If you rent a residential property, you may sometimes have tenants with financial problems, whether that’s from a job loss or something else. While you can understand their struggle, you also have bills to pay.
Failure to pay is not the only reason you might need to evict someone, however. Here are some of the other grounds on which you can remove a tenant in Ohio:
- Their lease is up.
- They are not complying with the lease’s terms.
- They are not complying with health and safety rules.
- They are committing drug offenses.
- They will not allow you access to make repairs.
If you need to evict an Ohio tenant, consult a real estate attorney to ensure you follow the correct steps and don’t break any rules. If you try to do it yourself, by changing the locks or cutting off the utilities, you may have to pay your tenant damages. You will need to issue an eviction notice. The amount of notice you must give depends upon the reason you are asking them to leave.
A tenant can challenge your eviction, in which case you may need an eviction hearing and let the court decide what happens. You cannot evict someone on discriminatory grounds because of their race, religion, sexual preferences, family status or due to a disability. You also cannot do so in retaliation for them filing a complaint against you.
One thing you may wish to consider before you choose to remove a tenant is the availability of someone to fill their place. If someone is breaking the rules or damaging your property, you are better off without them. Yet, if an otherwise a good tenant is just late paying the rent due to temporary financial problems, it may be wisest to stay with them, even if they are not always on time with their money. Understanding your rights as a landlord is crucial to any decision you make.