Legal and Tenant Help

Please note. This guide shares general information only. It is not legal, financial, tax or professional advice. Laws vary by state and city. For advice about your situation, talk with a licensed professional.

Hi friend. Getting a notice on your door or a letter from court can make your stomach drop. Take a deep breath. There are steps you can take, and there is no cost legal help in Ohio for people who qualify.

Here is the easy first step: read the paper carefully, write down every date on it, and call your local legal aid office today. Their numbers are in the county list later in this guide.

A few things to know

• You choose. Use what feels right for you and skip anything that doesn't.
• Each place decides who it can serve. We share what each place says it offers and how to reach it. We can't promise legal help, money or a result in any case.
• This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change. For advice about your situation, talk with a lawyer or legal aid.
• In danger right now? Call 911. Thinking about suicide or in crisis? Call or text 988.

Where can I get no cost legal help?

Legal aid offices give no cost civil legal help to people with low incomes, on things like evictions, benefits, family law and consumer problems. Each office decides who it can serve and which counties it covers, so call and ask.

• Ohio Legal Help has no cost information, forms and letters on housing, benefits, family, debt, IDs and more. It also has a tool to find your local legal aid.
• Ohio Legal Help says legal aid may be able to help if you're facing eviction. You can apply online or by phone.
• Legal aid groups serve different parts of Ohio, like Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, Community Legal Aid and Legal Aid of Western Ohio. Each one is listed for its counties later in this guide.
• Some cities have a Right to Counsel program with no cost lawyers for some tenants. See section 8.

Sources: https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/ and https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/eviction

BUNKLY TIP

Count the days on a calendar

Mark the date you got the paper, then mark every date on a calendar. Ask legal aid to double check your dates with you.

What does a notice to leave mean?

A notice to leave from your landlord is an important paper. Read it carefully, and write down the date you got it.

• The notice is not a court order. Ohio Legal Help says it means your landlord has started the legal process, and that the eviction process in Ohio can take 4 to 6 weeks.
• Ohio Legal Help suggests trying to work it out with your landlord, like a payment plan for back rent or a move out date, and getting any agreement in writing.
• It says an eviction case filed in court could make it harder to find housing later, so if you can't work it out and you can move, moving before the case is filed may help.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/eviction

What if I get eviction papers from court?

Act right away. Read the court summons carefully.

It lists your hearing date and what you can do.

• If you're depositing rent with the clerk of court, keep depositing it until the hearing.
• You can ask for legal help. If you can't afford a lawyer, contact your local legal aid office.

Ohio Legal Help says:

• The hearing is usually about 2 weeks after you get the summons. Go, even if you've moved out.
• If you haven't found a lawyer by the hearing, go anyway and ask the court for a continuance, to give you time to get one.
• If you move out before the hearing, still go, bring your keys, and ask the court to dismiss the case.
• If the summons says "second cause," your landlord is also suing you for money.

This is general information, not legal advice. See the county list for legal aid near you.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/eviction

Paperwork can feel scary, but you are not alone in this. One call to legal aid can change everything, friend.

From the Bunklow team

Can my landlord lock me out or shut off my utilities?

Ohio Legal Help says a landlord has to go through the court process to take back a home.

• If you're locked out, your utilities are shut off, or your belongings are taken, call legal aid right away.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/eviction

How do I get my security deposit back?

Here's what to know.

• After you move out, the landlord may keep part of the deposit for past due rent or damage.
• Ask for a written, itemized list of anything kept.
• Give the landlord your new address in writing. In Ohio, this step really matters.
• Questions about the details? Check the official page below, and decide what's right for you.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/

BUNKLY TIP

Take move out photos

When you move out, take photos and a short video of every room, with the date. It's one of the best ways to protect your deposit. You've got this!

What if I'm treated unfairly because of who I am?

Think you were treated differently because of your race, color, religion, sex, military status, family, ancestry, disability or national origin? You can report it.

• You can contact the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 888.278.7101.
• You can also file a housing complaint with HUD.
• Think your landlord punished you for complaining about repairs or a code problem? Call legal aid.
• Paying with a Housing Choice Voucher? Ask legal aid whether your city has its own rules.

Sources: https://civ.ohio.gov/contact-us and https://www.hud.gov/contactus/file-complaint

What if my landlord won't make repairs?

Ohio has a process called rent escrow. Here's what to know:

• First, give your landlord written notice of the problems. Send it to the person or place where you normally pay rent.
• If the landlord doesn't fix the problem, you may be able to pay your rent to the court clerk instead. There are steps and timing to follow. Questions about the details? Check the official page below, and decide what's right for you.
• Talk with legal aid before you stop paying rent to your landlord. Doing it wrong can lead to an eviction.

Source (As of October 22, 2026): https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/repairs

Can I get a no cost lawyer for eviction?

You may, in some cities. As of October 18, 2026, Ohio Legal Help says:

• Cleveland. The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland says tenants in Cleveland with at least one child and income at or below the federal poverty guidelines qualify for Right to Counsel. Call 888.817.3777, or see FreeEvictionHelp.org.
• Columbus. Columbus residents facing eviction, at or below 100% of the federal poverty level, with a child living in the home. Call Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio at 888.246.4420, Monday to Friday, with most availability in the mornings.
• Toledo. Toledo residents facing eviction, at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Call Legal Aid of Western Ohio at 419.724.0460.
• Akron. Akron residents at least 7 days away from facing eviction, at or below 100% of the poverty line, and either with a child in the home or someone 60 or older with a disability. Apply online.

Elsewhere, call your local legal aid office.

Sources: https://lasclev.org/am-i-entitled-to-a-court-appointed-attorney-in-my-eviction-case/ and https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/resource/right-counsel-columbus-free-eviction-help and https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/resource/right-counsel-toledo-free-eviction-help and https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/resource/right-counsel-akron-free-eviction-help

Sources: https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/topic/eviction and https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/

Who can I call in my county?

Here are no cost legal aid offices near you. Each decides who it can serve, so call and ask.

Ohio

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Franklin County (Columbus)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Cuyahoga County (Cleveland)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Hamilton County (Cincinnati)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Summit County (Akron)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Montgomery County (Dayton)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Lucas County (Toledo)

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Stark County

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Lorain County

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Lake County

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

Mahoning County

Here are some places to start.

Other local groups may also help.

My legal plan

Fill this in with a pen, or snap a photo and keep it on your phone. You've got this!

Key numbers to keep

BUNKLY TIP

Please let me know if you have any questions

If something in this guide is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it. You're doing the right thing by getting informed. Make it a great day, friend!

About this guide

Made by the Bunklow team. No sign up, no paywall, no cost. Please share it with anyone who could use it. Bunklow does not run these programs and cannot speak for them. We list what each place says it offers and how to reach it, and you decide what to use. This is not a full list of every place that can help. Every source was checked on October 18, 2026. If something has changed, please tell us so we can fix it. We are always happy to hear from you!

Please note. This guide shares general information only. It is not legal, financial, tax or professional advice. Laws vary by state and city. For advice about your situation, talk with a licensed professional.

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Last updated October 18, 2026