Columbus, Ohio Tenant Rights: Pay to Stay and Voucher Protection

Short answer: Columbus tenant rights go well beyond Ohio tenant rights in the Revised Code. Ohio forbids rent control, but Columbus has passed its own rules: you can stop a nonpayment eviction by paying what you owe before judgment, landlords must accept vouchers and third-party payments, larger landlords must let you pay the deposit in installments, and big rent hikes need 60 days’ notice in newer leases.

Columbus City Council has spent the last five years writing tenant rules into Chapters 4509, 4551 and now 4515 of the city code. Meanwhile, state law, amended in 2022, limits what Ohio cities can regulate. So this guide reads the actual ordinances, explains which state rules sit underneath them, and shows where Franklin County eviction cases are heard.

Columbus tenant rights at a glance

Topic	Columbus rule	Source
Rent control	Barred statewide; no local rent control or rent stabilization	R.C. 5321.19
Rent increase notice	Leases after Jan 31, 2025 must require 60 days’ notice of increases over 10%	Ord. 3525-2024
Just cause	No general just-cause rule; pay-to-stay defense for nonpayment cases	Ord. 2109-2023
Security deposit	No cap; itemized return within 30 days; installment option from landlords with 5+ units	R.C. 5321.16
Entry notice	24 hours presumed reasonable	R.C. 5321.04
Eviction court	Franklin County Municipal Court, 375 S. High St.	FCMC
Key local agency	Building and Zoning Services Code Enforcement, via 311	City of Columbus

Why Columbus can’t cap rents

Ohio’s preemption statute is unusually broad. Since its 2022 amendment, R.C. 5321.19 says no political subdivision may enact or enforce any measure that conflicts with the state landlord-tenant chapter or that regulates rights and obligations the chapter covers, “including, without limitation, by any way imposing or requiring rent control or rent stabilization.” Local housing, building, health and safety codes are expressly preserved, and so is rent regulation of housing the city itself owns.

That means there is no ceiling on how much your rent can rise at renewal. What Columbus regulates instead is timing, disclosure, payment methods and the defenses you can raise in eviction court. If a city rule ever seems to conflict with state law, a court decides; the safest course is to raise both.

The city’s tenant ordinances, one by one

60 days’ notice for big increases

Ordinance 3525-2024, passed in December 2024, enacted Section 4551.07. Any written lease entered or renewed after January 31, 2025 must include a clause requiring at least 60 days’ written notice before rent rises by more than 10%. Income-based subsidized tenancies are excluded. The same section requires the lease to spell out every recurring charge, such as parking or late fees, and requires the landlord to apply each payment to rent first. A violation is a first-degree misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,000.

Pay to stay

Council’s stated reason was that Ohio lets landlords evict when rent is a day late or a dollar short. Its answer was Ordinance 2109-2023. If you, or an agency on your behalf, offer all past-due rent plus reasonable late fees before the case is filed, or all of that plus court costs before judgment, and the landlord refuses, your offer is an affirmative defense to an eviction for nonpayment. For this purpose, a monthly late fee can’t exceed the larger of $50 or 10% of the contract rent. The defense doesn’t cover evictions for other reasons.

Third-party payments

Under Ordinance 2108-2023, a landlord can’t refuse rent just because someone other than you, such as a charity, church or relative, is paying it.

Source of income

Ordinance 0494-2021 added Section 4551.03, which bars landlords from refusing to rent, setting different terms or discouraging applicants based on lawful, verifiable income. That includes wages, Social Security, SSI, child support and rent vouchers. That matters for Housing Choice Voucher holders; see how Section 8 works.

Renter’s Choice deposits

Ordinance 0495-2021 created Section 4551.04. A landlord with five or more units who requires a deposit must give written notice of your payment alternatives: paying it in full, or spreading it over at least three or at least six monthly installments due with rent.

Anti-retaliation

As amended by Ordinance 1156-2023, Section 4509.07 forbids eviction threats, rent increases, service cuts or non-renewal in retaliation for a good-faith code complaint or for organizing with other tenants. The city brings these cases and carries the burden of proof. Our landlord retaliation checker walks through the state version.

The new rental registry

In April 2026 the council passed Ordinance 0923-2026, creating Chapter 4515, a Registry of Residential Rental Properties. Initial registration runs October 1 through December 31, 2026, and the registry takes effect for the 2027 calendar year. The fee is $15 per unit, capped at $1,500 per complex. The ordinance pairs registration with education inspections and mandatory inspections for properties with repeated serious violations. Owners of fewer than ten units don’t have to name a local operator.

For tenants, the registry should make it easier to find out who actually owns an LLC-held building. Until it’s live, report conditions through 311; Code Enforcement inspects and cites violations of the city’s Housing Code.

Worked example: catching up before the hearing

Tasha rents a two-bedroom in Linden for $1,100 a month. Her lease sets a $150 late fee. A medical bill puts her a month behind in March, her landlord serves a three-day notice and files.

