Landlord won’t fix it? Your options in Ohio
You have a ladder: written notice to the landlord, a code enforcement report through 311, Ohio’s rent escrow process through the court, and legal advice.
Each step depends on the paper trail from the one before it. Start the trail today.
A dripping faucet is an annoyance. No heat, no water, sewage, or any eviction threat is a legal situation. For anything in that second group, getting legal advice early is almost certainly worth it, alongside the steps below. Free income-based legal help exists in Franklin County, and step 4 covers how to find it.
Know Your Block is a neutral public records project. It does not recommend, rank, or partner with any lawyer or organization. That is why this page points to the county’s public directories instead of naming providers.
The full path
Step 1. Put the request in writing
Send the repair request in writing, dated, and keep a copy. Text or email counts. Ohio’s tenant remedies are built on written notice, so nothing else on this page works well without this step.
Step 2. Report it to the city
File with Columbus 311 online or at (614) 645-3111. An inspector confirming the violation turns your complaint into an official order against the landlord, on the public record.
The full path is in how to report your apartment complex.
Step 3. Rent escrow exists
Ohio law lets a tenant deposit rent with the municipal court clerk instead of the landlord. The requirements are strict: the written notice from step 1, thirty days passed or a reasonable time for something urgent, whichever comes first, and being fully current on rent. Some tenancies are exempt, like smaller landlords who disclosed an exemption in the lease.
Get advice before you start it. Done right it is real leverage. Done wrong it looks like nonpayment.
Step 4. Get legal advice
Free legal help exists in Franklin County for tenants who qualify by income, and retaliation, eviction threats, and escrow filings are exactly what it handles. This site is neutral and does not recommend providers, so start from the county’s own resources.
The Franklin County Law Library keeps a public guide to free legal advice options in the county. The Franklin County Municipal Court’s Self Help Resource Center, on the 16th floor of 375 S. High St, helps people handling court without a lawyer, with legal information and referrals rather than legal advice.
Searching "legal aid Franklin County" finds the income-based services directly, and bar association referral services can connect anyone with a private attorney, often with a low-cost first consultation.
Whoever you talk to, bring the paper trail from steps 1 and 2.
Is your building already on record?
Search your address. A history of similar complaints at your building strengthens every step above.
Free · no account · opens the live map's Block Report for the address
Common questions
Can I just withhold rent until it is fixed?
Withholding on your own puts you at risk of eviction for nonpayment. Ohio’s route is rent escrow through the court, which protects you while applying the pressure. Get advice before starting it.
Can my landlord evict me for reporting them?
Ohio law bars retaliation against tenants for reporting code violations. If you get a rent hike, a non-renewal, or an eviction notice right after reporting, document the timing and get legal advice right away. Step 4 above covers how to find it, free if you qualify by income.
How long does the landlord have to fix something?
Ohio expects repairs within a reasonable time after written notice, and thirty days is the outer bound in most cases. Emergencies like no heat or no water are expected to move much faster.
How do I find free legal help in Columbus?
Franklin County has free legal help for tenants who qualify by income, and the municipal court runs a Self Help Resource Center for people handling court without a lawyer. The Franklin County Law Library publishes a guide to free legal advice options in the county. Searching for legal aid in Franklin County finds the income-based services directly. Know Your Block is neutral and does not recommend specific providers.
Is this page legal advice?
No. It describes the standard paths and where they start. For advice on your specific situation, talk to a lawyer. Step 4 covers how to find one, including the free options.
Keep going
Looking at a specific address?
Get the full Block Report, covering what's been reported at that exact address, the same building, and chronic neighbors within a third of a mile.
Search an address →Contacts on this page were verified August 2026. City intake numbers and portals change rarely but they do change. If something here is out of date, the front door is always Columbus 311.
Know Your Block is an independent public-information project, not the City of Columbus and not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and this site does not recommend or partner with any legal provider. Report counts come from official City of Columbus code-enforcement records and describe reports filed, not verified conditions.