Ohio 30-Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy (No-Cause / Month-to-Month)

THIRTY-DAY NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF TENANCY — NO CAUSE — OHIO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Notice Header and Recipient Identification
2. Description of Premises and Tenancy
3. Termination of the Tenancy
4. Demand for Surrender of Possession
5. Reservation of Rights and Reference to 3-Day Notice
6. Move-Out Logistics and Security Deposit
7. Landlord Signature
8. Certificate of Service
9. Ohio Practice Notes
10. Sources and References

1. NOTICE HEADER AND RECIPIENT IDENTIFICATION

TO: [TENANT'S FULL LEGAL NAME], and all other occupants in possession

FROM: [LANDLORD'S FULL LEGAL NAME / PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY]

LANDLORD ADDRESS: [________________________________]

DATE OF NOTICE: [__/__/____]

2. DESCRIPTION OF PREMISES AND TENANCY

You currently hold possession of the following residential premises (the "Premises") under a [☐ written / ☐ oral] [☐ month-to-month / ☐ week-to-week / ☐ other periodic] tenancy:

Street Address: [________________________________]

Unit/Apt. No.: [____________]

City, County, ZIP: [________________________________], [____________] County, Ohio [____________]

Periodic rental date: The [____] day of each [☐ month / ☐ week].

Current periodic rent: $[__________].

3. TERMINATION OF THE TENANCY

Pursuant to Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17[☐ (B) — month-to-month / ☐ (A) — week-to-week], the Landlord hereby terminates your tenancy effective [__/__/____] (the "Termination Date").

The Termination Date is at least:

• ☐ Thirty (30) days after service of this Notice and on or after the next periodic rental date (month-to-month); or
• ☐ Seven (7) days after service of this Notice and on or after the next periodic rental date (week-to-week).

No reason is required to be given for this no-cause termination of a periodic tenancy under Ohio law.

4. DEMAND FOR SURRENDER OF POSSESSION

You are required to vacate the Premises and deliver possession to the Landlord on or before the Termination Date set forth in Section 3. You must:

1. Remove all persons and personal property;
2. Leave the Premises in the condition required by the rental agreement and Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.05 (broom-clean, free of damage beyond ordinary wear and tear);
3. Return all keys, garage remotes, mail keys, and access devices to the Landlord at the address above; and
4. Provide the Landlord with a forwarding address in writing so that the security deposit accounting under R.C. § 5321.16 may be sent within thirty (30) days of move-out.

Rent is owed through the Termination Date and shall be prorated if the Termination Date falls mid-period.

5. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS AND REFERENCE TO 3-DAY NOTICE

If you fail to vacate by the Termination Date, the Landlord will serve a separate THREE-DAY NOTICE TO LEAVE THE PREMISES under Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.04, after which a forcible-entry-and-detainer action may be filed in [____________] Municipal Court / County Court without further notice.

YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO LEAVE THE PREMISES BY THE TERMINATION DATE. IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE, AN EVICTION ACTION MAY BE INITIATED AGAINST YOU. IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT REGARDING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS AS A TENANT, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SEEK LEGAL ASSISTANCE.

The Landlord will not engage in self-help eviction. Under Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.15, locks will not be changed, utilities will not be terminated, and the Landlord will not exclude you from the Premises except through a court order.

The Landlord expressly disclaims any retaliatory or discriminatory motive. This termination is not based on, and is not in response to, any lawful complaint, report to a governmental agency, request for repair, fair-housing-protected status, source of income, or other protected activity.

6. MOVE-OUT LOGISTICS AND SECURITY DEPOSIT

Forwarding address (please provide in writing): [________________________________]

Move-out walk-through requested: ☐ Yes — date/time: [__/__/____] at [____] / ☐ No.

Security deposit accounting: Under R.C. § 5321.16(B), the Landlord must, within thirty (30) days after termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession, deliver to the Tenant an itemized list of any deductions and refund any balance. Failure to comply exposes the Landlord to damages equal to the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorneys' fees.

