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Ohio month-to-month lease agreement
Written for Ohio law, checked September 24, 2026 General information, not legal advice
- Go over the terms together
- Plan the move-out date
- Give notice before moving
A month-to-month tenancy renews each month until the landlord or the tenant gives notice. Choose month-to-month as the lease type, or set a fixed-term lease to convert to month-to-month when its term ends.
Ohio rules that apply
- Ending a month-to-month tenancy
- 30 days
- before the periodic rental date; 7 days for week-to-week
- Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17
- Rent increase notice
- None set
- chapter 5321 sets no notice period, and cities may not impose rent control
- Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
Either you or the tenant may end or decline to renew a month-to-month tenancy by notice given at least 30 days before the periodic rental date, and a week-to-week tenancy by notice given at least seven days before the termination date the notice states (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17).
More detail (4)
- Section 5321.17 requires notice to be given but does not say it must be in writing (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(A); Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B)).
- A tenant who holds over after the tenancy ends can be evicted after the three-day notice to leave (Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.02(A)(1); Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.04(A)).
- You may not bring or threaten an eviction to retaliate for a protected complaint or collective negotiation, but you may still bring one against a tenant holding over the tenant's term (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.02(A); Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.03(A)(4)).
- These notice periods do not apply to a termination for breach, except the drug-activity notice (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(D)).
The lease restates the rule of notice 30 days before the periodic rental date for month-to-month tenancies and seven days for week-to-week tenancies.
Rent increases
Not set by statuteNo section of chapter 5321 sets a notice period or a limit for rent increases, and counties, townships, cities and other political subdivisions may not impose rent control or rent stabilization. During a fixed term, the rental agreement governs the rent. For a month-to-month tenancy, the only notice period in chapter 5321 is the one for ending or not renewing the tenancy: at least 30 days before the periodic rental date (Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321; Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.06; Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19).
More detail (3)
- You may not raise the rent to retaliate because the tenant complained to a government agency about a code violation that materially affects health and safety, complained to you about your 5321.04 duties, or joined with other tenants to negotiate collectively (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.02(A)).See Retaliation on the Ohio page
- Raising the rent to reflect the cost of improvements you installed, or an increase in other operating costs, is not barred by the retaliation section (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.02(C)).
- Ending or not renewing a month-to-month tenancy takes notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B)).See Ending a month-to-month tenancy on the Ohio page