Residential Lease Addenda - Mold Disclosure - Ohio

OHIO RESIDENTIAL LEASE ADDENDUM

MOLD AND MOISTURE CONDITION RECORD

This Addendum is attached to the residential lease dated [__/__/____] (the “Lease”) between [LANDLORD NAME] (“Landlord”) and [TENANT NAME(S)] (“Tenant”) for the premises at [PROPERTY ADDRESS, UNIT, CITY, OHIO, ZIP] (the “Premises”).

This Addendum records observed conditions, agreed reporting methods, access arrangements, and response steps. It does not establish the cause of a condition or predetermine responsibility, habitability, damages, or any legal remedy.

1. Initial Condition Record

Inspection date: [__/__/____]

Persons present: [NAMES AND ROLES]

Landlord and Tenant record the following as of the inspection date:

• ☐ No visible mold-like growth, active water intrusion, or unresolved moisture staining was observed in the areas inspected.
• ☐ A condition was observed and is described below.
• ☐ An area was not accessible or was not inspected and is identified below.
• ☐ A prior water or moisture event was disclosed and is identified below.

Known prior water or moisture event, including date and response taken: [NONE KNOWN / DESCRIPTION]

The entries above are observations, not laboratory findings or admissions about source, toxicity, fault, or legal effect.

2. Attached Materials

• ☐ Move-in inspection report
• ☐ Photographs or video identified by date
• ☐ Repair invoice or work order
• ☐ Moisture assessment or consultant report
• ☐ Laboratory report
• ☐ Other: [DESCRIPTION]
• ☐ No materials attached

An attached report speaks only for its author and the conditions, locations, methods, and date stated in that report.

3. Tenant Reporting Agreement

Tenant agrees to report promptly after observing any of the following at the Premises:

• active leaking, flooding, plumbing overflow, or water intrusion;
• persistent condensation or unusual dampness;
• visible mold-like growth or a persistent musty odor; or
• failure of installed ventilation, plumbing, heating, or cooling equipment that may contribute to moisture accumulation.

Reports under this Addendum should include the location, date first observed, available photographs, and whether immediate property protection appears necessary. Tenant is not required to characterize the species, toxicity, or cause of suspected growth.

4. Contractual Reporting Channels

Primary Landlord contact: [NAME / ROLE]

Telephone: [NUMBER]

Email: [EMAIL]

Physical or mailing address: [ADDRESS]

After-hours or emergency contact: [NAME / NUMBER / METHOD]

Tenant may use the following agreed methods for routine reports:

• ☐ Email
• ☐ Property-management portal
• ☐ Hand delivery
• ☐ Mail
• ☐ Text message to [NUMBER]
• ☐ Other: [METHOD]

A report under this Addendum is a contractual condition report. The parties should not assume that a selected delivery method satisfies any separate notice requirement applicable to a particular statutory or court remedy.

5. Reasonable Moisture-Prevention Practices

Subject to the Lease, the Premises’ design, installed equipment, and applicable law, Tenant agrees to use reasonable practices such as:

• using installed kitchen and bathroom exhaust systems during moisture-producing activities;
• avoiding obstruction of supply and return vents;
• cleaning and drying ordinary spills promptly;
• keeping personal property far enough from visibly damp surfaces to permit inspection and drying; and
• promptly reporting conditions that Tenant cannot safely or reasonably correct through ordinary housekeeping.

Nothing in this section requires Tenant to perform structural, plumbing, roofing, HVAC, demolition, or mold-remediation work.

6. Landlord Response Record

After receiving a report, Landlord will document a response appropriate to the reported condition. The response may include inspection, moisture-source investigation, repair, drying, cleaning, professional assessment, or a written explanation that no action is presently proposed.

Target contact date, if agreed: [__/__/____ / NOT SPECIFIED]

Target inspection date, if agreed: [__/__/____ / NOT SPECIFIED]

Target work date, if known: [__/__/____ / TO BE DETERMINED]

These target dates are contractual planning entries. They do not replace any time standard imposed by applicable law, and a blank entry does not waive any party’s rights or duties.

7. Access Coordination

Tenant agrees to coordinate reasonable access for inspection or work, subject to the Lease and applicable law. The parties may record proposed access windows here:

1. [DATE / TIME RANGE]
2. [DATE / TIME RANGE]
3. [DATE / TIME RANGE]

Access contact and method: [NAME / PHONE / EMAIL]

Any consent recorded here applies only to the stated date, time, purpose, and persons unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

8. Contractor and Testing Decisions

If assessment or remediation is considered, the parties should identify the scope rather than relying on a fixed area, humidity percentage, or test result without context.

• ☐ No professional assessment is presently planned.
• ☐ Landlord will obtain an assessment from [PROVIDER / QUALIFICATIONS].
• ☐ Tenant requests permission for an independent assessment at Tenant’s expense, subject to agreed access and non-destructive methods.
• ☐ Destructive sampling or opening of building materials requires separate written authorization.

Authorized scope, methods, areas, and restoration responsibility: [DESCRIPTION]

9. Temporary Arrangements, If Needed

No relocation, rent adjustment, property-disposal authorization, or expense allocation is created unless separately recorded below and signed by the affected parties.

Temporary arrangement: [NONE / DESCRIPTION]

Start and end dates: [DATES]

Payment or reimbursement terms: [TERMS]

Personal-property handling instructions: [TERMS]

10. Preservation of Rights and Duties

Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.04(A)(2) requires a residential landlord to make repairs and do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition. This Addendum supplements the Lease’s factual record and communication process; it does not waive, limit, expand, or predetermine any nonwaivable right, duty, defense, notice requirement, or remedy under applicable law.

No observation, report, inspection opportunity, delay, signature, or failure to obtain testing constitutes an advance release of a claim or an admission of causation or responsibility.

11. Addendum Administration

If this Addendum conflicts with a nonwaivable legal requirement, the legal requirement controls. Otherwise, the Lease remains in effect. Changes to this Addendum should be dated and signed by Landlord and Tenant.

12. Signatures

By signing, each party acknowledges receipt of this Addendum and any attachments identified in Section 2. A signature does not certify a condition that the signer did not observe and does not waive any right or duty.

Sources and References

• Ohio Legislative Service Commission, H.B. 173 Bill Analysis, As Reported by Senate Public Utilities (June 10, 2026), p. 19 (describing continuing R.C. 5321.04 landlord repair and fit-and-habitable duties).