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Not legal advice. This tool is for informational purposes only. AI analysis may contain errors. Always verify flagged clauses independently and consult a licensed attorney or OSU Student Legal Services (614-247-5853) before making decisions based on this output.

Columbus, OH · OSU student housing

Know your lease
before you sign it.

Signing a lease is one of the first big contracts most students ever sign. The terms are dense, the stakes are real, and landlords have read these documents a hundred times more than you have. KnowYourLease helps you understand what you're agreeing to before you put your name on it.

1
Analyze. Upload your lease and see what your landlord won't go out of their way to explain. Red flags, illegal clauses, and the Ohio statutes that protect you.
2
Compare. See how your landlord stacks up against every other major Columbus operator on the terms that actually matter at move-out.
3
Report back. When you move out, tell us what actually happened. The next student signing with your landlord will know what to expect.
For parents co-signing a lease

Before you sign as guarantor, understand what you are agreeing to.

Most traditional Columbus student leases are joint and several. That means if your student's roommates stop paying rent, the landlord can come after you for the full household amount. Not your student's share. All of it. On a four-person house at $2,400 per month, that is $28,800 in annual exposure before damages.

Many Columbus student leases include joint and several liability, but some structure leases individually so each guarantor is only responsible for their student's share. The difference is in the lease. KnowYourLease shows you which structure your landlord uses, and flags guarantor clauses in any lease you upload.

Columbus landlords · traditional
Columbus landlords · luxury complexes
Ratings sourced from OSU Undergraduate Student Government Renter's Guide (2018 to 2024), The Lantern investigative reporting, Birdeye and Yelp aggregated reviews, BBB complaint records, and Columbus city code enforcement data. Landlord rows marked ✓ lease have terms verified directly from sample lease documents.

Analyze your lease

Upload your lease PDF. We'll flag Columbus-specific red flags, match it to your landlord's known patterns, and cite the exact Ohio law that protects you.

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By uploading you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Lease text is processed by Anthropic AI for analysis. Original PDF is never stored on our servers. Not legal advice. See full disclaimer.

OSU Student Legal Services: student-legal.osu.edu · (614) 247-5853

Not legal advice. AI analysis may contain errors. Verify all flagged clauses independently. Consult OSU Student Legal Services (614-247-5853) or an attorney before acting on this output.
Columbus landlord profiles

Ratings from OSU USG surveys, public records, and verified sample lease documents. Click any landlord for full profile.

Compare

How Columbus landlords actually compare.

Each landlord's biggest strength and biggest concern at a glance. Rows marked ✓ lease are verified from sample lease documents.

LandlordType Deposit Auto-renewal Entry notice Roommate liability Utilities included FurnishedPetsRating
Terms marked "Verified" are sourced directly from landlord lease samples or USG reporting. Other terms reflect typical patterns and may vary by unit and year. Always read your specific lease. Sources: NorthSteppe FAQ, Hometeam Properties FAQ, OSU USG Renter's Guide (2018-2024), The Lantern, Birdeye, Columbus city code enforcement records.
Lease clause checklist

Every clause to find and understand before signing. Know what's normal, what's a red flag, and what's illegal.

