Ohio Eviction Notice Templates
3-day pay-or-quit · 3-day cure-or-quit · 30-day / 60-day no-fault, under ORC § 5321 (Landlords and Tenants)
3-day pay-or-quit · 3-day cure-or-quit · 30-day / 60-day no-fault, under ORC § 5321 (Landlords and Tenants)
Eviction notices in Ohio must comply with precise statutory requirements, including the correct notice period, required content, and proper service method. A notice with a missing element, incorrect amount, or improper service is void, requiring the landlord to restart the process. Use these state-specific templates as a starting point and verify all requirements against current Ohio law before serving.
| Notice Type | Days | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | 3 | ORC § 1923.04 | 3 days written notice. Must contain the statutorily required language: "You are being asked to leave the premises..." Missing the required language is the most common reason Ohio cases get dismissed. |
| Material lease violation | 3 | ORC § 1923.04 | 3 days written notice with the same statutorily required language. The lease may specify a longer period; the lease controls if longer than 3 days. |
| Holdover, month-to-month | 30 | ORC § 5321.17 | 30 days written notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy. No cause required statewide; Cincinnati requires just-cause for non-renewal of 12+ month tenancies. |
| End of fixed-term lease | 0 | ORC § 1923.02 | No notice required if the lease has a fixed end date and the tenant holds over. Cincinnati just-cause overlay may apply for 12+ month tenancies. |
Use when rent is past due. The tenant has 3 days (excluding the day of service) to pay in full or vacate. Do not accept partial payment after serving without written documentation of your intent to reserve rights.
⬇ Download this notice as a fill-in PDF
Use when a tenant has violated a specific lease term (unauthorized pet, occupant, nuisance, etc.). Cite the exact lease clause violated. The tenant has 3 days to cure or vacate.
⬇ Download this notice as a fill-in PDF
Use for no-fault termination of a month-to-month tenancy. Ohio requires 30 days for tenancies under one year and 60 days for tenancies of one year or more.
⬇ Download this notice as a fill-in PDF
Always document service in writing: date, time, method, and who received it. Use a process server for contested evictions. Email service is not valid in Ohio unless the tenant has separately agreed in writing.
Every residential eviction in Ohio starts with the notice governed by Ohio Revised Code § 1923.04 (Forcible Entry and Detainer, effective October 18, 2007, per House Bill 56). The statute requires the landlord to notify the tenant to leave the premises three or more days before filing the eviction action.
The exact language your notice must contain. Section 1923.04(A) requires every residential notice to include the following, printed or written in a conspicuous manner:
"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."
Omitting or burying this language is the single most common reason Ohio courts dismiss an eviction filing at the first hearing, the case restarts from day one with a corrected notice.
Service: three legal methods. Under § 1923.04(A) the notice may be delivered by (1) certified mail, return receipt requested; (2) handing a written copy to the tenant in person; or (3) leaving it at the tenant's usual place of abode or at the premises. Posting on the door counts as leaving it at the premises; regular first-class mail alone does not satisfy the statute.
Counting the three days. The statute says "three or more days before beginning the action", most Ohio courts exclude the day of service, and filing on day three invites a dismissal motion. The safe practice is to serve, wait three full days, then file on the following court day.
What happens after the notice. If the tenant has not left, the landlord files the forcible entry and detainer complaint in municipal or county court. Uncontested Ohio evictions typically move to a first hearing within weeks, and if judgment enters, the court schedules the physical set-out (the bailiff-supervised removal Ohio landlords colloquially call the "red tag" step in some counties). A tenant seeking more time can ask the court for a continuance; Ohio has no general statutory hardship-extension right, so any extension is at the court's discretion.
Two special cases baked into the statute. Service under R.C. § 5313.06 (land-installment contracts) or R.C. § 5321.17(C) satisfies the § 1923.04 notice requirement, and § 1923.04(C) sets special mailing rules when the person being evicted is a deceased manufactured-home-park resident.
Informational only, not legal advice. Consult a licensed Ohio attorney before serving. Source attribution in the Sources band below.