Ohio State has various laws regarding the use of rental applications. If your document is not compliant with OH law, you may get sued by the applicant and face legal consequences.
Application Fee
There are no OH laws regarding application fees. Therefore there is no limit in terms of what application fee can be charged by Ohio landlords. Furthermore, the application fee is non-refundable regardless of its amount.
Security Deposit
Ohio doesn’t set any limits on how much you can charge as a security deposit. However, it is recommended not to charge more than 1-2 months rent for this amount (Ohio Revised Code Annotated § 5321.16).
Housing Discrimination Law
Ohio has no specific statutes policing housing discrimination. Nevertheless, the Fair Housing Act (FHA), is enshrined in federal law meaning that landlords may not refuse a tenant for discriminatory reasons.
Under the FHA you may not reject a tenant application for reasons such as their race, religion, sex, family status, or because they have any disabilities. You may also not discriminate against their criminal history (whether or not a background check is carried out) or nationality.
Notice of Eligibility
Tenants must be told about any specific screening criteria, as well as the reasons that they could be denied or approved by the landlord. To show that this information has been shared, a signature of acknowledgment from the tenant is required (§ 4141.28)
Consent Credit Check
Within Ohio, federal law is in effect that requires potential renters to provide written consent for a credit history check during the application process. This is known as the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).