§PlainStatute

Tools · Security Deposit

Ohio Security Deposit Calculator (2026)

Enter your rent and move-out date to see the most a Ohio landlord can charge and the exact date your deposit is due back — no statutory cap here, returned 30 days after the rental agreement ends and possession is delivered.

Cited to Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16Source: Ohio Revised Code.

Ohio security deposit calculator

Security deposit · Ohio
Ohio rule applied to your numbers
Maximum deposit
No cap
Ohio sets no statutory maximum; your lease sets the amount.
Return deadline
30 days
30 days after the rental agreement ends and possession is delivered. Enter your move-out date for the exact deadline.

These are the Ohio figures applied to what you entered — a plain summary of the rule and the dates, not a determination that anyone did or did not comply.

If a deposit is wrongly kept
Under §5321.16(C), a landlord who wrongfully withholds is liable for the amount wrongfully withheld plus damages equal to that amount — that is, double the amount wrongfully withheld (not double the entire deposit) — together with reasonable attorney's fees. 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).
Interest on the deposit
Only 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.

Informational only, not legal advice. Security-deposit rules carry exceptions (lease type, small landlords, city ordinances) this summary cannot weigh. See the full statute and exceptions on the Ohio security deposit reference, cited to Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16.

How Ohio security deposits work

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.

This calculator shows the Ohio figures applied to your own rent and dates. It is informational only and not legal advice — exceptions this summary cannot weigh may apply. For the full rules, penalties, and citations, see the Ohio security deposit reference.

Security deposit calculators for other states

Same tool, each with its own cap and return deadline.