Ohio has no statute capping rent late fees or requiring a grace period. A late fee is enforceable only if it appears in the written lease and is a reasonable estimate of the landlord's damages rather than a penalty. Courts apply common-law liquidated-damages principles and will not enforce an excessive charge.
No provision of Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321 sets a maximum late fee, a percentage cap, or a mandatory grace period, so the amount is governed by the lease. Ohio courts treat a late fee as liquidated damages, enforceable only where the actual damages were uncertain and difficult to prove and the stated amount is not "manifestly unconscionable, unreasonable, and disproportionate." A fee that operates as a penalty rather than a genuine pre-estimate of the landlord's costs is unenforceable. As a practical matter, fees in the range of roughly 5% to 10% of monthly rent are commonly treated as reasonable, but there is no statutory figure. The fee must be disclosed in the written rental agreement, and a landlord cannot collect a late charge that was never agreed to.
No specific statutory penalty. A late fee that a court finds to be an unreasonable penalty rather than liquidated damages is unenforceable, and a tenant may contest it as a defense or recover an improperly collected amount in civil court.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Lima, OH
Lima has no ordinance banning backyard composting. A tidy compost pile is allowed, but rotting, odorous, or rubbish-strewn accumulations can be cited as a nu...
Lima, OH
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Lima, OH
Lima has no ordinance banning native or naturalized landscaping. Cultivated flowers and gardens are exempt from the weed rules, but any planting must still m...
Lima, OH
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Lima, OH
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Lima, OH
Beyond the 8-inch height limit, Lima requires premises free of all noxious or harmful weeds and vines. The Code Official orders cutting within five days; Ohi...
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