Ohio Rev. Code § 5321 § 5321.04

Landlord obligations.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 9/28/2012OhioHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

Ohio Rev. Code § 5321 § 5321.04
(A) A landlord who is a party to a rental agreement shall do all of the following:
(1) Comply with the requirements of all applicable building, housing, health, and safety codes that materially affect health and safety;
(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, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning fixtures and appliances, and elevators, supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord;
(5) When the landlord is a party to any rental agreements that cover four or more dwelling units in the same structure, provide and maintain appropriate receptacles for the removal of ashes, garbage, rubbish, and other waste incidental to the occupancy of a dwelling unit, and arrange for their removal;
(6) Supply running water, reasonable amounts of hot water, and reasonable heat at all times, except where the building that includes the dwelling unit is not required by law to be equipped for that purpose, or the dwelling unit is so constructed that heat or hot water is generated by an installation within the exclusive control of the tenant and supplied by a direct public utility connection;
(7) Not abuse the right of access conferred by division (B) of section 5321.05 of the Revised Code;
(8) Except in the case of emergency or if it is impracticable to do so, give the tenant reasonable notice of the landlord's intent to enter and enter only at reasonable times. Twenty-four hours is presumed to be a reasonable notice in the absence of evidence to the contrary.
(9) Promptly commence an action under Chapter 1923. of the Revised Code, after complying with division (C) of section 5321.17 of the Revised Code, to remove a tenant from particular residential premises, if the tenant fails to vacate the premises within three days after the giving of the notice required by that division and if the landlord has actual knowledge of or has reasonable cause to believe that the tenant, any person in the tenant's household, or any person on the premises with the consent of the tenant previously has or presently is engaged in a violation as described in division (A)(6)(a)(i) of section 1923.02 of the Revised Code, whether or not the tenant or other person has been charged with, has pleaded guilty to or been convicted of, or has been determined to be a delinquent child for an act that, if committed by an adult, would be a violation as described in that division. Such actual knowledge or reasonable cause to believe shall be determined in accordance with that division.
(10) Comply with the rights of tenants under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 117 Stat. 2835, 50 U.S.C. App. 501.
(B) If the landlord makes an entry in violation of division (A)(8) of this section, makes a lawful entry in an unreasonable manner, or makes repeated demands for entry otherwise lawful that have the effect of harassing the tenant, the tenant may recover actual damages resulting from the entry or demands, obtain injunctive relief to prevent the recurrence of the conduct, and obtain a judgment for reasonable attorney's fees, or may terminate the rental agreement.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.04 sets out a comprehensive list of duties that landlords must fulfill as a condition of any rental agreement. These duties include maintaining the physical condition of the property—covering structural fitness, habitability, common areas, and essential systems such as plumbing, heating, and electrical—as well as providing running water, hot water, and heat. The law also governs how and when a landlord may enter a rental unit, requiring reasonable advance notice (with 24 hours presumed reasonable) and prohibiting harassing patterns of entry. Tenants affected by unlawful or harassing entry may seek actual damages, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, or termination of 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 § 5321.04, compliant property operators routinely inspect and repair all essential systems—electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and elevators—and keep common areas clean and safe. Operators managing four or more units in a single structure arrange for adequate waste receptacle service and removal. Before entering an occupied unit for non-emergency purposes, compliant operators provide at least 24 hours' advance notice and schedule entry at reasonable times, avoiding patterns of repeated entry requests that could be characterized as harassment.

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 § 5321.04 establishes your landlord's baseline legal obligations, including maintaining a habitable unit, keeping essential systems in working order, supplying heat and hot water, and providing proper notice before entering your home. If a landlord enters without proper notice, enters in an unreasonable manner, or makes repeated entry demands that feel harassing, the law provides several potential remedies—including recovering actual damages, seeking a court injunction, obtaining attorney's fees, or terminating the rental agreement. Tenants who believe these obligations are not being met may consider contacting a local tenant-rights organization, a legal aid office, or the relevant local housing or health authority to understand available options under § 5321.04.

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
Sep 28, 2012
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.05
Not yet ingested
Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17
Not yet ingested
Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.02
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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