What can I do if my landlord won't fix uninhabitable conditions in Ohio?

1. Implied Warranty of Habitability — Ohio codifies landlord obligations at Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.04, requiring compliance with building/housing codes affecting health and safety and maintenance of common areas. The Ohio Landlord-Tenant Act displaces common-law warranties.

2. What Counts as Uninhabitable — § 5321.04(A) requires: code compliance; safe and sanitary common areas; working plumbing/electrical/heating/ventilation/cooling fixtures; running water; reasonable heat; pest control; and proper trash facilities.

3. Tenant Notice to Landlord — Under § 5321.07(A), tenant must (1) be current on rent, (2) give written notice specifying the condition, and (3) allow 30 days for repair (or shorter reasonable time for emergencies).

4. Repair-and-Deduct — Ohio has no statutory repair-and-deduct; § 5321.07 channels remedies through rent escrow with the court.

5. Rent Withholding / Escrow — § 5321.07(B) lets tenant deposit rent with the clerk of municipal/county court, apply to court for the use of deposited rent for repairs, or terminate the lease. This is the primary remedy.

6. Constructive Eviction — § 5321.07(B)(3) authorizes termination if landlord fails to act after escrow deposit; abandonment doctrine also recognized.

7. Affirmative Defense to Eviction — Compliance with the rent escrow procedure protects tenant from eviction for nonpayment; failure to follow § 5321.07 strictly waives the defense.

8. Damages & Penalties — Rent abatement, actual damages, court-supervised repairs from escrow, and under § 5321.16, double the wrongfully withheld security deposit plus attorney fees.

9. Retaliation Protection — § 5321.02 prohibits retaliation (eviction, rent increases, service reductions) for complaints to government, union activity, or invoking § 5321.07. No fixed presumption window, but courts use a reasonable temporal proximity test.

This is legal information, not legal advice.