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3 reasons for an Ohio landlord to initiate eviction procedures

On Behalf of | Mar 20, 2023 | Landlord-tenant law

Landlords often lose quite a bit of money when they have to evict a tenant. It can take months to complete the process in compliance with Ohio state law, and the costs involved are significant. Despite the efforts of the average landlord to ensure that they only rent to qualified tenants with a history of paying their obligations on time, sometimes landlords end up with a problem tenant.

In some cases, landlords simply wait until a lease is up and then refuse to renew it. Other times, they may not be able to wait and will instead need to initiate eviction proceedings. These are three common reasons that landlords pursue an eviction to forcibly remove a tenant from a property.

1. Past-due rent

One of the most common reasons that landlords remove tenants is that they have failed to pay their rent in full and on time. The higher someone’s past-due rent balance becomes, the more pressing it may be for a landlord to remove them and replace them with a paying tenant.

2. Illegal activity or lease violations

Landlords often include restrictions on how a tenant can use the property in their leases. For example, they may prohibit pets or overnight guests. Landlords can evict tenants who violate the terms of their lease, provided that the landlord documents such violations and potentially gives the tenant time to correct the issue.

In cases where landlords have documentation of tenants breaking the law, possibly through prostitution or drug use, that could lead to an eviction as well. In fact, in some cases, landlords can seek damages from tenants due to drug activities that occurred at a specific rental unit.

3. Damage to the unit

Perhaps the unmistakable odor of tobacco or marijuana from the hallways makes it clear that a tenant has been smoking in the unit, which will obviously damage the walls and ceilings. Maybe a routine inspection turned up signs of significant damage inside the unit caused by the tenant.

In scenarios where landlords can show that a tenant has caused major damage to the property and that it requires rehabilitation to meet standards for rental properties, they may have reason to evict the tenant causing the damage and then possibly also seek damages through the retention of the security deposit or a lawsuit.

Understanding the most common reasons that Ohio landlords evict their tenants can help property owners to stand up for their rights more effectively. Seeking legal guidance can also be extremely helpful when a landlord-tenant dispute escalates.