April 1, 2020 – Governor Mike Dewine has not yet issued a moratorium on evictions nor has he extended any financial relief to tenants who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 for the purpose of paying rent. Most, if not all, courts across Ohio have postponed eviction hearings until mid or late May. Evictions hearings could be postponed further depending upon the success of measures taken to contain the virus.
Tenants still have a duty to pay rent. Landlords can still send eviction complaints to the courts for filing. Hearings for those evictions actions will just occur later than normal. Tenants in federally subsidized housing benefit from a 120 day moratorium on evictions and late fees. In addition, the recent stimulus bill allows multifamily landlords with federally backed mortgages to receive forbearance on their mortgage payments, and to get this forbearance, those landlords cannot evict their tenants.
If rent is unpaid, tenants and landlords are encouraged to work together towards reaching a mutually agreeable payment arrangement. Landlords may consider suspending late fees and other penalties in order to reach such an agreement.
It is illegal to conduct a self-help eviction – evicting a tenant without proceeding through the court system by means of shutting off utilities, changing the locks, removing a tenant’s belongings, and similar measures.
Consult your county’s municipal court website for specific information on when hearings will occur for newly filed eviction as well as pending eviction matters.