Late fee math: for the pay-to-stay defense, the fee counted can’t exceed the larger of $50 or 10% of rent. Ten percent of $1,100 is $110, so the defense is built around $1,100 plus $110, not $150.
Before judgment: she gets a commitment from a local charity, which tenders $1,210 plus the court costs. Under Ordinance 2108-2023 the landlord can’t refuse it because a third party is paying.
If the landlord refuses anyway: she raises the tender as an affirmative defense at her hearing, with proof of the offer.
Afterward: when her renewal arrives, any increase over 10% requires 60 days’ notice, since her lease was renewed after January 31, 2025.

Plot the deadlines with our eviction notice timeline, and compare Ohio’s late-fee rules on late fee laws by state.

Reading a Columbus lease line by line

Because of Section 4551.07, a Columbus lease signed or renewed after January 31, 2025 should list every recurring payment you’re expected to make. The ordinance names rent, security deposits, non-refundable move-in fees, last month’s rent, parking fees and late fees as examples. If a charge shows up on your ledger that isn’t described in the lease, ask the landlord to point to the clause.

The payment-order rule is worth knowing too. When you pay, the landlord must apply the money to rent before fees. So if you pay a full month’s rent but dispute a parking or late charge, that payment should cover the rent, and the unpaid fee alone shouldn’t be recorded as unpaid rent. Keep receipts or bank records showing the date and amount of every payment.

Finally, check the increase clause. It must promise at least 60 days’ written notice before any increase of more than 10%. A lease missing that clause doesn’t comply with city code, and the code treats a violation as a first-degree misdemeanor, so a practical first step is to report it through 311 and keep a copy of the lease you were given.

Eviction in Columbus: Franklin County Municipal Court

Columbus evictions are heard in the Franklin County Municipal Court, 375 S. High St., whose main line is (614) 645-8214. The court’s Eviction Court section lists resources for tenants and landlords, including mediation, and its Self Help Center assists people representing themselves in civil cases. The court can’t give legal advice.

Before filing, the landlord must deliver a notice to leave at least three days in advance under R.C. 1923.04, and it must include the statutory warning recommending that you seek legal help. The city has funded legal representation at eviction court: Ordinance 2089-2023 provided up to $1.5 million to the Legal Aid Society of Columbus for its Tenant Advocacy Project.

Put together, the Columbus path looks like this: a three-day notice with the state warning, a filing at the municipal court, then a hearing where you can ask for mediation, raise the city’s pay-to-stay defense if you tendered the full amount, and meet a Tenant Advocacy Project lawyer. Legal Aid describes TAP as “free legal representation to income-eligible tenants,” with its work concentrated “particularly in the City of Columbus” (LASCO). The statewide steps and timelines are in our Ohio eviction process guide.

Columbus local help

Legal Aid (LASCO): serves 36 counties in Southeast and Central Ohio and lists evictions, landlord-tenant disputes and housing discrimination among its housing work. Apply through its online form, which is open at all hours, or at one of its local offices.
Franklin County Municipal Court Self Help Center: help for people representing themselves, plus the Eviction Court’s mediation resources.
Columbus 311: housing code complaints to Building and Zoning Services Code Enforcement, and the place to report a lease missing the 60-day clause.

Ohio tenant rights baseline

Deposit: no cap. Deductions must be itemized and the balance returned within 30 days after the lease ends and you return possession, once you’ve given a forwarding address in writing. A landlord who fails can owe the amount wrongfully withheld again as damages, plus attorney’s fees. Deposits above the greater of $50 or one month’s rent earn 5% interest on the excess if you stay six months or more. See the Ohio security deposit guide.
Repairs and escrow: the landlord must keep the unit fit and habitable. If written notice goes unanswered for a reasonable time or 30 days, whichever is sooner, and your rent is current, R.C. 5321.07 lets you deposit rent with the municipal court clerk or ask the court to order repairs. Draft notice with our repair request letter generator, and see Ohio repair and habitability law for the escrow steps.
Entry: except in emergencies, reasonable notice and reasonable times, with 24 hours presumed reasonable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there rent control in Columbus?

No. R.C. 5321.19 bars Ohio cities from imposing rent control or rent stabilization. Columbus regulates notice instead: increases over 10% need 60 days’ notice in leases signed or renewed after January 31, 2025.

Can I stop an eviction in Columbus by paying what I owe?

In a nonpayment case, yes, if you or someone on your behalf tenders all past-due rent, reasonable late fees and court costs before judgment and the landlord refuses. That refusal becomes your defense.

Do Columbus landlords have to accept Section 8?

Yes. Section 4551.03 bars discrimination based on lawful source of income, including rent vouchers.

Can I pay my security deposit in installments?

If your landlord has five or more units, it must offer installment alternatives of at least three or six monthly payments.

Where are Columbus eviction cases heard?

At the Franklin County Municipal Court, 375 S. High St. Look for the court’s Self Help Center and on-site mediation.

When does the Columbus rental registry start?

Owners register from October 1 through December 31, 2026, for the 2027 registry year.

This page is general information, not legal advice. If you’ve been served with an eviction complaint, apply to Legal Aid (LASCO) right away and go to your hearing at the municipal court with proof of any payment you offered. Compare other cities on tenant rights by city, or find your court through landlord-tenant court near me.

Nearby and related city guides: Cleveland tenant rights, Toledo tenant rights.