Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 1923 | Forcible Entry and Detainer
Section 1923.02 | Persons Subject to Forcible Entry and Detainer Action.

Effective: June 13, 2022
Latest Legislation: House Bill 265 - 134th General Assembly
(A) Proceedings under this chapter may be had as follows:
(1) Against tenants or manufactured home park residents holding over their terms;
(2) Against tenants or manufactured home park residents in possession under an oral tenancy, who are in default in the payment of rent as provided in division (B) of this section;
(3) In sales of real estate, on executions, orders, or other judicial process, when the judgment debtor was in possession at the time of the rendition of the judgment or decree, by virtue of which the sale was made;
(4) In sales by executors, administrators, or guardians, and on partition, when any of the parties to the complaint were in possession at the commencement of the action, after the sales, so made on execution or otherwise, have been examined by the proper court and adjudged legal;
(5) When the defendant is an occupier of lands or tenements, without color of title, and the complainant has the right of possession to them;
(6) In any other case of the unlawful and forcible detention of lands or tenements. For purposes of this division, in addition to any other type of unlawful and forcible detention of lands or tenements, such a detention may be determined to exist when both of the following apply:
(a) A tenant fails to vacate residential premises within three days after both of the following occur:
(i) The tenant's landlord has actual knowledge of or has reasonable cause to believe that the tenant, any person in the tenant's household, or any person on the premises with the consent of the tenant previously has or presently is engaged in a violation of Chapter 2925. or 3719. of the Revised Code, or of a municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any section in either of those chapters, which involves a controlled substance and which occurred in, is occurring in, or otherwise was or is connected with the premises, whether or not the tenant or other person has been charged with, has pleaded guilty to or been convicted of, or has been determined to be a delinquent child for an act that, if committed by an adult, would be a violation as described in this division. For purposes of this division, a landlord has "actual knowledge of or has reasonable cause to believe" that a tenant, any person in the tenant's household, or any person on the premises with the consent of the tenant previously has or presently is engaged in a violation as described in this division if a search warrant was issued pursuant to Criminal Rule 41 or Chapter 2933. of the Revised Code; the affidavit presented to obtain the warrant named or described the tenant or person as the individual to be searched and particularly described the tenant's premises as the place to be searched, named or described one or more controlled substances to be searched for and seized, stated substantially the offense under Chapter 2925. or 3719. of the Revised Code or the substantially similar municipal ordinance that occurred in, is occurring in, or otherwise was or is connected with the tenant's premises, and states the factual basis for the affiant's belief that the controlled substances are located on the tenant's premises; the warrant was properly executed by a law enforcement officer and any controlled substance described in the affidavit was found by that officer during the search and seizure; and, subsequent to the search and seizure, the landlord was informed by that or another law enforcement officer of the fact that the tenant or person has or presently is engaged in a violation as described in this division and it occurred in, is occurring in, or otherwise was or is connected with the tenant's premises.
(ii) The landlord gives the tenant the notice required by division (C) of section 5321.17 of the Revised Code.
(b) The court determines, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the tenant, any person in the tenant's household, or any person on the premises with the consent of the tenant previously has or presently is engaged in a violation as described in division (A)(6)(a)(i) of this section.
(7) In cases arising out of Chapter 5313. of the Revised Code. In those cases, the court has the authority to declare a forfeiture of the vendee's rights under a land installment contract and to grant any other claims arising out of the contract.
(8) Against tenants who have breached an obligation that is imposed by section 5321.05 of the Revised Code, other than the obligation specified in division (A)(9) of that section, and that materially affects health and safety. Prior to the commencement of an action under this division, notice shall be given to the tenant and compliance secured with section 5321.11 of the Revised Code.
(9) Against tenants who have breached an obligation imposed upon them by a written rental agreement;
(10) Against manufactured home park residents who have defaulted in the payment of rent or breached the terms of a rental agreement with a park operator. Nothing in this division precludes the commencement of an action under division (A)(12) of this section when the additional circumstances described in that division apply.
(11) Against manufactured home park residents who have committed two material violations of the rules of the manufactured home park, of the division of industrial compliance of the department of commerce, or of applicable state and local health and safety codes and who have been notified of the violations in compliance with section 4781.45 of the Revised Code;
(12) Against a manufactured home park resident, or the estate of a manufactured home park resident, who as a result of death or otherwise has been absent from the manufactured home park for a period of thirty consecutive days prior to the commencement of an action under this division and whose manufactured home or mobile home, or recreational vehicle that is parked in the manufactured home park, has been left unoccupied for that thirty-day period, without notice to the park operator and without payment of rent due under the rental agreement with the park operator;
(13) Against occupants of self-service storage facilities, as defined in division (A) of section 5322.01 of the Revised Code, who have breached the terms of a rental agreement or violated section 5322.04 of the Revised Code;
(14) Against any resident or occupant who, pursuant to a rental agreement, resides in or occupies residential premises located within one thousand feet of any school premises, preschool or child day-care center premises, children's crisis care facility premises, or residential infant care center premises and to whom both of the following apply:
(a) The resident's or occupant's name appears on the state registry of sex offenders and child-victim offenders maintained under section 2950.13 of the Revised Code.
(b) The state registry of sex offenders and child-victim offenders indicates that the resident or occupant was convicted of or pleaded guilty to a sexually oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense in a criminal prosecution and was not sentenced to a serious youthful offender dispositional sentence for that offense.
(15) Against any tenant who permits any person to occupy residential premises located within one thousand feet of any school premises, preschool or child day-care center premises, children's crisis care facility premises, or residential infant care center premises if both of the following apply to the person:
(a) The person's name appears on the state registry of sex offenders and child-victim offenders maintained under section 2950.13 of the Revised Code.
(b) The state registry of sex offenders and child-victim offenders indicates that the person was convicted of or pleaded guilty to a sexually oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense in a criminal prosecution and was not sentenced to a serious youthful offender dispositional sentence for that offense.
(B) If a tenant or manufactured home park resident holding under an oral tenancy is in default in the payment of rent, the tenant or resident forfeits the right of occupancy, and the landlord may, at the landlord's option, terminate the tenancy by notifying the tenant or resident, as provided in section 1923.04 of the Revised Code, to leave the premises, for the restitution of which an action may then be brought under this chapter.
(C)(1) If a tenant or any other person with the tenant's permission resides in or occupies residential premises that are located within one thousand feet of any school premises, children's crisis care facility premises, or residential infant care center premises and is a resident or occupant of the type described in division (A)(14) of this section or a person of the type described in division (A)(15) of this section, the landlord for those residential premises, upon discovery that the tenant or other person is a resident, occupant, or person of that nature, may terminate the rental agreement or tenancy for those residential premises by notifying the tenant and all other occupants, as provided in section 1923.04 of the Revised Code, to leave the premises.
(2) If a landlord is authorized to terminate a rental agreement or tenancy pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section but does not so terminate the rental agreement or tenancy, the landlord is not liable in a tort or other civil action in damages for any injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly result from that decision.
(D) This chapter does not apply to a student tenant as defined by division (H) of section 5321.01 of the Revised Code when the college or university proceeds to terminate a rental agreement pursuant to section 5321.031 of the Revised Code.
(E) As used in this section, "children's crisis care facility premises" and "residential infant care center premises" have the same meanings as in section 2950.034 of the Revised Code.
Last updated March 21, 2022 at 10:19 AM