Ohio Rental Fees: Applications, Deposits & Move-Out

An Ohio application-fee example

Parkwood HQ in Columbus publishes a $50 application-processing fee and a deposit equal to one month's rent. This is one property's stated price, not an Ohio average or a legal ceiling. Confirm the current fee, whether it applies to each applicant and what happens if you withdraw.

Ask whether a holding payment is being collected at the same time. Screening money pays for reviewing an application; a payment intended to reserve a home needs its own written terms. The word “application” on a receipt does not explain every payment attached to the process.

No general statewide deposit cap

The City of Springfield's security-deposit guidance explains that Ohio does not impose a general dollar ceiling. A one-month deposit is therefore a property offer, not a universal maximum. Check any local or subsidized-program requirements separately.

Ohio Revised Code 5321.16 requires 5% annual interest on the portion exceeding $50 or one month's rent, whichever is greater, when the tenant stays at least six months. The calculation applies to the excess, not automatically the whole deposit.

This illustrates the statutory arithmetic; it is not Parkwood's deposit quote. Keep the deposit receipt and tenancy dates so the actual amount can be checked.

Return and deductions within 30 days

Section 5321.16 requires the balance and a written itemization of deductions within 30 days after the agreement terminates and possession is returned. Deductions can cover past-due rent and damages from failure to meet the agreement or tenant duties. Give the landlord your new or forwarding address in writing; omitting it affects the statute's damages and attorney-fee remedy.

Before returning the keys

Check how your lease ends and whether advance notice is required. A moving-truck date, key-return date and tenancy end date can be different. Ask for written confirmation if the landlord agrees to an early end.

• Compare move-out photos with the original condition report.
• Record which keys, fobs and parking permits were returned.
• Keep the written forwarding address and proof it was sent.
• Ask for the basis of each deduction rather than accepting an unexplained total.

Use the move-out fee checklist to organize the final bill. A local legal-aid service can help assess a disputed charge or the date a deadline started.