Ohio’s deposit law sets a 30 day deadline, requires an itemized notice, pays interest in some cases, and doubles the amount owed when a landlord wrongfully keeps money. Columbus adds the right to pay a deposit in installments. Across the Columbus metro area, about 334,200 of 864,700 occupied homes, or 38.7 percent, are rented, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey (Homzora Columbus dataset, Table B25003). The median gross rent is $1,274 a month (Homzora Columbus dataset, Table B25064), and the median renter household earns $52,588 a year (Homzora Columbus dataset, Table B25119), so the median rent equals about 29 percent of the median renter household’s gross income.
Homzora is a housing research publisher, not a law firm. This article explains the law in plain English and is not legal advice for your situation.
Quick answers
- Deadline: 30 days after the lease ends and you deliver possession (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
- Itemized notice: required for every deduction (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
- Interest: 5 percent a year on the amount above the greater of $50 or one month’s rent, if you stay six months or more (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
- Penalty: the amount wrongfully withheld plus an equal amount in damages and attorney fees (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
How much a landlord can charge
Ohio’s deposit statute sets no maximum deposit (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16). In Columbus, a 2021 ordinance gives tenants the option of paying the deposit in installments instead of a lump sum (City of Columbus, Housing For All). At the metro median gross rent of $1,274, a one month deposit would be $1,274.
The 30 day rule
The landlord may apply the deposit to past due rent and to damages caused by the tenant’s failure to meet the tenant’s obligations. Any deduction must be itemized in a written notice delivered, together with any balance, within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and you deliver possession (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
Give a forwarding address
You must give the landlord your forwarding or new address in writing. Without it, you lose the damages and attorney fee remedies (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
Interest on larger deposits
If the deposit is more than the greater of $50 or one month’s rent, and you stay six months or more, the landlord must pay 5 percent annual interest on the excess, computed and paid annually (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
Penalties
If the landlord fails to comply, you may recover the money wrongfully withheld plus damages equal to that amount, and reasonable attorney fees (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
A worked example
Suppose you paid $1,274, moved out May 31, and delivered your forwarding address in writing. By June 30, the landlord must send any balance and an itemized notice (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16). If $500 is wrongfully withheld, you could recover the $500 plus another $500 in damages, plus attorney fees (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
A sample demand letter
Date: 2026. To: [landlord]. Re: Deposit for [address]. My tenancy ended and I delivered possession on 2026, and I gave you my forwarding address in writing on 2026. Under Ohio Revised Code section 5321.16, you were required to return my deposit with an itemized notice of any deductions within 30 days. [I have received neither.] [I dispute these deductions: (list).] Please send [amount] to [address] by 2026. Sincerely, [name].
Columbus ordinances to know
- Deposit installments: a 2021 ordinance lets tenants pay a security deposit in installments rather than a lump sum (City of Columbus, Housing For All).
- Receipts: landlords must provide written receipts for rent and deposit payments (City of Columbus, Housing For All).
- Source of income: landlords may not refuse tenants based on lawful income such as wages, Social Security, public assistance, or rent vouchers (City of Columbus, Housing For All).
- Pay to Stay: tendering all past due rent with reasonable late fees is an affirmative defense to an eviction for nonpayment (Columbus Ordinance 2109-2023 (Pay to Stay)).
- Third party payments: landlords may not refuse rent solely because someone other than the tenant pays it (Columbus Ordinance 2108-2023 (third party payments)).
Ohio law also bars local rules that regulate the rights and obligations of parties to a rental agreement, with listed exceptions (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19). Ask legal aid how a city ordinance applies to your situation.
Key terms
- Itemized notice: the written list of deductions due within 30 days.
- Excess deposit: the portion above the greater of $50 or one month’s rent, which can earn interest (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
- Delivery of possession: returning the unit and keys.
- Installments: payments spread over months, allowed in Columbus.
Build your evidence file
Landlord and tenant disputes are usually decided by documents. Keep these together from the day you sign:
- The signed lease, every addendum, and every renewal.
- Receipts or bank records for the deposit and each rent payment.
- Dated photos and video of every room at move in and move out.
- Copies of every repair request and the landlord’s replies.
- Every notice you send or receive, with proof of delivery.
Keep copies somewhere other than your phone, such as an email to yourself, so they survive a lost device.
Before you sign your next lease
- Ask who owns and who manages the property, and get contact details in writing.
- Read the clauses on early termination, subletting, renewal, late fees, and notice before you sign.
- Confirm the deposit amount, where it will be held, and how it will be returned.
- Walk through the unit, note existing damage in writing, and keep a signed copy.
- Ask how much notice the landlord gives before a rent increase or a non renewal.
Help in Columbus
The Legal Aid Society of Columbus serves Columbus and Central Ohio, with intake at 614.241.2001 (Legal Aid Society of Columbus). Rent, income, and tenure figures in this guide are free to download from the Homzora Columbus data library.
Questions to ask at move in
- Where will my deposit be held, and will I receive that information in writing?
- Is there a move in condition checklist, and can I add items to it?
- What cleaning standard does the lease require at move out?
- How and where will the refund be sent?
- Who should I contact about the deposit if the building is sold?
Ask these before you pay. Answers in writing are far more useful than a conversation in the leasing office.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping move in photos. Photos are usually the deciding evidence on what damage existed before you.
- Leaving without a final walkthrough. Attend any inspection offered, or ask for one.
- Not giving a forwarding address in writing. It is the simplest way to make sure the refund reaches you.
- Letting deadlines pass. Send a written demand promptly once the refund deadline has passed.
How to document the unit
- Take a slow video of each room, narrating what you see, on move in day and move out day.
- Photograph appliances inside and out, including the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher.
- Photograph floors in good light, close enough to show scratches or stains.
- Photograph windows, blinds, doors, and closet interiors.
- Email the files to yourself so the timestamps are preserved in your inbox.
If you and your landlord disagree
- Ask for the itemized statement and any receipts or estimates in writing.
- Compare each charge with your move in and move out photos.
- Reply in writing, item by item, explaining which charges you accept and which you dispute.
- Propose a specific amount to settle the dispute.
- If that fails, consider small claims court, which is designed for people representing themselves.
Roommates and shared deposits
When several people share one lease and one deposit, the landlord usually refunds a single amount for the unit. Agree in writing with your roommates, before anyone moves out, who will receive the refund and how it will be divided, and who is responsible for any damage. A short written agreement prevents most disputes between roommates.
A move out plan
- Reread your lease for move out notice and cleaning terms.
- Give written notice on time and keep proof of delivery.
- Repair anything you damaged and clean thoroughly, including appliances.
- Ask for a walkthrough, or attend one if offered.
- Photograph and video every room once it is empty.
- Return every key and get a written receipt.
- Give your forwarding address in writing.
- Mark the legal refund deadline on your calendar.
Frequently asked questions
How long does my Columbus landlord have?
Thirty days after the lease ends and you deliver possession (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
Do I earn interest?
Only on the amount above the greater of $50 or one month’s rent, if you stay at least six months (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16).
What if I forget my forwarding address?
You can lose the damages and attorney fee remedies (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16). Send it in writing now.
Sources
- Homzora Columbus dataset, Table B25003
- Homzora Columbus dataset, Table B25064
- Homzora Columbus dataset, Table B25119
- Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16
- City of Columbus, Housing For All
- Columbus Ordinance 2109-2023 (Pay to Stay)
- Columbus Ordinance 2108-2023 (third party payments)
- Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19
- Legal Aid Society of Columbus
- Homzora Columbus data library