Ohio Rev. Code § 4781 § 4781.38

Obligations of park operator.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 1/21/2018OhioHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

Ohio Rev. Code § 4781 § 4781.38
(A) A park operator who is a party to a rental agreement shall:
(1) Comply with the requirements of all applicable building, housing, health, and safety codes which materially affect health and safety, and comply with rules of the division of industrial compliance;
(2) Make all repairs and do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition;
(3) Keep all common areas of the premises in a safe and sanitary condition;
(4) Maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical and plumbing fixtures and appliances, and septic systems, sanitary and storm sewers, refuse receptacles, and well and water systems that are supplied or required to be supplied by the park operator;
(5) Not abuse the right of access conferred by division (B) of section 4781.39 of the Revised Code;
(6) Except in the case of emergency or if it is impracticable to do so, give the resident reasonable notice of the park operator's intent to enter onto the residential premises and enter only at reasonable times. Twenty-four hours' notice shall be presumed to be a reasonable notice in the absence of evidence to the contrary.
(B) If the park operator violates any provision of this section, makes a lawful entry onto the residential premises in an unreasonable manner, or makes repeated demands for entry otherwise lawful which demands have the effect of harassing the resident, the resident may recover actual damages resulting from the violation, entry, or demands and injunctive relief to prevent the recurrence of the conduct, and if the resident obtains a judgment, reasonable attorneys' fees, or terminate the rental agreement.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Ohio Rev. Code § 4781.38 sets out the baseline obligations that manufactured home park operators owe to residents under a rental agreement. These obligations include maintaining habitable conditions, keeping common areas safe and sanitary, ensuring that electrical, plumbing, and water systems remain in working order, and providing reasonable advance notice—generally 24 hours—before entering a resident's premises. When a park operator fails to meet these duties, or harasses a resident through repeated entry demands, the law provides residents with remedies including actual damages, injunctive relief, and potentially attorney's fees, or the right to terminate the rental agreement.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 9, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Ohio Rev. Code § 4781.38, compliant park operators routinely document their efforts to meet all applicable building, housing, health, and safety codes, and keep records of repairs made to common areas and shared systems such as plumbing, electrical fixtures, and water systems. Operators generally provide written notice of intent to enter a resident's lot at least 24 hours in advance, except in genuine emergencies, and avoid patterns of entry requests that could be characterized as harassment. Maintaining clear maintenance logs and entry-notice records helps demonstrate ongoing compliance with the obligations enumerated in this section.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Ohio Rev. Code § 4781.38 gives manufactured home park residents enforceable rights when a park operator fails to maintain habitable conditions, neglects common areas or shared systems, or enters the premises without reasonable notice. If a park operator violates any of the duties listed in this section—or repeatedly demands entry in a way that amounts to harassment—residents may be entitled to recover actual damages, seek a court order to stop the conduct, and potentially recover attorney's fees, or choose to terminate the rental agreement. Residents who believe their park operator has violated § 4781.38 may wish to document the conditions or incidents in writing and explore options through a local tenant-rights organization or Ohio's legal aid services.

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

Current
Jan 21, 2018
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Ohio Rev. Code § 4781.39
Not yet ingested

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 244.260
Compliance required
§ 14.567
ADOPTED BY REFERENCE
§ 244.340
Sewer and water connections

Source Information

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Fetched:Oct 8, 2026, 02:08 PM UTC