How to Evict a Tenant in Cleveland: Notice, Counting Days and Housing Court Filing

In Cleveland, an eviction starts with a written notice, not a court filing: a 3-day Notice to Leave Premises carrying the exact wording Ohio law requires, then a 3-business-day wait, then a complaint filed with the Cleveland Municipal Court Housing Division at 1200 Ontario Street. If the owner is an LLC or another entity, an attorney has to file it. Skipping or botching the notice is the most common reason a filing goes nowhere.

We're ACC Solutions, a Cleveland property management and rehab coordination company. We don't give legal advice and we don't file evictions for owners; this post walks through what the Housing Court and the Ohio Revised Code publish, so you know the steps before you talk to an attorney. For setting up a rental properly before problems start, see our Cleveland rental registration and lead-safe checklist.

Step 1: Choose the Right Notice

• Non-payment or lease violation: 3-day notice. Ohio Revised Code 1923.04 requires the landlord to notify the tenant to leave three or more days before beginning the action.
• Ending a month-to-month tenancy: 30-day notice first. Under R.C. 5321.17(B), a month-to-month tenancy ends by notice given at least 30 days before the periodic rental date. The Housing Court explains that the notice must be given a full 30 days before the rent due date of the month you want the tenant to leave. If the tenant doesn't leave, you then serve the 3-day notice and file.

Step 2: Put the Required Language on the 3-Day Notice

R.C. 1923.04(A) requires every residential notice to include, printed or written conspicuously: "You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you. If you are in doubt regarding your legal rights and obligations as a tenant, it is recommended that you seek legal assistance." The Housing Court publishes a Notice to Leave Premises form that includes it and has a line for the reason for eviction. Use the form or another notice that complies with the court's Local Rule 6.01.

Step 3: Serve It and Count the Days Correctly

• How to serve: post it on the entry door, hand it to the tenant, or send it by certified mail (the court says to seek an attorney's advice on certified mail). Keep a copy; it gets attached to the complaint.
• How to count: the court says the notice must be given 3 business days before filing. The day of service, weekends or holidays, and the filing date do not count. A notice posted on a Friday does not support a filing on Monday.

Step 4: Gather the Filing Packet

The Housing Court's 2026 handout for landlords lists:

• The Complaint in Forcible Entry and Detainer (original, one copy for you, and two copies for each person named as a defendant), which must comply with Local Rule 6.022.
• A copy of the notice you served.
• Proof of ownership: a copy of the deed, a tax bill, or a Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer property record (Local Rule 3.012).
• A copy of the written lease (Local Rule 6.022).
• For an LLC, corporation, LP, trust or other entity: proof of registration with the Ohio Secretary of State (Local Rule 3.011).

Step 5: File at the Justice Center

Evictions are filed with the Civil Division of the Clerk of the Municipal Court on the second floor of the Justice Center, 1200 Ontario Street. The 2026 handout lists a filing fee of $110 plus $7 for each additional adult named in the eviction. The court says an owner holding title individually can file without an attorney, but all evictions by organizational owners must be filed by an attorney.

Which Court? Check Before You Print the Forms

The Cleveland Housing Division handles eviction for properties in Cleveland and Bratenahl. A rental in another Cuyahoga County suburb is generally filed in the municipal court that covers that address, with its own forms and local rules. Confirm the court for the property's city before you serve a notice, since the notice rules in the Revised Code are statewide but the local rules are not.

What Not to Do: No Lockouts, No Utility Shutoffs

R.C. 5321.15(A) prohibits a residential landlord from terminating utilities or services, excluding the tenant from the premises, or threatening any unlawful act to recover possession, other than through the court process. A landlord who violates it is liable for the tenant's damages plus reasonable attorney fees. Changing the locks is not a shortcut.

Where Landlords Lose Time

• Missing the required sentence. A notice without the R.C. 1923.04 language isn't the notice the statute describes.
• Miscounting. Weekends and holidays don't count toward the 3 days.
• Filing as an LLC without an attorney. The court requires an attorney for entity owners.
• No proof of ownership or Secretary of State status. Both are required with the complaint.
• Skipping the lease copy. Local Rule 6.022 asks for it.
• Using a 30-day notice when a lease term controls. A fixed-term lease and a month-to-month tenancy aren't the same, so ask an attorney which applies.

How ACC Fits

Evictions are legal proceedings, so talk to an Ohio attorney about your case. Where ACC helps is before and after: tenant placement, maintenance coordination, turnovers and make-readies, and rehab coordination when a unit needs more than a punch list. If you want help managing a Cleveland rental, see our rental property management page or call (216) 238-5999. Related reading: Ohio landlord habitability repairs, notice to enter in Ohio, Ohio security deposit rules and our rental turnover checklist.