A residential lease agreement in Columbus is a binding document between a landlord and a tenant. This agreement outlines the terms and conditions surrounding the use of a rental property in exchange for payment.
Columbus currently has no city-specific residential lease agreement requirements or disclosures. As such, landlords and tenants in Columbus follow Ohio requirements for lease agreements.
When it comes to landlord-tenant rights, Columbus has a few local laws that landlords should be aware of. The Housing for All legislative package that was passed in March of 2021 contains three ordinances. The city also passed their own landlord retaliation law in 2018.
The City of Columbus prohibits discrimination based on one’s source of income. Under this ordinance, it is illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent or sell property to a prospective tenant due to their source of income. [1]
If a landlord requires a tenant to pay a security deposit, they must provide the tenant with two alternatives to paying it in full. This includes payment over a series of either three monthly installments or six monthly installments. [2]
Landlords must provide tenants with a written receipt upon payment of their security deposit or rent. [3] This does not apply to electronic payments where the tenant is able to obtain an automatic receipt.
While Ohio currently has landlord retaliation laws in place, Columbus passed a retaliatory action law of their own in 2018. Similar to the state-level statute, this law makes it illegal for a landlord to retaliate against a tenant for making a good-faith complaint or joining with other tenants to negotiate with the landlord. [4]
While not mandatory, landlords can add specific disclosures and addendums to their leases. This helps outline the responsibilities of the tenant and can prevent future liability issues.
Medical marijuana use is legal in Columbus—which is why it’s important to disclose if it will be permitted on the property. Ohio law allows landlords to restrict marijuana usage to non-smoking methods only. Clarify if there are designated smoking areas on the premises.
Since Columbus is ranked as one of the most pet-friendly cities in Ohio, landlords may want to address the building’s pet policies. This disclosure should include whether or not pets are allowed on the property, the tenant’s responsibility to cover any pet-related damages, and any additional pet fees or restrictions.
Ohio ranks as the 6th-highest state for asbestos-related deaths. This is why landlords should include a disclosure stating if asbestos is present on the property. If asbestos is present, tenants should take precautions to minimize the chance of disturbing the fibers.
No operator shall knowingly, based on the source of income of a prospective tenant or current tenant….Refuse to lease or rent any real property to a prospective tenant or current tenant.
If an operator requires that a tenant pay a security deposit, no operator shall fail to provide written notice of the security deposit payment alternatives as described in this division. Prior to entering into a rental agreement, a tenant required to pay a security deposit shall either pay the required security deposit in full or select and subsequently fulfill one of the following rental security deposit payment alternatives.
Written rent receipt required. Except as otherwise provided in division (b), no operator shall fail to cause a tenant to be provided with a written receipt for any security deposit and for all rental payments at the time the deposit or payment is received.
No owner, or person having control, of any premises regulated by this code shall institute or threaten to institute any action to recover possession of the premises or otherwise cause a tenant to quit a habitation involuntarily, demand an increase in rent from a tenant, decrease services to which a tenant has been entitled, increase the obligations of a tenant, or refuse to renew the tenant’s lease agreement in retaliation against…
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