How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Ohio?

Ohio statute sets no cap on the deposit, so the amount is whatever the lease says. What Ohio Rev. Code 5321.16 does fix is how and when the deposit comes back.

What does a Ohio landlord have to disclose with the lease?

Beyond the federal lead paint disclosure for a building built before 1978, the Ohio checklist has one item: name and address of the owner and of any agent, in writing. Each one names its statute and the landlord initials it in the document.

Which Ohio statutes does this lease cite?

Ohio Rev. Code 5321.16, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.17, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.04(A)(8) and Ohio Rev. Code 5321.18, read on October 23, 2026. They print in the document footer so a reader can check each clause against the statute in a minute.

Should a lawyer look at this Ohio lease before I use it?

It is a general form, not legal advice, and it does not claim to comply with any law. The clauses state what the Ohio statute requires and name the statute. A lawyer who works with Ohio landlords can tell you whether the form fits your property, your city and the terms you want to add, which is worth the hour before signing a lease for a large rent or a long term.

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Ohio Residential Lease Agreement

A plain-language lease for a house or apartment in Ohio. The deposit, notice, entry and disclosure clauses follow Ohio statute, cited in the document. Download the blank PDF or e-sign it online; electronic signatures are recognized under the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA laws.

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Different state?

Page one of the Ohio Residential Lease Agreement — Page 1 of the PDF. Tinted boxes are the placed fields, one color per role.

Ohio rules in this lease

Security deposit cap: No cap in the statute
Deposit return: Within 30 days after the Tenant moves out and gives a written forwarding address, the Landlord returns the deposit with an itemized statement of any deductions for unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear.
Where the deposit is kept: When the deposit is larger than one month's rent or $50, whichever is greater, and the Tenant stays six months or longer, the part above that amount earns 5% interest a year, paid to the Tenant each year.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy: Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice.
Landlord entry: The Landlord gives reasonable notice before entering, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable, enters at a reasonable time, and needs no notice in an emergency.
Disclosures: 2 items, listed below with the section that requires each one
Statutes: Ohio Rev. Code 5321.16, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.17, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.04(A)(8), Ohio Rev. Code 5321.18. Read the Ohio statute
Rules read on: 2026-10-23

A general form, not legal advice, and not a claim that it complies with any law. Rules change and vary by city. Check the statute cited here, or ask a lawyer, before you rely on it.

What is different in Ohio

Pick Ohio and four parts of this lease change: the security deposit clause, the notice clause for a month-to-month tenancy, the entry clause and the disclosures checklist, each rewritten from the Ohio statute. The rest of the document reads the same in every state.

Ohio sets no ceiling on the deposit, so the amount is whatever the two parties write in. The statute cares more about custody, which the deposit clause below covers, and about the return: the rule says when and how the deposit comes back, and requires an itemized statement of anything kept, turns on the tenant's forwarding address and leaves ordinary wear out of the deductions.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy works the same from both sides in Ohio. Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice.

Before coming in, the landlord gives notice, and Ohio puts a number on it. The Landlord gives reasonable notice before entering, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable, enters at a reasonable time, and needs no notice in an emergency.

One Ohio disclosure joins the federal lead paint item on the checklist: name and address of the owner and of any agent, in writing. The landlord initials it, and the section that requires it prints beside it.

This row notes no city or county overlay for Ohio; if the property is in a city with its own rental ordinance, check it before signing. The state clauses follow four sections of Ohio law, read on October 23, 2026 and listed in the Statutes row above; the same citations print in the footer of the PDF.

Read the Ohio clauses

The wording below is what prints in the PDF for Ohio, word for word, under the headings Security deposit, Entry, Ending the lease and default, and Disclosures.

Security deposit

Within 30 days after the Tenant moves out and gives a written forwarding address, the Landlord returns the deposit with an itemized statement of any deductions for unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear. When the deposit is larger than one month's rent or $50, whichever is greater, and the Tenant stays six months or longer, the part above that amount earns 5% interest a year, paid to the Tenant each year.

Entry

The Landlord gives reasonable notice before entering, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable, enters at a reasonable time, and needs no notice in an emergency.

Ending the lease and default

Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice. If rent is unpaid or a term is broken, the Landlord gives the written notice Ohio law requires before ending the tenancy, and the Tenant is responsible for rent through the end of the term unless the Premises is re-rented sooner.

Disclosures the Landlord initials

Lead-based paint and hazards, for a building built before 1978, with the EPA pamphlet (42 U.S.C. 4852d)
Name and address of the owner and of any agent, in writing (Ohio Rev. Code 5321.18)

Footer of the PDF: Ohio clauses follow Ohio Rev. Code 5321.16, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.17, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.04(A)(8), Ohio Rev. Code 5321.18 as read on 2026-10-23.

Ohio lease questions

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Ohio?: Ohio statute sets no cap on the deposit, so the amount is whatever the lease says. What Ohio Rev. Code 5321.16 does fix is how and when the deposit comes back.
When does the security deposit come back in Ohio?: Within 30 days after the Tenant moves out and gives a written forwarding address, the Landlord returns the deposit with an itemized statement of any deductions for unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear.
Where does a Ohio landlord keep the deposit?: When the deposit is larger than one month's rent or $50, whichever is greater, and the Tenant stays six months or longer, the part above that amount earns 5% interest a year, paid to the Tenant each year.
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Ohio?: Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice.
How much notice does a Ohio landlord give before entering?: The Landlord gives reasonable notice before entering, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable, enters at a reasonable time, and needs no notice in an emergency.
What does a Ohio landlord have to disclose with the lease?: Beyond the federal lead paint disclosure for a building built before 1978, the Ohio checklist has one item: name and address of the owner and of any agent, in writing. Each one names its statute and the landlord initials it in the document.
Which Ohio statutes does this lease cite?: Ohio Rev. Code 5321.16, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.17, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.04(A)(8) and Ohio Rev. Code 5321.18, read on October 23, 2026. They print in the document footer so a reader can check each clause against the statute in a minute.
Should a lawyer look at this Ohio lease before I use it?: It is a general form, not legal advice, and it does not claim to comply with any law. The clauses state what the Ohio statute requires and name the statute. A lawyer who works with Ohio landlords can tell you whether the form fits your property, your city and the terms you want to add, which is worth the hour before signing a lease for a large rent or a long term.

Who this is for. A Ohio lease is one half of a landlord's paperwork; proving a notice was received is the other. Both are covered at free e-signatures for landlords.

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