How much notice must a landlord give before entering in Ohio?

Question

Accepted Answer

Ohio law requires landlords to give reasonable notice before entering a rental unit, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable unless the evidence shows otherwise — entry must also happen at reasonable times, with exceptions for emergencies or when notice is impracticable. Tenants, in turn, may not unreasonably withhold consent for legitimate entries like inspections, repairs, and showings. A landlord who enters unlawfully, enters lawfully but unreasonably, or uses repeated entry demands to harass the tenant is liable for actual damages, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees, and the tenant may terminate the lease. Because the 24-hour figure is a rebuttable presumption rather than a fixed floor, more notice is the safer practice for anything non-urgent.

Advance notice required	No fixed statutory period (see notice standard)
Notice standard	Statutory 'reasonable notice' standard: except in an emergency or where impracticable, the landlord must give the tenant reasonable notice of intent to enter and enter only at reasonable times; twenty-four hours is presumed reasonable in the absence of evidence to the contrary (ORC 5321.04(A)(8)).
Permitted reasons	Entry rights flow from ORC 5321.05(B): the tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to enter to inspect the premises, make ordinary, necessary, or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, deliver parcels too large for mail facilities, supply services, or exhibit the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workmen, or contractors.
Emergency exception	Yes
Time-of-day restrictions	Not addressed by statute

How much notice must a landlord give before entering in Ohio?

Ohio entry notice at a glance

Notes and caveats

Statute citations