Portage County, Ohio Eviction Risk: Low

Portage County, Ohio eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 2.7/10 (Moderate) across 17 cities, placing it at rank 21 of 88 Ohio eviction laws counties, meaning 20 counties are riskier and 67 are more landlord-friendly. That mid-pack position masks real variation: individual cities range from 3.4 to 5.3, so where you own property inside the county matters as much as the county average itself. With an average rent of $1,217 and a rent-burden rate of 34.3%, a meaningful share of tenants are stretching their budgets, which raises collection risk even in years without broader economic stress.

About 39.9% of residents rent rather than own, a renter share that sustains demand but also means a larger pool of financially marginal tenancies. At a poverty rate of 14.3%, operators should underwrite conservatively and maintain reserves for vacancy and legal costs. Ohio state law sets the framework, but local market conditions inside Portage County push risk well above what statutes alone would suggest.

The cities inside Portage County

The highest-risk community is Windham, scoring 5.3/10, followed closely by Mantua at 5.1/10. Streetsboro (population 17,661) and Ravenna (population 11,274) both score 5/10, making them the largest high-risk markets in the county. Brady Lake comes in at 4.5/10, while Garrettsville scores 4.4/10. These communities share elevated poverty and rent-burden indicators that translate directly to higher eviction filing rates.

On the lower-risk end, Aurora (population 17,581) scores 3.6/10, tied with Hiram at 3.6/10. Kent, the county's largest city at a population of 27,116, scores 4/10, reflecting the stabilizing effect of its university population even while some neighborhoods carry above-average risk. The spread from 3.4 to 5.3 across 17 cities underscores that eviction risk in Portage County is hyper-local: two properties a few miles apart can face meaningfully different operating environments.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Portage County operates under ORC § 5321 (Landlords and Tenants). For nonpayment of rent or a material lease violation, Ohio eviction laws law requires only a 3-day notice before filing. Holdover month-to-month tenants require a 30-day notice, and no notice at all is required when a fixed-term lease simply expires. Once you file, an uncontested eviction runs 21 to 45 days; a contested case can stretch to 45 to 120 days. Understanding the Ohio eviction laws eviction process before a problem tenant arises is critical, because those timelines drive real carrying costs. Court filing fees run $160 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $50 to $175, and attorney fees range from $500 to $3,000 depending on complexity. For a full breakdown of what you will actually spend, review Ohio eviction costs before underwriting a deal in this market.

Ohio eviction laws does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and state law preempts local rent-control ordinances, so no municipality inside Portage County can impose rent caps. Source-of-income is not a protected class under state fair housing law, though federal protections remain in force. Entry requires a minimum 24-hour notice. Ohio security deposit limits and Ohio tenant protections are governed at the state level, providing a consistent baseline across all 17 cities in the county.

With a poverty rate of 14.3% and nearly 40% of residents renting, conditions in Portage County warrant careful city-level due diligence, the grid above breaks down every community's score so you can target the markets that fit your risk tolerance.