💰 Money clauses
!
Security deposit amount and conditions
Find the exact deposit amount and how deductions are calculated. Any "damage schedule" with preset prices is illegal under ORC 5321.16.
Normal: 1-2 months rent, returned within 30 days with itemized listRed flag: flat-fee damage schedules, no itemization clause
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Utility estimates and billing method
Columbus gas averages $80-120/month in winter for student houses. A $40 estimate is likely misrepresentation. OSU students and their parents filed suit against NorthSteppe in 2006 alleging intentional utility cost misrepresentation (Columbus Free Press).
Normal: utilities excluded with no estimate, or accurate estimates disclosedRed flag: artificially low utility estimates in the lease
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Late fees
Ohio doesn't cap late fees but they must be reasonable. Look for the grace period, no grace period is a red flag.
Normal: $25-50 after a 3-5 day grace periodRed flag: no grace period, or fees exceeding 10-15% of monthly rent
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Early termination fee
If you break the lease, what do you owe? The landlord must mitigate by trying to re-rent, you only owe for vacant months, not every remaining month.
Normal: 1-2 months rent or liability until re-rentedRed flag: 3+ months penalty, or clause waiving landlord's duty to mitigate
🔄 Renewal and termination
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Automatic renewal clause
The most common trap. Does the lease auto-renew for another year unless you give written notice? Mark your calendar immediately.
Normal: 30 days notice required, or no auto-renewalRed flag: 60-90 day notice requirement buried in fine print
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Lease end date and move-out procedure
Is there a specific move-out time (e.g. noon)? Being late can trigger holdover rent charges at 2x the daily rate.
Normal: end of day on lease end dateRed flag: noon or earlier with no flexibility, steep holdover fees
👥 Occupancy and guests
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Joint and several liability
On a multi-person lease, all tenants are liable for the full rent. If a roommate doesn't pay, the landlord can come after any of you for the entire amount. Parents co-signing as guarantors are exposed to the full household liability.
Normal: standard in multi-tenant leases, just make sure you trust your roommatesRed flag: no clear allocation of responsibility between tenants
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Guest policy
How long can guests stay before they're unauthorized occupants? Some leases limit guests to 3-7 consecutive nights.
Normal: 7-14 consecutive days or 30 days cumulative per yearRed flag: 3 days or fewer, or undefined with landlord discretion
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Subletting policy
Can you sublet if you study abroad or leave for a summer? Most Columbus leases require written landlord approval.
Normal: allowed with written approval within 14-30 daysRed flag: entirely prohibited, or no response deadline for approval
🏠 Property access and maintenance
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Landlord entry notice
Under ORC 5321.04, 24 hours is presumed to be reasonable notice before entry for non-emergencies. Any clause explicitly permitting less than 24 hours is legally problematic. Vague "reasonable notice" language is not automatically illegal but gives you less protection than an explicit 24-hour requirement.
Normal: explicitly 24 hours written notice, entry during reasonable hoursRed flag: less than 24 hours explicitly stated, or vague "reasonable notice" with no defined period
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Maintenance responsibility
Who handles what repairs? Some landlords shift routine maintenance costs to tenants through lease language.
Normal: landlord handles structural, systems, appliancesRed flag: tenant responsible for appliance repairs or HVAC maintenance
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Move-in inspection procedure
Your most important protection against bogus move-out charges. If not in the lease, create your own checklist and email it with photos on day one.
Normal: written move-in checklist signed by both partiesRed flag: no move-in inspection mentioned
⚖️ Illegal clauses, void even if you signed
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Waiver of statutory tenant rights
Any clause waiving your rights under Ohio landlord-tenant law is void under ORC 5321.13. You cannot sign away habitability, deposit protection, or entry notice rights.
Always illegal, unenforceable regardless of signature
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Landlord property seizure
Any clause giving the landlord the right to take your belongings for unpaid rent is illegal in Ohio under ORC 5321.13.
Always illegal under ORC 5321.13
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Utility shutoff as eviction tool
Any clause allowing the landlord to cut off gas, electric, or water as a means of forcing you out is illegal under ORC 5321.15. Only a court order can authorize eviction.
Always illegal, call Columbus police at 614-645-4545 if this happens
📋 Verified landlord-specific red flags
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NorthSteppe: Jury trial waiver (Section 14)
NorthSteppe leases require arbitration and waive jury trial rights. You pay half the arbitration cost. This is legal but heavily landlord-favorable.
Verified from NorthSteppe sample lease (Ver. 2023)
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Buckeye: Guarantor waives ORC 5321 rights
Buckeye's guarantor clause states the guarantor "waives any notice required by ORC 5321." Waiving statutory notice rights is legally questionable and parents signing as guarantors should know this.
Verified from Buckeye Real Estate sample lease (Section 6.2)
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Inn Town: All rent returned if any roommate NSFs
Inn Town's payment policy returns ALL partial rent received if any roommate has insufficient funds, and then proceeds with eviction. One roommate's bank problem can trigger the whole group's eviction.
Verified from Inn Town Homes sample lease (Section 1.2)
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OSU Properties: $350/month rent increase for any pet
If any pet or animal is discovered on premises, even a visiting pet for one day, rent increases by $350/month for the remainder of the lease including the current month.
Verified from OSU Properties sample lease (Section 19.1)
!
Move-out deadline is NOON, not midnight
NorthSteppe, Kohr, and Buckeye leases end at noon (12:00 PM) on the final day, not midnight. Being in the unit after noon triggers holdover penalties.
Verified from NorthSteppe and Buckeye sample leases
Your tenant rights

