Ohio Landlord Trends for 2017:

• Jury Trials – Tenants are requesting jury trials in eviction cases at a rapid rate.  A jury trial can slow the eviction process for a landlord from about 1 month to more than 6 months.  This means lost money and time.  You should immediately contact an attorney if a tenant requests a jury trial in an eviction action.  See Ohio Revised Code 5321.03 and related case law for more details.
• Rent Escrow – Tenants are using the rent escrow procedures found in Ohio Revised Code 5321.08 and 5321.09.  There are many requirements to legally escrow rent that both tenants and landlords don’t understand.  An attorney can help the landlord recover rent in escrow.  The longer you wait, the longer the rent will sit in escrow.  It takes an action by the landlord or tenant to get rent in escrow released.
• Accepting Late Rent – Legal Aid and other tenant organizations are advising tenants facing eviction about the case law about landlord’s who accept late rent.  In short, if a landlord accepts late rent, they may be required to always accept the rent late from a tenant.  So while some landlord’s believe they are helping out a tenant, this can turn into a problem if an eviction is necessary.
• Landlord Tenant Communication – The key to solving and preventing issues between landlords and tenants is proactive communication by the landlord.  Many times a legal issue becomes costly and drawn out that could have been prevented with better communication on the front end.  Consult an attorney for how and when to communicate with tenants regarding legal issues.

If you are a landlord and find yourself with a tenant problem, call J. Thomas Hodges at 513-421-8454 to discuss your options.