7. LANDLORD SIGNATURE

Dated: [__/__/____]

Landlord / Authorized Agent:

By: [________________________________]

Print Name: [________________________________]

Title (if agent): [________________________________]

Address: [________________________________]

Telephone: [____________]

Email: [________________________________]

8. CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, certify that I served this Notice of Termination of Tenancy on the Tenant identified above on [__/__/____] at approximately [____] [☐ a.m. / ☐ p.m.] by the following method (check all that apply):

☐ Personal delivery to the Tenant at the Premises.

☐ Leaving a copy with a person of suitable age and discretion residing at the Premises, namely [________________________________].

☐ Posting in a conspicuous place on the Premises (Tenant absent).

☐ Regular U.S. Mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the Tenant at the Premises.

☐ Certified U.S. Mail, return receipt requested, tracking no. [____________].

Signature of Server: [________________________________]

Print Name: [________________________________]

Title / Relationship to Landlord: [________________________________]

9. OHIO PRACTICE NOTES

9.1 Counting the 30 Days

Under R.C. § 5321.17(B), the 30 days is measured "prior to the periodic rental date." A common pattern: rent due 1st of the month; notice served June 15; termination effective August 1 (the next rental date that is at least 30 days from the next rental date, July 1, with 30 days running through July 31). Many practitioners err by setting the termination date 30 days from notice; safer practice is to align with the next-after-30-days periodic rental date.

9.2 No-Cause + 3-Day Notice = Two Notices

A 30-day no-cause notice terminates the tenancy. It does NOT satisfy R.C. § 1923.04. After expiration, serve a separate 3-day Notice to Leave the Premises before filing F.E.D.

9.3 Retaliation Bar (R.C. § 5321.02)

A landlord may not retaliate against a tenant for: (i) complaining to a government agency about code violations; (ii) complaining to the landlord about § 5321.04 violations; or (iii) joining a tenant organization. A no-cause termination served within a short window after such activity creates a presumption-like risk. Document a legitimate, non-retaliatory rationale (sale of property, owner move-in, redevelopment, etc.) in the file (not in the notice itself).

9.4 Fair Housing — State and Federal

Ohio Civil Rights Act (R.C. § 4112.02) prohibits discrimination in housing on race, color, religion, sex, military status, familial status, ancestry, disability, national origin, or marital status. Federal FHA (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619) overlaps and adds additional federal remedies. Some Ohio cities (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Akron) prohibit source-of-income discrimination — meaning a landlord may not terminate solely to avoid Section 8 vouchers in those jurisdictions.

9.5 CARES Act (15 U.S.C. § 9058)

For "covered dwellings" — federally backed mortgages, LIHTC, project-based Section 8, HCV, USDA — the landlord must provide at least 30 days' notice to vacate. The 30-day no-cause Ohio notice generally satisfies this, but the notice must clearly be a "notice to vacate" and must run a full 30 days.

9.6 Subsidized Tenancies Require Good Cause

Public housing, project-based Section 8, HCV, and LIHTC tenants generally cannot be terminated without good cause. A no-cause notice will fail. Use a different cause-based notice complying with 24 C.F.R. Part 247, Part 966, or Part 982 as applicable.

9.7 Local Just-Cause and Right-to-Counsel Initiatives

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Columbus have evolving tenant-protection ordinances. Some impose just-cause-style requirements, source-of-income protections, or right-to-counsel for low-income tenants. Verify current local law before serving a no-cause notice.

9.8 Owner Move-In and Sale Cases

While Ohio does not require a stated reason, documenting a legitimate purpose (sale, owner occupancy, substantial rehab) protects against retaliation defenses.

10. SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17 — Termination of Tenancy: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-5321.17
• Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.02 — Persons Subject to F.E.D.: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1923.02
• Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.04 — Notice; Service: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1923.04
• Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.02 — Retaliatory Action by Landlord Prohibited: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-5321.02
• Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16 — Procedures for Security Deposits: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-5321.16
• Ohio Rev. Code § 4112.02 — Unlawful Discriminatory Practices: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4112.02
• 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619 — Fair Housing Act: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-45
• 15 U.S.C. § 9058 — CARES Act 30-Day Notice: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/9058
• 24 C.F.R. Part 247 — HUD Subsidized Housing: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/part-247
• Ohio Legal Help — Termination of Tenancy: https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/eviction