Legal form · Housing · official sources
Ohio notice to pay rent or quit
As of October 27, 2026, an Ohio landlord must serve a notice to leave the premises at least 3 days before filing an eviction, with a warning sentence the law spells out.1
Ohio at a glance
- Days to pay or move out
- 3 days1
A dash or a missing box means the official pages we read do not state that rule; we never fill it in from memory.
Preview of the document
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit
State of Ohio
1. Notice to pay rent or quit
Date: Date. To: Tenant, and all other occupants. Property: Address, county County.
2. Rent past due
As of the date of this notice, you owe Amount in rent for period under your rental agreement for the property listed above. This amount is rent only.
3. Pay or move out
4. How to pay
5. Federal 30-day notice, when it applies
6. If the rent is not paid
7. Signatures
8. Proof of delivery
Sections 3–8 unlock after purchase. Prepared with SimplePaperwork, which is not a law firm.
Ohio’s rules, with sources
- State form
- Every Ohio residential notice to leave must carry, in a conspicuous way, the sentence: “You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you.”1
- The required Ohio wording ends by recommending that a tenant in doubt about their rights and obligations seek legal assistance.1
- Deadlines
- Ohio Revised Code Section 1923.04 requires the notice to leave to reach the tenant three or more days before the landlord starts an eviction action.1
- Delivering the notice
- Ohio accepts three ways to serve the notice: certified mail with return receipt requested, handing a written copy to the tenant, or leaving it at the tenant’s usual home or at the rented premises.1
- Law
- In Ohio, a termination notice served under Section 5321.17(C), the drug-activity rule, also satisfies the three-day notice requirement.1
Questions about an Ohio pay-or-quit notice
How many days’ notice does Ohio require before an eviction for unpaid rent?
Three days or more. Section 1923.04 of the Ohio Revised Code requires the notice to leave the premises to be served at least three days before the landlord files the eviction action.
Ohio frames it as a notice to leave rather than a demand to pay, so the statute itself does not give the tenant a right to cure by paying within those days. A landlord can still choose to offer that option in the notice.1
What must an Ohio three-day notice say?
It must include, printed or written conspicuously, the statutory warning: “You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you. If you are in doubt regarding your legal rights and obligations as a tenant, it is recommended that you seek legal assistance.”
It goes to the tenant by certified mail with a return receipt, by hand, or by leaving it at the tenant’s home or at the rental.1
What to have at hand
- Property address, unit and county
- The exact rent past due and the rental periods it covers
- Who takes the rent, where, and the hours for paying in person
- Whether the property has a federally backed mortgage or a federal housing program
It does not evict anyone. Only a court can order a tenant out; this notice is the step that usually comes before filing.
Where this information comes from
Ohio’s rules above come from the state’s own statutes, agency pages and forms, read on the date shown. A rule that passes its review date without a new check is removed automatically.
- Ohio Revised Code Section 1923.04, Notice - service Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
Something changed? Tell us what is out of date and we will check the official page again.