Ohio Rev. Code § 4781 § 4781.47
Rental agreement terms.
Operative Text
(A) No provision of sections 4781.36 to 4781.52 of the Revised Code may be modified or waived by any oral or written agreement except as provided in division (F) of this section. (B) No warrant of attorney to confess judgment shall be recognized in any rental agreement or in any other agreement between a park operator and resident for the recovery of rent or damages to the residential premises. (C) No agreement to pay the park operator's or resident's attorney fees shall be recognized in any rental agreement for residential premises or in any other agreement between a park operator and resident. (D) No agreement by a resident to the exculpation or limitation of any liability of the park operator arising under law or to indemnify the park operator for that liability or its related costs shall be recognized in any rental agreement or in any other agreement between a park operator and resident. (E) A rental agreement, or the assignment, conveyance, trust deed, or security instrument of the park operator's interest in the rental agreement may not permit the receipt of rent free of the obligation to comply with section 4781.38 of the Revised Code. (F) The park operator may agree to assume responsibility for fulfilling any duty or obligation imposed on a resident by section 4781.39 of the Revised Code.
Ohio Rev. Code § 4781.47 establishes a set of non-waivable protections governing manufactured home park rental agreements. Neither park operators nor residents can use a contract—oral or written—to strip away the statutory rights and duties set out in §§ 4781.36–4781.52, with one narrow exception: an operator may voluntarily take on duties that the law otherwise places on residents. The provision also voids any clause that would require a resident to confess judgment, pay the other party's attorney fees, or release the operator from legal liability. Rent obligations remain tied to the operator's duty to maintain the premises regardless of how the rental agreement or any related financial instrument is structured.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ohio Rev. Code § 4781.47, park operators should understand that certain lease clauses are unenforceable as a matter of law, no matter how they are worded or whether a resident signs them. Compliant operators generally avoid including confession-of-judgment clauses, attorney-fee-shifting provisions, and liability waivers or indemnification requirements in their lease documents or any side agreements. The one affirmative option the statute preserves is the ability for an operator to contractually assume resident duties listed in § 4781.39, which can be documented in the rental agreement.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ohio Rev. Code § 4781.47 means that certain lease terms a park operator might include—such as clauses requiring you to waive the operator's liability, pay the operator's attorney fees, or confess judgment—are not legally enforceable against you. If a rental agreement contains such provisions, a tenant may be able to raise their invalidity as a defense in a legal proceeding or bring the matter to the attention of a tenant-rights organization familiar with Ohio manufactured housing law. Because the statute also ties rent collection to the operator's maintenance obligations under § 4781.38, residents may have grounds to challenge rent demands when those obligations are not met, and consulting a legal aid organization can help clarify available options.
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.
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