Ohio · Moving out

Ohio notice to vacate — the 30 days rule and a free letter

Ohio’s Landlord-Tenant Act keeps the month-to-month math symmetric: either side may end the tenancy “by notice given the other at least thirty days prior to the periodic rental date” (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B)). That last phrase is the trap — the 30 days count back from your rent-due date, not from whatever day you hand over the letter. If rent is due on the 1st and you deliver notice on October 15, the earliest the tenancy ends is December 1, and November rent is still owed. Week-to-week renters owe just seven days (§ 5321.17(A)). Ohio publishes no official statewide notice form; a plain, dated, signed letter like the one this generator prints satisfies the statute. On the deposit side, your refund window is 30 days after termination and delivery of possession (§ 5321.16(B)) — but the statute’s damages and attorney-fee remedies only apply if you leave a forwarding address in writing, so put one in the letter.

30 daystenant month-to-month notice · Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B)

Not legal advice — general information for Ohio. Last reviewed: July 2026.

Tenant name(s)Landlord / property managerRental address (street, unit, city, state, ZIP)

StateMove-out date

Delivery methodForwarding address (optional — for your deposit)Reason (optional)

Notice-period check

Your date clears the state minimum

August 7, 2026 gives 35 days' notice — at or above Ohio's 30 days minimum for month-to-month tenants (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B)). If your lease requires more, the lease controls.

Most statutes count notice to the end of a rental period — if rent is due on the 1st, plan to move out on the last day of a month.

[Tenant name(s)]

[Rental address]

July 3, 2026

[Landlord / property manager name]

Landlord / Property Manager

RE: Notice of intent to vacate — [Rental address]

Dear [Landlord / property manager name],

Please accept this letter as my written notice of intent to vacate the rental unit at [Rental address]. My tenancy will end and I will deliver possession of the premises no later than August 7, 2026. This provides at least 30 days of written notice, as required for month-to-month tenancies in Ohio (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B)).

I will remove all personal belongings, return all keys and access devices, and leave the unit in clean condition, normal wear and tear excepted. Please contact me to schedule a move-out inspection.

I will provide a forwarding address for the return of my security deposit before my move-out date.

This notice is delivered via certified mail with return receipt requested on July 3, 2026.

Sincerely,

[Tenant name(s)]

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Ohio notice rules

✓Count 30 days back from the periodic rental date, not from delivery day — rent due the 1st means notice must arrive at least 30 days before the 1st on which the tenancy ends.
✓The rule runs both ways: landlord and tenant each owe 30 days month-to-month; week-to-week tenancies need only 7 days (§ 5321.17(A)).
✓The statute names no delivery method for the tenant’s notice — use certified mail with return receipt or hand delivery with a dated copy so you can prove when the 30 days started.
✓Write your forwarding address into the letter: § 5321.16(B) requires it in writing, and without it you lose the wrongful-withholding damages and attorney fees under § 5321.16(C).
✓Your deposit (or an itemized deduction list) is due within 30 days after termination and delivery of possession; wrongful withholding entitles you to the amount due plus an equal amount in damages and attorney fees.
✓Deposits over $50 or one month’s rent earn 5% annual interest on the excess if you stayed six months or more (§ 5321.16(A)) — worth checking on large deposits.

For landlords

Ohio is symmetric: landlords also owe 30 days before the periodic rental date to end a month-to-month tenancy (§ 5321.17(B)), and 7 days on week-to-week. There is no statewide rent control or just-cause layer on top of the statute.

Worked example with real dates

Rent of $1,400 due on the 1st in Columbus, and you want out by September 30, 2026. The periodic rental date your notice runs against is October 1, so the letter must reach your landlord by September 1. Delivered August 20, you gave 42 days — compliant, with margin for mail time. Delivered September 10, you are short of 30 days before October 1, so the tenancy legally runs to November 1: you move out October 31 and October rent is owed.

Ohio notice to vacate FAQ

Do I count 30 days from the day I deliver the notice in Ohio?

No. Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B) counts backward from the periodic rental date — the day rent comes due. A notice delivered mid-cycle does not shorten the current period; it pushes termination to the first rental date at least 30 days out. Rent due the 1st plus notice on October 15 means the tenancy ends December 1, not November 14.

When does my security deposit come back after I move out in Ohio?

Within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and you deliver possession (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B)), the landlord must return the deposit or an itemized deduction list with any balance. You must give a forwarding address in writing — skip it and you keep the right to the money itself but forfeit the extra damages and attorney fees § 5321.16(C) awards for wrongful withholding.

Does my Ohio security deposit earn interest?

Sometimes. If the deposit exceeds $50 or one month’s rent (whichever is greater) and you stay six months or more, the excess earns 5% per year, paid annually (§ 5321.16(A)). For a typical one-month deposit this is zero, but tenants who paid extra deposit — common with pets or thin credit — are owed interest on the overage.

What notice applies to a week-to-week rental in Ohio?

Seven days before the termination date specified in the notice, for either party (§ 5321.17(A)). The same statute-over-lease caution applies: if your written agreement requires more notice than the statute, courts generally hold you to the longer lease term.

Sources

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