Ohio sets no statutory maximum on a residential security deposit. Your lease sets the amount.
Maximum depositNo cap
Return deadline30 days
Interest to tenantOn amounts over $50, if 6+ months
Separate accountNot required
ItemizationRequired within 30 days
Penalty2× wrongfully withheld + fees
StatuteOhio Rev. Code §5321.16
What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Ohio maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Deposit calculator · Ohio
$
Most a landlord can hold
No legal maximum
Ohio sets no statutory cap; the lease controls the amount.
30days
Return clock: 30 days
The deadline runs after the rental agreement ends and possession is delivered. Give your landlord a written forwarding address at move-out so the clock starts.
Estimate only, based on Ohio's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Maximum deposit
No statutory limit. Ohio does not cap residential security deposits
Return deadline
Within 30 days after both the rental agreement terminates and the tenant delivers possession, the landlord must return the deposit and itemize any deductions. The tenant must provide a forwarding address in writing to trigger the notice-and-refund duty.
Interest to tenant
ConditionalOnly on the portion of the deposit that exceeds $50 or one month's rent (whichever is greater), and only if the tenant stays at least six months. Interest accrues at 5% per year, computed and paid annually.
Separate account
Not requiredOhio does not require the deposit to be held in a separate account.
Itemization
Any deductions must be itemized in a written notice delivered with the balance within 30 days of termination and delivery of possession.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
If the landlord withholds wrongfully
Under §5321.16(C), a landlord who wrongfully withholds is liable for the amount wrongfully withheld plus damages equal to that amount, together with reasonable attorney's fees. In effect that is double the amount wrongfully withheld, not double the entire deposit. This award is mandatory once wrongful withholding is shown (Smith v. Padgett, 32 Ohio St.3d 344 (1987)). The tenant must first have given a written forwarding address under §5321.16(B).
What Ohio renters get wrong
Ohio has no cap on the deposit, but it does something unusual with interest: on any amount above $50 (or one month's rent, whichever is larger), a tenant who stays at least six months earns 5% a year. The return deadline is a standard 30 days, with one procedural trap: the landlord's duty to notify and refund, and your right to the double-damages penalty, both hinge on giving a written forwarding address. Put it in writing when you leave.
Common questions
Is there a limit on security deposits in Ohio?
No. Ohio Revised Code §5321.16 sets no cap on a residential security deposit, so the amount is whatever the lease provides.
How long does an Ohio landlord have to return a deposit?
30 days after the rental agreement ends and you deliver possession. Deductions must be itemized in writing within that same window.
Does my Ohio landlord have to pay interest on my deposit?
Only on the portion above $50 or one month's rent (whichever is greater), and only if you stayed at least six months. That portion earns 5% per year, paid annually.
What if my Ohio landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
You can recover the wrongfully withheld amount plus damages equal to that amount and attorney's fees, but you must have given the landlord a written forwarding address to be entitled to it.
Cholilurrohman Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. Editorial standards →
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.
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