The cost to evict someone in Ohio typically runs $700 to $1,800 for an uncontested case handled with an attorney, and $2,000 to $5,000 or more once the tenant fights back. If you handle an uncontested eviction yourself, court costs alone can be as low as $150 to $300. None of those figures include lost rent or property damage, which often cost more than the legal process itself.
Court Filing Fees
The baseline cost is the filing fee for the eviction complaint (formally a “forcible entry and detainer” action), which you file in the local municipal court after the required notice period expires. Fees vary by court but generally land between $110 and $170.
Franklin County Municipal Court charges $133 for an eviction seeking possession only, and $170 when you add a second cause of action for money damages such as unpaid rent.1Franklin County Municipal Court. Civil Cost Schedule Hamilton County’s base eviction filing fee is $130, with additional fees depending on the case.2Hamilton County Clerk of Courts. Municipal Civil Fees
Adding the money-damages claim costs $30 to $40 extra in most courts, and it lets you pursue a judgment for unpaid rent in the same case rather than filing a separate lawsuit later. Most landlords find the add-on worthwhile.
Service of Process
After filing, the court clerk mails the summons and complaint to the tenant by ordinary mail automatically. On top of that, you select one additional service method: personal service by the sheriff or court bailiff, service by a court-appointed private process server, or certified mail.3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1923.06 – Summons – Service of Process
In some courts, including Franklin County, the cost of one service method is bundled into the filing fee. Where it’s separate, sheriff or bailiff service typically runs $30 to $60 per tenant. Certified mail is cheaper. Private process servers cost more and bill per attempt, so costs rise if the tenant is hard to find. Each tenant on the lease needs separate service, so a two-adult household means paying twice.
Attorney Fees
You’re not required to hire a lawyer, but most landlords with more than a unit or two do. A procedural mistake at any stage can get the case dismissed, which means paying the filing fees a second time while the tenant stays rent-free for additional weeks.
For an uncontested eviction where the tenant doesn’t appear or doesn’t fight, many Ohio attorneys offer flat fees between $500 and $1,500. That typically covers preparing the complaint, filing it, handling service, and appearing at the initial hearing. Hourly rates for Ohio eviction attorneys generally run $150 to $350, depending on experience and location.
Costs climb as soon as the tenant contests. A contested case can involve:
- A one-week continuance that the court will grant if the tenant requests it at the first hearing.
- Counterclaims by the tenant for damages they believe you owe under the lease or Ohio landlord-tenant law. The court may order the tenant to deposit ongoing rent with the court while the case plays out, but the timeline stretches considerably.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1923.061 – Defenses and Counterclaims
- A separate track for the money-damages portion of the case if you filed a second cause of action, which proceeds like its own mini-lawsuit even after possession is resolved.
Contested evictions with counterclaims and multiple hearings can run $1,500 to $5,000 or more in attorney fees. A case you budgeted $1,000 for can triple if the tenant raises habitability complaints or a retaliatory eviction defense.
Writ of Restitution and Set-Out
Winning the hearing doesn’t physically remove the tenant. The court posts a notice (commonly called a “red tag”) on the property, and the tenant has five days to leave and return the keys. If they don’t, you request a writ of restitution authorizing physical removal.
The writ itself typically costs $35 to $50. The actual set-out costs more. Some courts, including Cleveland, require the landlord to hire licensed, bonded movers. Others use the court bailiff, but you still pay a set-out fee. Franklin County charges $45 for the set-out on top of the writ cost. If the tenant leaves significant belongings, you may face storage costs upfront, even if the tenant is ultimately responsible for retrieving them. All in, this final stage can add $200 to $600 or more.
Lost Rent and Property Damage
The biggest costs usually aren’t on a court receipt. Lost rent accumulates from the day the tenant stops paying through the end of the process and any vacancy before a new tenant moves in. An uncontested eviction in Ohio takes roughly three to five weeks from initial notice to physical removal. A contested case can stretch to two or three months. Every added week is another week without rent.
Property damage and cleaning costs vary enormously. Some tenants leave the unit in decent shape; others leave extensive damage, trash, and belongings that need hauling. Repairs, deep cleaning, and trash removal can run from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. You can pursue those costs through the money-damages portion of the eviction case or in a separate civil action, but collecting on a judgment against a former tenant who wasn’t paying rent is often difficult in practice.
What the Security Deposit Can Offset
Ohio law lets you apply the tenant’s security deposit toward unpaid rent and damages the tenant caused by violating the lease or their statutory obligations. You must send the tenant a written, itemized list of every deduction within 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant gives up possession, with any remaining balance returned to the forwarding address they provide in writing.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 5321.16 – Procedures for Security Deposits
The penalties for mishandling this step are steep. If you fail to send the itemized statement or wrongfully withhold deposit funds, the tenant can recover the amount owed, an additional penalty equal to the amount wrongfully withheld, and their attorney fees on top. A $1,200 deposit handled carelessly can turn into a $2,400 liability plus the tenant’s legal costs.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 5321.16 – Procedures for Security Deposits If the tenant never gives you a forwarding address in writing, they lose the right to recover those penalty damages and attorney fees, but you still can’t keep the deposit without legitimate deductions.
Why Skipping the Legal Process Costs More
Some landlords try to force tenants out by changing the locks, shutting off utilities, or hauling away belongings. Ohio law prohibits all of these tactics. A landlord cannot take any action to remove a tenant outside the formal eviction process, and cannot seize a tenant’s property to recover unpaid rent without a court order.
The financial consequences of a self-help eviction are often worse than the cost of filing. A landlord who violates the prohibition is liable for all damages the tenant suffers, plus the tenant’s reasonable attorney fees. Lock a tenant out for two nights and you’re paying for the hotel, spoiled food, the tenant’s lawyer, and potentially additional damages. Landlords who try to save money by skipping court regularly end up spending more than a properly filed eviction would have cost.
Total Estimated Costs by Scenario
- Uncontested, no attorney: $150 to $300 in court costs (filing fee, service, writ of restitution). This floor only works if you’re comfortable handling the paperwork and court appearances yourself without procedural errors.
- Uncontested, with attorney: $700 to $1,800, combining filing fees, service costs, and a flat-fee attorney. The most common scenario for a nonpaying tenant who doesn’t show up to court.
- Contested eviction: $2,000 to $5,000 or more when the tenant files an answer, raises counterclaims, or requests continuances. Attorney fees account for most of the increase.
- Contested with property damage: $5,000 and up when you add significant repairs, cleaning, lost rent during an extended fight, and set-out costs. Some landlords report totals above $10,000 in extreme cases.
Timeline drives most of the cost. Every additional week means another week of lost rent and another potential round of attorney billing. The single biggest thing you can do to control what an eviction costs is get the pre-filing notice and paperwork right the first time, so the case doesn’t get dismissed on a technicality and send you back to the filing window to start over.