Ohio Rental Application Form
An Ohio rental application form is a standard document that landlords use to obtain information about prospective tenants. The tenant will fill out all the crucial details asked for in the form so the landlord can perform a thorough background check.
Personal details collected in the rental application form are:
- the tenant’s social security number
- driver’s license number
- phone number
- employment history
- previous addresses.
Why is a background check necessary? By looking at their income and credit score, landlords can determine that the tenant can afford to pay rent. Landlords also check previous housing history to ensure that new tenants are trustworthy, with no record of issues or illegal activity.
Ohio rental application forms usually come with an application fee for the background check.
To protect tenants from possible discrimination, Ohio bars these details from being asked on the rental application form: race, color, nationality, religion, sex, disability, and whether the applicant has a child.
Ohio Rental Laws
Rental Application Fee
Rental application forms are submitted with a corresponding fee that will cover the expenses incurred for their background check.
In Ohio, there is no limit to the amount that a landlord can ask for. The rental application fee is non-refundable.
Security Deposits
There is also no limit to the amount that Ohio landlords can collect for a security deposit.
According to Ohio Law, the tenant may be eligible to receive a 5% annual interest from the security deposit if the landlord charges at least $50 or a month’s salary, whichever is higher, and the lease period is longer than six months (Ohio Rev Code § 5321.16 (2021)).
Returning Deposits
The security deposit must be returned to the tenant within 30 days from the day the tenant moved out of the apartment or house. However, the landlord can use part of the security deposit for repairs if there was damage to the property—not including the natural wear and tear of the furnishings or the structure.
The security deposit can also be used to cover unpaid rent or a tenant’s breach of the lease.
Ohio does not require landlords to provide a receipt to the tenant, although they are obligated to provide a complete, itemized list of the expenses deducted from the security deposit.