Ohio Rev. Code § 5321 § 5321.051
Eviction of tenant allowing sex or child victim offenders to occupy premises near school, child care facility.
Operative Text
(A)(1) No tenant of any residential premises located within one thousand feet of any school premises, preschool or child care center premises, children's crisis care facility premises, or residential infant care center premises shall allow any person to occupy those residential premises if both of the following apply regarding the person: (a) The person's name appears on the state registry of sex offenders and child-victim offenders maintained under section 2950.13 of the Revised Code. (b) The state registry of sex offenders and child-victim offenders indicates that the person was convicted of or pleaded guilty to either a sexually oriented offense that is not a registration-exempt sexually oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense in a criminal prosecution and was not sentenced to a serious youthful offender dispositional sentence for that offense. (2) If a tenant allows occupancy in violation of this section or a person establishes a residence or occupies residential premises in violation of section 2950.034 of the Revised Code, the landlord for the residential premises that are the subject of the rental agreement or other tenancy may terminate the rental agreement or other tenancy of the tenant and all other occupants. (B) If a landlord is authorized to terminate a rental agreement or other tenancy pursuant to division (A) of this section but does not so terminate the rental agreement or other tenancy, the landlord is not liable in a tort or other civil action in damages for any injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly results from that decision. (C) As used in this section, "children's crisis care facility premises" and "residential infant care center premises" have the same meanings as in section 2950.034 of the Revised Code.
Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.051 prohibits tenants living within 1,000 feet of a school, preschool, child care center, children's crisis care facility, or residential infant care center from allowing certain registered sex offenders or child-victim offenders to occupy their home. Specifically, the restriction applies to individuals listed on Ohio's state registry who were convicted of a qualifying sexually oriented offense or child-victim oriented offense and were not sentenced under a serious youthful offender dispositional sentence. When a tenant violates this rule, the landlord is permitted—but not required—to terminate the tenancy for the tenant and all other occupants. A landlord who chooses not to terminate despite being authorized to do so is shielded from civil liability for that decision under this section.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.051, landlords whose properties sit within 1,000 feet of a covered facility (such as a school or child care center) have the option to terminate a tenancy when a tenant allows a qualifying registered offender to occupy the unit. Compliant operators generally stay familiar with the proximity of their properties to covered facilities and monitor whether tenancy situations trigger the conditions described in § 5321.051(A). The statute also provides that a landlord who is authorized to terminate but elects not to do so is not exposed to civil tort liability solely on account of that decision, offering a degree of protection for operators who exercise discretion.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.051 places a direct obligation on tenants—not just landlords—when the rental property is within 1,000 feet of a school, preschool, or similar child-serving facility: tenants are prohibited from allowing certain individuals on Ohio's sex offender and child-victim offender registry to live in the unit. A violation of this rule can give the landlord grounds to terminate the rental agreement for the tenant and all other occupants of the premises. Tenants who have questions about whether a specific person's registry status triggers this provision, or who believe a termination notice may be improper, may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service familiar with Ohio landlord-tenant law.
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.