconditional right (§§ 5321.04(A)(7)-(8), 5321.05(B)).
Every written lease must identify the owner and any managing agent by name and address under § 5321.18; an entity landlord may use a county or Ohio principal-business address and its person in charge, and an oral tenancy requires the same information in writing at commencement. Pre-1978 housing also triggers the separate federal lead-based-paint disclosure process.
Ohio lease points to confirm before signing
| Topic | What Chapter 5321 describes | Primary source |
|---|---|---|
| Security deposit | No statewide dollar cap; 5% annual interest on the amount exceeding the greater of $50 or one month’s rent once possession reaches six months. | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(A) |
| Deposit return | Deductions limited to past-due rent and tenant-caused damage; itemized notice and any balance within 30 days after termination and return of possession. | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B)-(C) |
| Prohibited terms | No waiver of Chapter 5321 rights, confession of judgment, bilateral attorney-fee clause, or landlord liability release or indemnity. | Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.06, 5321.13 |
| Owner disclosure | Owner and agent names and addresses in every written lease, or in a written commencement notice for an oral tenancy. | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.18 |
| Periodic termination | At least 30 days before the rental date for month-to-month, and at least 7 days for week-to-week. | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17 |
| Eviction notice | A conspicuous three-day leave-premises notice before filing a forcible entry and detainer action. | Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.04 |
Notice and termination rules in Ohio
Ohio ties notice to the tenancy type and the ground. Ending a periodic tenancy without a breach takes, under § 5321.17, at least 30 days' notice before the rental date for a month-to-month tenancy and at least 7 days for a week-to-week tenancy. When a tenant breaches a health-or-safety duty, § 5321.11 requires a written notice naming the act or omission and a termination date at least 30 days out, ending only if the tenant fails to remedy it. Before filing a forcible entry and detainer case under Chapter 1923, § 1923.04 generally requires a three-day written notice to leave the premises carrying the statute's conspicuous advisory language.
No self-help evictions in Ohio
Section 5321.15 bars a landlord from using a lockout, a utility shutoff, or any other self-help act to recover possession, or from seizing a tenant's property for rent without a court order — possession comes only through the Chapter 1923 court process. Section 5321.02 separately prohibits retaliation, such as a rent increase, service cut, or eviction brought because the tenant reported a code violation or joined a tenants' organization.
What to include in an Ohio lease
- Parties and premises — the parties' full legal names, the complete Ohio address, and any included parking, storage, or shared spaces.
- Owner and agent identity — the owner's and any managing agent's name and address, satisfying § 5321.18.
- Term and rent — whether the tenancy is fixed-term or periodic, when it begins, when rent is due, and accepted payment methods.
- Deposits and charges — the deposit and each prepaid amount or fee listed separately, with room for the § 5321.16 interest and 30-day accounting to operate.
- Duties, access, and disclosures — repair and maintenance terms that do not waive a § 5321.04 duty, the reasonable-notice access term, and any disclosure that applies.
Before signing an Ohio lease
Compare the completed Ohio lease with the current text of Chapters 5321 and 1923 and the property's facts. Under § 5321.19 Ohio broadly preempts conflicting local rental regulation and rent control, but it preserves local housing, building, health, and safety codes and specified public-property and voluntary-incentive measures — so confirm any local registration, inspection, or disclosure requirement before signing. Regulated arrangements such as manufactured-home parks, subsidized housing, and owner-occupied rooms can each follow additional rules.
Give every party the same final version, deliver and retain the fully executed copies, and keep the owner and agent information current. For an eviction or disputed termination, unusual fees, regulated housing, or a city with extra renter protections, get advice before relying on a template.