Ohio state law and federal law both protect you. Ohio's ORC Chapter 5321 governs most day-to-day landlord-tenant issues. Federal law adds protections that apply on top of state law.

For parents and guarantors
What you are agreeing to when you co-sign. As a guarantor, you are making a legally binding promise to the landlord that if the tenant fails to pay rent, damages, fees, or any other amount owed under the lease, you will pay it. This is not a formality. It is a personal financial obligation.
Joint and several liability means full household exposure. Most traditional Columbus student leases are signed jointly and severally by all tenants. If your student's three roommates stop paying rent and move out, the landlord can pursue you, the guarantor, for the entire household rent. Not your student's share. The whole house. On a 4-person house at $2,400 per month, that is $28,800 per year of exposure before damages.
Some leases limit guarantor liability to your student's share only. Not all Columbus leases use full joint and several liability. Some landlords structure leases individually, meaning each guarantor is only responsible for their own student's portion. OSU Properties explicitly limits guarantors to 1 divided by the number of tenants on the lease. Before co-signing, ask whether the lease is joint or individual.
Guarantor liability survives the student leaving. If the lease is renewed and your student stays but a roommate is replaced, most guarantor forms continue through the renewal. Read whether your guaranty covers extensions and renewals.
Damage liability is also joint. If any tenant causes damage, the landlord can pursue any guarantor for the full repair cost, not just the share attributable to your student.
Buckeye Real Estate guarantors waive ORC 5321 notice rights. Buckeye's guarantor clause (verified from their sample lease) states the guarantor waives any notice required by ORC 5321. This means the landlord may not be required to give a guarantor advance notice before pursuing collection. This clause is legally questionable and parents should read it carefully before signing.
What to ask before you co-sign. (1) Is this lease joint and several or individual? (2) Am I liable for all tenants or just my student? (3) Does this guaranty cover renewals? (4) What is the total annual rent exposure? (5) Does the guaranty waive any of my statutory rights?
Security deposits ORC 5321.16
30-day return deadline. Landlord must return your deposit within 30 days after the lease ends, along with a written itemized list of any deductions. Miss this deadline and you can sue for double the withheld amount plus attorney fees, but only if you gave a written forwarding address.
Written itemized deductions required. Every deduction must be explained in writing with actual costs. A vague or flat-fee damage schedule is illegal.
Normal wear and tear is protected. Landlord cannot charge for ordinary deterioration, only actual damage beyond normal use.
Interest on large deposits. If your deposit exceeds the greater of $50 or one month's rent, the landlord owes 5% annual interest on the excess portion after 6 months. If your deposit is equal to or less than one month's rent, no interest is owed regardless of amount.
Flat-fee damage schedules are illegal. Deductions must reflect actual documented repair costs, not preset amounts.
Landlord entry ORC 5321.04
24 hours is presumed reasonable notice. Under ORC 5321.04(8), 24 hours is presumed to be reasonable notice in the absence of evidence to the contrary. Any lease clause that explicitly permits entry in less than 24 hours is legally problematic. Vague "reasonable notice" language without a specific time period is not automatically illegal but gives you weaker protection than an explicit 24-hour requirement.
Maintenance requests authorize entry. If you submit a maintenance request, that counts as permission for the landlord to enter and make repairs without additional notice.
Habitability ORC 5321.04
Landlord must maintain a habitable unit. Required: working heat, plumbing, electrical systems, structural integrity, hot water, and common area safety.
Utility shutoff during tenancy is illegal. Landlord cannot cut off gas, electric, or water as a means of eviction or retaliation while you have the right of occupancy.
