Ohio Rev. Code § 4112 § 4112.056
Refer housing discrimination claim to attorney general.
Operative Text
Whenever the Ohio civil rights commission has reasonable cause to believe that any person or persons are engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to a person or persons' full enjoyment of the rights granted by division (H) of section 4112.02 of the Revised Code, or that any group of persons has been denied any of the rights granted by that division and the denial raises an issue of public importance, the commission may refer the matter to the attorney general for commencement of a civil action in a court of common pleas. The attorney general may seek any preventive relief considered necessary to ensure the full enjoyment of the rights granted by that division, including a permanent or temporary injunction or temporary restraining order.
Ohio Rev. Code § 4112.056 establishes a pathway for escalating serious fair-housing concerns beyond individual complaint resolution. When the Ohio Civil Rights Commission identifies reasonable cause to believe that a pattern or practice of housing discrimination is occurring, or that a denial of fair-housing rights affects a matter of public importance, it may refer the matter to the state Attorney General. The Attorney General is then authorized to pursue civil action in a court of common pleas and may seek preventive relief—including injunctions or restraining orders—to protect the fair-housing rights set out in § 4112.02(H).
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 4112.056, housing operators should be aware that discriminatory conduct affecting multiple people or raising broad public concern can trigger state-level civil enforcement that goes beyond individual complaints. A compliant operator generally maintains consistent, documented, non-discriminatory policies across all properties and transactions to avoid patterns of conduct that could draw the Ohio Civil Rights Commission's attention. When the Commission identifies a systemic pattern, it can escalate the matter to the Attorney General, who has authority to seek court-ordered relief that may affect an operator's entire portfolio of properties.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 4112.056 of the Ohio Revised Code provides an important protection for tenants who believe they have experienced housing discrimination that is part of a broader pattern or a matter of public importance. Tenants can file a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which has the authority to investigate and, if it finds reasonable cause of systemic discrimination, refer the matter to the Attorney General for civil action. Tenants who believe their fair-housing rights under § 4112.02(H) have been violated may also wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to understand the full range of available enforcement paths.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
Rules and statutes cited by this regulation
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.