A tenant at an apartment complex in Worthington documented that her broken stove scorches her pots and ruined food and utensils. Management promised to replace it, and more than three weeks passed with no fix. In Ohio, that is not a pending favor: it is an unmet legal obligation.

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A case that repeats more than it’s told

A tenant at an apartment complex in Worthington complained and documented that her stove is broken: it scorches her pots and has cost her utensils and food. Management received the complaint and said it would replace the appliance. More than three weeks have passed and the problem persists. It is a story that repeats across the Columbus area, and many Hispanic tenants live it in silence, unaware that the law is on their side.

Because that is what this comes down to: in Ohio, an essential appliance that the landlord supplies and that breaks is not an inconvenience the tenant must resign themselves to tolerating. It is the landlord’s legal responsibility. Knowing the difference between asking for a favor and demanding a right changes everything.

What the law requires of the landlord

Ohio law is clear. The Ohio Revised Code, in section 5321.04, places on the landlord the duty to keep the home in habitable condition. That duty includes keeping in working order the appliances the landlord supplied as part of the rental, when the lease so provides. A stove supplied with the apartment falls into that category.

That duty, moreover, cannot be delegated or shifted onto the tenant through a lease clause. Even if the lease says the tenant maintains the appliances, the underlying obligation to keep the home habitable remains the landlord’s. The tenant is only responsible for damage they themselves caused through negligence.

What the tenant should and should NOT do

Here is where many tenants, with every reason to be angry, make a mistake that costs them dearly. In Ohio there are two things a tenant may NOT do, even though they seem logical:

• They may not stop paying rent as a form of pressure. Withholding rent on your own is not legal in Ohio and can become grounds for eviction.
• They may not repair the problem themselves and deduct the cost from rent. That mechanism, known as «repair and deduct,» is generally not permitted in Ohio.

What the tenant SHOULD do is build a solid record, because documentation is their greatest protection:

• Give written notice. A phone call or verbal message is not enough. An email, a text, or a letter creates a dated record. Keep a copy of everything.
• Document the damage. Photos and videos of the stove, the scorched pots, the spoiled food. Each piece of evidence with its date.
• Save all communication with management. Promises to «replace it» carry weight when they are in writing.
• Keep paying full rent on time. This point is decisive: to access the legal mechanisms, the tenant must be current.

The formal path: rent escrow

When the landlord does not respond, Ohio law offers a concrete tool: depositing rent with the court, known as rent escrow, set out in section 5321.07 of the Ohio Revised Code. Instead of paying the landlord, the tenant deposits the rent with the court, which does not release that money to the landlord until the repairs are made.

The requirements, verified, are these. First, having given the landlord written notice. Second, having waited a reasonable amount of time: up to 30 days for most defects, or around five days when it is a serious emergency (such as no heat in winter, no water, or no electricity). Third, being current on rent.

In Franklin County, the process is handled at the Franklin County Municipal Court, Rent Escrow Division, located at 375 S. High Street, third floor. Payment is accepted only in cash or money order. The court retains 1% of each rent payment deposited. There is no filing fee to start it. For questions about the escrow program, the number is (614) 645-8576. When filing, the tenant may also request mediation and ask for a repair order.

Jurisdictional note: although Worthington is a city with its own government within Franklin County, rent escrow is filed with the Franklin County Municipal Court.

The code complaint, an effective shortcut

There is a path that often works faster than escrow: filing a complaint with Code Enforcement, the office that enforces the local housing code. When an inspector independently verifies that a code violation exists and formally notifies the landlord, that official determination becomes powerful evidence.

Worthington runs its own Code Enforcement, through its Planning & Building Division, and is not governed by the City of Columbus 311. A Worthington tenant should direct their code complaint to the City of Worthington (worthington.org, Planning & Building, open weekdays starting at 7:30 a.m.), not the Columbus 311. A tenant within the City of Columbus limits uses 311 to report.

Reporting without fear: protection against retaliation

The most common fear, especially among Hispanic tenants, is that complaining will bring retaliation: a rent increase, an eviction attempt, harassment. It is a legitimate fear, and the law anticipates it. Columbus has an anti-retaliation ordinance that protects tenants who report code violations, and Ohio law also prohibits a landlord from retaliating against a tenant for exercising their rights.

Documentation protects twice: to secure the repair and to shield against payback.

Where to turn in Columbus for free help

• Legal Aid Society of Columbus: (614) 241-2001
• Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio: 1-888-246-4420
• Ohio Hispanic Coalition: (614) 840-9934
• CRIS: (614) 235-5747

This article is informational and does not constitute legal advice. Each case has its own details, and for a specific situation the right step is to consult a lawyer or a legal aid organization.

What this case teaches

The stove of a tenant in Worthington looks like a small, private problem. It is not. It is an example of something larger: the gap between what a landlord promises and what the law requires them to do. That gap narrows with one thing within any tenant’s reach: paper. Written notices, dated photos, saved copies. In a housing dispute, the one who documents gains ground. And knowing that the law obligates the landlord — it does not ask them a favor — is the first step to stop waiting and start demanding.

Sources: Ohio Revised Code §§ 5321.04 and 5321.07 · Franklin County Municipal Court, Rent Escrow Division · Ohio Legal Help · COHHIO · Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio · City of Worthington, Planning & Building.