Free Ohio Rental Lease Agreement


Sample Ohio Rental Lease Agreement

RESIDENTIAL LEASE AGREEMENT

THIS RESIDENTIAL LEASE (the "Lease") dated this ___ day of ____________________,20___.

BETWEEN:

_______________

(the "Landlord")

- AND-

_______________

(the "Tenant")

(individually the "Party" and collectively the "Parties")

IN CONSIDERATION OF the Landlord leasing certain premises to the Tenant and other valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which consideration is hereby acknowledged, the Parties agree as follows:

    Leased Property

  1. The Landlord agrees to rent to the Tenant the house, municipally described as ______________________, ______________________, Ohio, ______________________ (the "Property"), for use as residential premises only.
  2. No guests of the Tenants may occupy the Property for longer than one week without the prior written consent of the Landlord.
  3. Term

  4. The term of the Lease is a periodic commencing at 12:00 noon on _____________of _____________, 20___ and continuing on a month-to-month basis until the Landlord or the Tenant terminates the tenancy.
  5. Rent

  6. Subject to the provisions of this Lease, the rent for the Property is $_____________ per week (the "Rent").
  7. The Tenant will pay the Rent weekly, on or before ______________ of each and every week of the term of this Lease to the Landlord at ______________________, ______________________, State of Ohio, ______________________ or at such other place as the Landlord may later designate by Cash.
  8. Tenant Improvements

  9. The Tenant will obtain written permission from the Landlord before doing any of the following:
    1. applying adhesive materials, or inserting nails or hooks in walls or ceilings other than two small picture hooks per wall;
    2. painting, wallpapering, redecorating or in any way significantly altering the appearance of the Property;
    3. removing or adding walls, or performing any structural alterations;
    4. installing a waterbed(s);
    5. changing the amount of heat or power normally used on the Property as well as installing additional electrical wiring or heating units;
    6. placing or exposing or allowing to be placed or exposed anywhere inside or outside the Property any placard, notice or sign for advertising or any other purpose; or
    7. affixing to or erecting upon or near the Property any radio or TV antenna or tower.
  10. Insurance

  11. The Tenant is hereby advised and understands that the personal property of the Tenant is not insured by the Landlord for either damage or loss, and the Landlord assumes no liability for any such loss.
  12. Attorney Fees

  13. In the event that any action is filed in relation to this Lease, the unsuccessful Party in the action will pay to the successful Party, in addition to all the sums that either Party may be called on to pay, a reasonable sum for the successful Party's attorney fees.
  14. Governing Law

  15. This Lease will be construed in accordance with and exclusively governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.
  16. Severability

  17. If there is a conflict between any provision of this Lease and the applicable legislation of the State of Ohio (the "Act"), the Act will prevail and such provisions of the Lease will be amended or deleted as necessary in order to comply with the Act. Further, any provisions that are required by the Act are incorporated into this Lease.
  18. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provisions of this Lease will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Lease.  Such other provisions remain in full force and effect.
  19. Amendment of Lease

  20. This Lease may only be amended or modified by a written document executed by the Parties.
  21. Damage to Property

  22. If the Property should be damaged other than by the Tenant's negligence or willful act or that of the Tenant's employee, family, agent, or visitor and the Landlord decides not to rebuild or repair the Property, the Landlord may end this Lease by giving appropriate notice.
  23. Care and Use of Property

  24. The Tenant will promptly notify the Landlord of any damage, or of any situation that may significantly interfere with the normal use of the Property or to any furnishings supplied by the Landlord.
  25. The Tenant will not engage in any illegal trade or activity on or about the Property.
  26. The Parties will comply with standards of health, sanitation, fire, housing and safety as required by law.
  27. The Parties will use reasonable efforts to maintain the Property in such a condition as to prevent the accumulation of moisture and the growth of mold. The Tenant will promptly notify the Landlord in writing of any moisture accumulation that occurs or of any visible evidence of mold discovered by the Tenant. The Landlord will promptly respond to any such written notices from the Tenant.
  28. If the Tenant is absent from the Property and the Property is unoccupied for a period of 4 consecutive days or longer, the Tenant will arrange for regular inspection by a competent person. The Landlord will be notified in advance as to the name, address and phone number of the person doing the inspections.
  29. At the expiration of the term of this Lease, the Tenant will quit and surrender the Property in as good a state and condition as they were at the commencement of this Lease, reasonable use and wear and tear excepted.
  30. Rules and Regulations

