House Bill 553 introduced to harm small independent landlords in Ohio

November 28th, 2025

H.B. No. 533 aims to change Ohio Landlord/Tenant law by altering the notice process for landlords when it comes to non-payment of rent actions. Specifically it aims to alter Ohio Revised Code § 5321.04.

It alters the notice process by requiring Ohio landlords to notify a tenant within 60 days of their default in rent payment with the amount in default. The proposed statutory language reads as follows:

(11) Notify the tenant of a default in the payment of rent, and the amount the tenant is in default, not later than sixty days after the default occurs.

At a first read, this essentially means that as long as you serve the normal 3-day notice for non-payment of rent within 60 days of default, the only change is that the landlord must now include the amount of rent in default at the time of the 3-day notice. Previously simply stating that the tenant is in default with no actual value was sufficient.

If this bill is enacted as written, it may come to pass that some courts around Ohio decide that this notice under paragraph (11) must be separate from the 3-day notice but a textual reading of the proposed requirement seems to be satisfied by the normal 3-day notice.

For big corporate landlords, this will be no problem. They will add the value of the amount in default to their standard 3-day notice and carry on business as usual.

For independent landlords without a large portfolio of rental properties, this is bound to cause problems as they are often the ones who have little experience in evictions and are most likely to seek a non-eviction remedy first. This means that by the time the independent landlord gets around to pursuing the actual eviction, that 60 day window will be foreclosed.

For tenants, this will be harmful too. As landlords become used to this law being in effect, landlords will act quickly to enforce evictions within the 60 days as opposed to informal negotiations. More tenants will be forced into the eviction process.

In summary, this first alteration has the following effects:

(1) "Big Landlord" will change procedures to maintain compliance and will continue evicting as normal;

(2) Independent, small landlords with big hearts will get caught by the 60-day notice requirement and be put into the legal penalty box; and

(3) Tenants will face more evictions as the law incentivizes acting quickly to avoid the landlord penalty box.

What is the penalty box? Well, if the landlord does NOT act within 60 days of default, the bill has the following resolution:
Sec. 5321.041. If the landlord fails to provide timely notice under division (A)(11) of section 5321.04 of the Revised Code, the landlord shall not commence an action under Chapter 1923. of the Revised Code to remove the tenant from the residential premises until all of the following occur:

(A) The landlord notifies the tenant in writing of a default in the payment of rent, and the amount the tenant is in default;

(B) At least ninety days have elapsed since the landlord provided notice under division (A) of this section;

(C) The landlord has offered to negotiate a payment plan with the tenant to recover the amount the tenant is in default.

Sec. 5321.042. (A) If a landlord and tenant agree upon a payment plan pursuant to division (C) of section 5321.041 of the Revised Code, the landlord shall not commence an action under Chapter 1923. of the Revised Code to remove the tenant from the residential premises unless the tenant fails to comply with the terms of the agreement.

(B) If a landlord and tenant do not agree upon a payment plan pursuant to division (C) of section 5321.041 of the Revised Code, the landlord may commence an action under Chapter 1923. of the Revised Code to remove the tenant from the residential premises if more than ninety days have elapsed from the date the notice was sent under division (A) of section 5321.041 of the Revised Code.

This is the penalty box. The independent landlord has missed the 60-day window to post the 3-day notice for non-payment of rent with the amount in default included. In order to pursue an eviction outside this 60-day window, they must jump through a series of hoops.

First they have to give the proper notice AND they have to offer to negotiate a payment plan. Now, even though it's already been 60 days of default, now the landlord must wait at least 90 days from this proper notice to file the eviction. That's a total of 5 months without a rent payment before you can even file the eviction. That's going to be financially devastating.

Now the bill does allow for a negotiated payment plan, but the tenant has 100% of the control over that plan. The tenant can make wild and unreasonable demands in the plan and the landlord MUST accept if they don't want to suffer the 90 day penalty.

Ultimately the effect of this bill, if enacted, is the destruction of the small independent landlord community and consolidation of the large corporate landlord community. For tenants it will mean harsher and faster action on evictions.

For tenants who find themselves in a situation where the landlord has not been quick to start the eviction process, they will gain a windfall of extra and free time to move out and completely avoid an eviction while paying zero rent for over half a year!