How Much Does It Cost to Evict a Tenant in Ohio in 2026?

Evicting a tenant in Ohio costs somewhere between about $160 and $233 in court fees alone, and the exact number depends entirely on which county’s municipal court hears the case.

Cuyahoga County’s Housing Division in Cleveland charges $110 just to open a nonpayment case, while Akron Municipal Court in Summit County bills $193 for that same first step.

That’s before the writ of restitution and the sheriff or bailiff-supervised set-out, which every county bills as its own separate line item.

Here’s what six of Ohio’s biggest counties charge at each stage, and exactly where a filing fee turns into a much bigger bill.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Court costs, notice periods and eviction procedures are subject to change, so confirm the current numbers with your county’s clerk of courts.

What It Costs to Evict a Tenant in Ohio

Evicting a tenant in Ohio always runs through the same four billable stages, no matter which county hears the case.

A landlord pays for the notice paperwork, the court filing and service, the writ of restitution, and finally the set-out.

Each stage carries its own fee, set by that county’s municipal court, not by the state.

Four separate bills.

Ohio law requires a written notice giving the tenant at least three days to leave or pay before a landlord can even file the complaint, and that notice has to include language telling the tenant they can seek legal help.

Franklin County: Eviction Costs in Columbus

Franklin County Municipal Court bills the writ of restitution and the set-out separately from the filing fee, both charged only once a landlord has already won the Columbus case.

The writ of restitution costs $35, and the bailiff-supervised set-out adds another $45.

That’s eighty dollars total.

Filing the complaint itself costs $149 for a one-cause nonpayment case against up to three defendants at the same address, under the court’s cost schedule revised effective August 1, 2026.

Add a claim for back rent to the same complaint, and that number rises to $186.

The clerk’s office schedules that set-out directly with the service bailiff once the paperwork clears.

Cuyahoga County: Eviction Costs in Cleveland

Cuyahoga County runs its evictions through Cleveland Municipal Court’s Housing Division, a separate court built for landlord-tenant cases that charges $110 to file against one tenant, plus $7 for each additional adult on the lease.

Once a landlord wins, requesting the physical set-out costs another $80, filed within ten days of the writ.

That’s the whole bill.

Cleveland’s clerk won’t schedule that set-out until five days after a bailiff formally notifies the tenant the case is over.

Because it’s a housing division and not an ordinary civil docket, Cuyahoga’s court also isn’t bound by the $15,000 damages cap that limits money claims in Ohio’s other municipal courts.

Hamilton County: Eviction Costs in Cincinnati

Hamilton County Municipal Court lists a $130 charge to file an eviction complaint against a Cincinnati tenant.

That figure doesn’t include service, which the clerk’s office adds separately depending on whether a bailiff, process server or certified mail carries the paperwork.

Carrying out the writ once the case is won adds another fee, commonly cited around $50 to $90 depending on which line item the clerk applies, since the court’s published fee sheet lists both a $50 notice for execution of writ and a $90 live execution charge without spelling out which one covers an ordinary eviction set-out.

Cincinnati’s eviction cases move through the same civil division that handles garnishments and small claims, just a different line on the fee sheet.

Montgomery County: Eviction Costs in Dayton

Montgomery County Municipal Court charges $130 to file and serve a one-defendant eviction with bailiff service and ordinary mail in Dayton.

Certified mail service costs $20 more per defendant, and each extra tenant named on the case adds another $5.

The writ of restitution runs $30 once a landlord is ready to have the property returned.

This is the cheapest total of the six.

That combination makes Dayton the least expensive of the six courts here, once you total every stage.

Summit County: Eviction Costs in Akron

Summit County Municipal Court in Akron charges $193 to file and serve a one-defendant eviction using certified mail, bailiff service and ordinary mail together.

A second defendant on the same case brings the total to $203, and each additional name after that adds $30.

The writ of restitution costs $40 once the judge sides with the landlord.

This is the priciest bundle of the six.

Summit County bundles all three service methods into that single filing fee, well above what the other five courts charge to start a case.

Lucas County: Eviction Costs in Toledo

Lucas County's Toledo Municipal Court splits its eviction fee by what the landlord is asking for.

Filing for eviction alone against one Toledo tenant costs $132.50, while adding a claim for unpaid rent brings the total to $147.50.

The writ of restitution adds another $50 once the case moves to a set-out.

Two paths, one court.

Toledo's Housing Court division, part of that same municipal court, hears eviction cases either way.

What a Lockout Costs If You Skip Court

Ohio law bans self-help evictions outright, meaning a landlord can't change the locks, shut off the utilities or physically remove a tenant's belongings without a court order first.

Skip that process, and the statute makes the landlord liable for all of the tenant's damages, not a capped or preset amount, plus the tenant's reasonable attorney fees.

There's no fixed fine.

Filed as its own civil action in an ordinary municipal court, that liability is capped at $15,000, the same ceiling that applies to any other civil claim there.

Changing the locks sits on Ohio's banned list for landlords trying to speed up a move-out, alongside shutting off utilities or removing a tenant's belongings without that court order.

A judge who finds a landlord went around the court can add those damages right on top of the case's own court costs.

Costs Beyond the Courthouse

Filing fees and set-out costs aren't the whole bill in many Ohio eviction cases.

Money damages tacked onto the case are capped at that same $15,000 ceiling in many Ohio municipal courts.

Rent disputes under $6,000 sometimes belong in that court's small claims division instead, which runs on its own lower fee schedule.

Different docket, different rules.

Hiring an attorney adds its own bill on top of the court's, and so does every week of rent lost while the case works through the schedule.

FAQ

Quick answers to what Ohio landlords ask most about eviction costs.

Straight answers.

How much does it cost to file an eviction in Ohio?

The base filing and service fee alone runs from about $110 to $193 depending on the county, before the writ and set-out charges join it.

Does the filing fee cover the tenant's actual move-out?

No. Every county bills the writ of restitution and the physical set-out as separate costs, charged only after a landlord wins the case.

Can an Ohio landlord skip court and change the locks instead?

No. Ohio law bans self-help evictions, and a landlord who locks a tenant out or shuts off utilities without a court order can be sued for damages and attorney fees.

Who ends up paying the eviction's court costs?

The landlord pays the filing and service costs upfront, but Ohio courts let the winning landlord add those costs to the money judgment against the tenant.

Do all Ohio counties charge the same eviction fees?

No. Each municipal court sets its own schedule, and the base filing fee alone ranges $83 between the cheapest and priciest of Ohio's six biggest counties.