Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio landlord software
Manage your Columbus rentals with confidence.
RentMouse keeps leases, rent, maintenance, documents and tenant communication for your Columbus rentals in one workspace, with lease guidance linked to Ohio jurisdiction records. Review the applicable sources before relying on a draft.
Start free · Ohio rules and sources
Renting in Columbus
Neighbourhoods landlords here manage: Short North, German Village, University District, Clintonville, Downtown Columbus, Grandview Heights.
The permit question here is about short stays
Columbus permits short-term rentals: any dwelling with five or fewer guestrooms let wholly or partly for fewer than thirty consecutive days. The application is signed and notarised, has to be in before the property is listed on a platform, and asks for proof of primary residence and a background check for the host, any co-host, the 24-hour contact and the property manager. A lodging excise tax applies to those stays. An ordinary lease of thirty days or more is a different arrangement, governed by Ohio's landlord-tenant law rather than this permit.
Local sources
Checked 2026-09-08. Confirm the current requirements for your address with the responsible authority.
- Get a Short Term Rental Permit — City of Columbus
- Short-term rental information sheet
- Code Enforcement — City of Columbus
Ohio rules that apply in Columbus
- Security deposit limit
- No statutory maximum
- Deposit return / claim rule
- 30 days
- Deposit interest
- 5%/yr on amount over $50 or 1 month's rent if tenant stays 6+ months
- Notice before entry
- Reasonable notice; 24 hours presumed reasonable (ORC 5321.04)
- Ending a month-to-month
- 30 days for month-to-month; 7 days week-to-week (ORC 5321.17)
- Notice before a rent increase
- No state statute; use the 30-day month-to-month termination notice
- Late fees
- No statutory cap; fee must be reasonable under case law
- Rent control
- None; local rent control barred by state law
General information from Ohio Landlords and Tenants Act, ORC ch. 5321, last reviewed 2026-08-21; not legal advice. Municipal bylaws can add requirements. Sources are listed on the Ohio guide.
What RentMouse does for Columbus landlords
- Properties & units — Each building and suite in one portfolio view, with occupancy, unit details and photos.
- Tenants & leases — Tenant records and lease terms attached to the right unit, with renewals surfaced before they arrive.
- Rent tracking — Monthly invoices, recorded payments, balances, overdue flags and reminders. Tenants keep paying you the way they already do.
- Maintenance — Requests with photos, priorities, vendors, dates and costs linked to the unit.
- Documents & e-signing — Jurisdiction-aware lease drafts from guided templates, sent for electronic signature and filed with the tenancy.
- Tenant portal — Optional, free for tenants: their tenancy details, invoices, shared documents and maintenance requests.
- Landlord website — A branded page at rentmouse.com/your-business that advertises vacant units, collects rental inquiries and doubles as the tenant sign-in.
Other Ohio cities
Akron · Cincinnati · Cleveland · Dayton · Toledo