The Ohio security deposit return timeline, start to finish

Returning a security deposit is one of the few landlord tasks with a hard deadline attached. Miss it, and a routine move-out turns into a claim you will probably lose. The good news: the process is short, and almost all of it is paperwork you can prepare before the tenant hands back the keys.

When the clock starts

The clock starts at termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession — not the date on the lease, and not the day you finish cleaning. If the tenant leaves early and returns the keys, that is your start date.

What you have to send

State requirements are specific here. You send the tenant either the full deposit or an itemized written statement listing every deduction, along with whatever balance remains. "Cleaning" on its own is not an itemization; the line item needs to say what was cleaned and what it cost.

Deductions that hold up

• Unpaid rent through the end of the tenancy
• Repair of damage beyond ordinary wear and tear
• Charges the lease specifically authorizes

Deductions that do not

• Ordinary wear: faded paint, worn carpet traffic lanes, minor nail holes
• Upgrades you were going to make anyway
• Vague administrative or turnover fees

The forwarding address

Ask for a forwarding address in writing at notice, again at the walkthrough, and put it on the move-out checklist. Sending the statement to the unit the tenant just vacated is the most common avoidable mistake.

Documentation that ends arguments

Photograph every room at move-in and again at move-out, from the same angles, with dates intact. Keep contractor invoices rather than estimates. When a tenant challenges a deduction, a dated photo pair and a paid invoice usually end the conversation before it becomes a filing.