  31. The Tenant will obey all rules and regulations of the Landlord regarding the Property.
  32. Address for Notice

  33. For any matter relating to this tenancy, the Tenant may be contacted at the Property or through the phone number below. After this tenancy has been terminated, the contact information of the Tenant is:
    1. Name: _______________
    2. Phone: ______________________
  34. For any matter relating to this tenancy, whether during or after this tenancy has been terminated, the Landlord's address for notice is:
    1. Name: _______________
    2. Address: ______________________, ______________________, State of Ohio, ______________________

      The contact information for the Landlord is:

    3. Phone: ______________________
  35. General Provisions

  36. All monetary amounts stated or referred to in this Lease are based in the United States dollar.
  37. Any waiver by the Landlord of any failure by the Tenant to perform or observe the provisions of this Lease will not operate as a waiver of the Landlord's rights under this Lease in respect of any subsequent defaults, breaches or non-performance and will not defeat or affect in any way the Landlord's rights in respect of any subsequent default or breach.
  38. This Lease will extend to and be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, as the case may be, of each Party. All covenants are to be construed as conditions of this Lease.
  39. All sums payable by the Tenant to the Landlord pursuant to any provision of this Lease will be deemed to be additional rent and will be recovered by the Landlord as rental arrears.
  40. Where there is more than one Tenant executing this Lease, all Tenants are jointly and severally liable for each other's acts, omissions and liabilities pursuant to this Lease.
  41. Locks may not be added or changed without the prior written agreement of both Parties, or unless the changes are made in compliance with the Act.
  42. The Tenant will be charged an additional amount of $25.00 for each N.S.F. check or checks returned by the Tenant's financial institution.
  43. Headings are inserted for the convenience of the Parties only and are not to be considered when interpreting this Lease. Words in the singular mean and include the plural and vice versa. Words in the masculine mean and include the feminine and vice versa.
  44. This Lease may be executed in counterparts. Facsimile signatures are binding and are considered to be original signatures.
  45. This Lease constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties.
  46. During the last 30 days of this Lease, the Landlord or the Landlord's agents will have the privilege of displaying the usual 'For Sale' or 'For Rent' or 'Vacancy' signs on the Property.
  47. Time is of the essence in this Lease.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF _______________ and _______________ have duly affixed their signatures on this ___ day of ____________________,20___.

_________________________________
Landlord: _______________

  _________________________________
Tenant: _______________

The Tenant acknowledges receiving a duplicate copy of this Lease signed by the Tenant and the Landlord on the _____ day of ______________________, 20____.

_________________________________
Tenant: _______________

   

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure

Property: ______________________, ______________________, Ohio, ______________________
Landlord: _______________
Tenant: _______________

Landlord's Disclosure

The Landlord CERTIFIES THAT:

  1. The Landlord has NO knowledge of any lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards in or about the Property.
  2. The Landlord has NO records or reports relating to lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards in or about the Property.
Date: ___ day of ____________________,20___

 Landlord: _______________

per: _________________________________


Tenant's Disclosure

The Tenant ACKNOWLEDGES receipt of:

  1. the information contained in the above Landlord's Disclosure including the above-mentioned reports and records; and
  2. the pamphlet Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home (EPA-747-K-99-001) or an equivalent pamphlet that has been approved for use in the state by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Date: ___ day of ____________________,20___

 Tenant: _______________

per: _________________________________

The pamphlet Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home can be ordered in hard copy or can be printed from the website http://www2.epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family-lead-your-home.


Asbestos Disclosure

Property: ______________________, ______________________, Ohio, ______________________
Landlord: _______________
Tenant: _______________

Landlord's Disclosure

The Landlord CERTIFIES THAT:

  1. The Landlord has investigated and there is no asbestos in or about the Property.
  2. The Landlord has NO records or reports with respect to asbestos in or about the Property.
Date: ___ day of ____________________,20___

 Landlord: _______________

per: _________________________________


Tenant's Disclosure

The Tenant ACKNOWLEDGES receipt of the information contained in the above Landlord's Disclosure including any reports and records.

Date: ___ day of ____________________,20___

Tenant: _______________

per: _________________________________

Ohio Rental Lease Agreement

Do you have all the details of the rental laws applicable in the state of Ohio? Before signing a rental lease agreement in Ohio, it is wise to know your rights and obligations. In this article, we explore all the details you need to know about security deposits, lease, rent, fees, notices, and entry, among others.

