An eviction in Ohio is a court case, called forcible entry and detainer, heard by the municipal or county court where the home is. This guide sets out each step as Ohio law writes it, for tenants and landlords alike.
This is general information from Ohio’s statutes, not legal advice. For your situation, talk with a lawyer or your local legal aid office.
1. Before court: notices
- Before filing an eviction, a landlord must give the tenant written notice to leave at least three days before going to court, delivered by certified mail, in person, or left at the home. (source)
- The notice must say, plainly: "You are being asked to leave the premises. 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." (source)
- Either a landlord or a tenant can end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days’ notice before the rent date, and a week-to-week tenancy with at least seven days’ notice. (source)
2. Only a court can remove a tenant
- Only the courts can remove a tenant: a landlord may not shut off utilities, lock a tenant out or seize their belongings to force them out, and one who does is liable for the tenant’s damages and attorney fees. (source)
3. The court case
- The court’s summons must reach the tenant at least seven days before the hearing. (source)
- The summons tells the tenant that no one may be evicted unless their right to the home has ended, or in retaliation for using their legal rights; that they may ask for a jury; and that they can seek legal help, including legal aid. (source)
- A tenant can raise any defense at the hearing. In a case over unpaid rent, the tenant can also counterclaim for what the landlord owes them, and the court may order rent paid into court while the case goes on. (source)
- If the judge finds the complaint true, the judgment restores the home to the landlord; if not, the case is decided against the landlord. (source)
4. After a judgment
- After a judgment for the landlord, a court officer carries out the eviction order within ten days of receiving it. (source)
Ohio law sets minimums, not a schedule: at least three days’ written notice before a case is filed, a summons served at least seven days before the hearing, and, after a judgment for the landlord, an eviction order carried out within ten days of the court officer receiving it. How long the rest takes depends on the court’s calendar.
Repairs and rent paid to the court
- When a landlord doesn’t make needed repairs within a reasonable time after written notice (30 days at most), a tenant who is current on rent may pay rent to the court clerk instead, ask the court to order the repairs, or end the lease; this doesn’t apply to landlords of three or fewer units who gave written notice of that. (source)
Help and figures
Tenants facing an eviction can find emergency rent and legal help programs in the Miami Valley on our rental assistance page. In Montgomery County, 76 eviction cases were filed for every 1,000 renter households over the 12 months through September 2026; every county’s eviction filings, month by month.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give before filing an eviction in Ohio?
Before filing an eviction, a landlord must give the tenant written notice to leave at least three days before going to court, delivered by certified mail, in person, or left at the home.
What does the 3-day notice have to say?
The notice must say, plainly: "You are being asked to leave the premises. 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."
How much notice ends a month-to-month lease?
Either a landlord or a tenant can end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days’ notice before the rent date, and a week-to-week tenancy with at least seven days’ notice.
How long does an eviction take in Ohio?
Ohio law sets minimums, not a schedule: at least three days’ written notice before a case is filed, a summons served at least seven days before the hearing, and, after a judgment for the landlord, an eviction order carried out within ten days of the court officer receiving it. How long the rest takes depends on the court’s calendar.
Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities?
Only the courts can remove a tenant: a landlord may not shut off utilities, lock a tenant out or seize their belongings to force them out, and one who does is liable for the tenant’s damages and attorney fees.
Can a tenant defend against an eviction?
A tenant can raise any defense at the hearing. In a case over unpaid rent, the tenant can also counterclaim for what the landlord owes them, and the court may order rent paid into court while the case goes on.
Can a tenant pay rent to the court instead of the landlord?
When a landlord doesn’t make needed repairs within a reasonable time after written notice (30 days at most), a tenant who is current on rent may pay rent to the court clerk instead, ask the court to order the repairs, or end the lease; this doesn’t apply to landlords of three or fewer units who gave written notice of that.
Every statement on this page comes from the source linked beside it: the Ohio Revised Code or the official page named, rechecked each week; last checked November 10, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; for your situation, talk with a lawyer or your local legal aid office.
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