  • The Official Rules and Regulations

    • Landlord and Tenant Laws - Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §§ 5321.01 – 5321.19

    • Residential Rental Property Laws - Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §§ 5323.01 – 5323.99

  • Security Deposit

    • The state of Ohio doesn’t have a statute for the security deposit maximum.

    • Regarding the security deposit interest, the Ohio rental lease agreement, if a tenancy is longer than 6 months long, a 5 percent interest per annum is payable to the tenant annually on the amount of any deposit exceeding $50, or one month’s rent; whichever is greater.

    • No statutes exist for setting up of separate deposit bank accounts, pet deposits, and non-refundable fees.

    • The deadline for returning the security deposit is 30 days from the move-out date.

    • The permitted uses of the security deposit include Payment of past due rent and the payment of damages due to a tenant’s noncompliance with either the rental agreement or the statutory obligations of the tenant.

    • It is a requirement to prepare a written description or an itemized list of damages and charges.

    • The state of Ohio has no statute for record keeping of deposit withholdings or the receipt of the deposit.

    • Noncompliance: if the landlord fails to provide an itemized list of damages, the tenant could sue to recover the amount of money withheld by the landlord, as well as the damages that equal the amount withheld wrongfully, plus reasonable attorney fees.

  • Lease, Fees, and Rent

    • According to the rental laws in the state of Ohio, and the lease agreement documents, rent is due as stated in the lease. However, the state doesn’t have statutes covering rent increase notices, prepaid rent, or the rent grace period.

    • On matters relating to Late Fees, no statute exists. However, the case law allows for limited fees if specified in the lease.

    • A returned check attracts a fee of not more than $30, or 10 percent of the check; whichever is greater.

    • A tenant can withhold rent for the landlord’s failure to provide essential services such as water and heat. But, withholding rent is only limited to specific situations. Rather than paying rent to the landlord’s account directly, a tenant could deposit the rent with a clerk of the court with jurisdiction over the premises. Before doing this, the tenant needs to give the landlord a written notice of their failure to fulfill the set obligations.

    • The laws, however, do not state whether or not a tenant can repair and deduct rent.

    • Regarding attorney fees, the state of Ohio allows either the tenant or the landlord to recover attorney fees but, only in some special circumstances. However, the rental lease agreement has no provisions for the payment of landlord and tenant attorney fees. The landlord recovers the fees if the tenant violates the statutory tenant obligations and the tenant recovers the fees if the landlord fails to comply with the security deposit rules.

    • No statute exists on whether or not the landlord should make a reasonable attempt to mitigate damages to the lessee or to make any efforts to re-rent the property.

    • Also, no statutes give directions for abandonment and early termination fees.

  • Notices and Entry

    • No notice is required for the termination of fixed-end date leases as they expire naturally.

    • 30-days’ notice should be given for termination of monthly leases and 7-day notices given for the termination of weekly leases.

    • No statutes govern the notices to be issued when terminating tenancies within 24 hours or the time and date of move-out inspections.

    • The notice of lease termination for nonpayment is a 3-day written notice, as is the case with the termination of a lease for violation of terms.

    • If a tenant fails to fulfill their obligations, a 30-day written notice is given for the violation. The notice should have on it the date on which the rental lease agreement gets terminated.

    • If a tenant engages in drug-related activity, the notice of termination is 3-day written notice.

    • Reasonable notice is required before entry. 24 hours is ideal.

    • For non-emergency maintenance and repairs, notice is required but, notice isn’t necessary in case of an emergency

    • No statutes are set for entry after a tenant’s extended absence or pesticide use.

    • No lockouts or utility shut-offs are allowed.

Disclosures and Miscellaneous Notes

This part of the rental agreement has the name and addresses, landlord obligations, domestic violence situations, landlord and tenants’ obligations, Lead disclosure, retaliation, and eviction of tenant that allows sex or a child-victim offender to occupy premises close to a school.

Court Related Matters

The Ohio Small Claims Court has set its limits at $3,000, and it doesn’t allow eviction cases.

The statute of limitations recognizes written contracts for 8 years,

You could get legal help from the Supreme Court, the Judicial System, the Attorney general or the State Bar Association. The Legal Aid too.

Business Licenses

The state of Ohio lacks state-wide statutes on business licenses, but the local counties and cities may require the licenses.

Now that you have the basic rental laws in mind, you can get our free online Ohio rental lease agreement form here.

Sample

OH Rental Lease Agreement

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