Rent escrow remedy. If landlord fails to fix a serious habitability issue within 30 days of written notice, you may deposit rent with the court clerk under ORC 5321.07 instead of paying the landlord directly.
Prohibited lease terms ORC 5321.13
These clauses are void even if you signed. A lease cannot: (1) exempt the landlord from their own negligence; (2) authorize the landlord to seize your property; (3) require you to pay the landlord's attorney fees; (4) waive your rights under ORC 5321. Note: clauses limiting liability for third-party acts or events beyond landlord's control are permitted, only the landlord's own negligence cannot be waived.
Unconscionable terms ORC 5321.14
Courts can refuse to enforce unconscionable clauses. Under ORC 5321.14, if a rental agreement or any clause was unconscionable at the time it was made, a court may refuse to enforce the agreement, enforce the remainder of the agreement without the unconscionable clause, or limit the clause to avoid an unconscionable result.
What makes a clause unconscionable. Ohio courts consider whether there was gross inequality in bargaining power, whether the clause was buried or unclear, and whether enforcement would produce an oppressive or unfair result. Clauses courts have found problematic include extreme holdover penalties, unlimited damage liability, and provisions that waive all tenant remedies.
Broader protection than ORC 5321.13. ORC 5321.13 voids specific types of clauses outright. ORC 5321.14 gives courts broader discretion to strike any clause that is fundamentally unfair, even if it does not fall into one of the specifically prohibited categories. If a lease clause feels extreme or one-sided, this is the statute to cite.
Eviction protections ORC 5321.15
Self-help eviction is illegal. Landlord cannot change locks, remove doors, cut utilities, or remove your belongings without a court order. Even after a court grants eviction, only a bailiff can remove you. Columbus police: 614-645-4545.
3-day written notice required before filing for eviction. For nonpayment of rent, landlord must serve a written 3-day notice before going to court.
Retaliation protection ORC 5321.02
Landlord cannot retaliate for complaints. If you complain to a government agency about code violations, complain to your landlord about ORC 5321.04 violations, or organize with other tenants, landlord cannot raise rent, reduce services, or threaten eviction. Adverse action within 90 days of a protected complaint is legally presumed retaliatory.
Lease termination ORC 5321.17
Month-to-month: 30-day written notice required from either party to terminate. Week-to-week requires 7-day notice. Fixed-term leases end at their stated date unless renewed.
Landlord must mitigate damages. If you break a fixed-term lease, landlord must make reasonable efforts to re-rent. You only owe rent for months the unit sits vacant, not every remaining month automatically.
Auto-renewal must be clearly disclosed. Check your lease for renewal notice deadlines, missing them can lock you into another full year.
Federal law: Fair Housing Act 42 U.S.C. 3604

Enacted 1968. Federal law applies on top of Ohio state law. Source: U.S. Code Title 42, Chapter 45, verified at uscode.house.gov.

Landlords cannot discriminate. Under 42 U.S.C. 3604(a), it is unlawful to refuse to rent or make a dwelling unavailable to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability.
Discriminatory lease terms are illegal. Under 42 U.S.C. 3604(b), a landlord cannot impose different terms, conditions, or privileges on a tenant because of any protected characteristic, including charging higher rent or requiring larger deposits.
Disability accommodation required. Under 42 U.S.C. 3604(f), landlords must make reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities. A blanket no-pets policy does not override a tenant's right to a service animal or emotional support animal under federal law.
How to file a complaint. Contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or file online at hud.gov. You have one year from the discriminatory act to file with HUD, or two years to file in federal district court.
Federal law: Lead paint disclosure 42 U.S.C. 4852d

Source: Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act. Verified at uscode.house.gov.

Required for pre-1978 housing. If your rental was built before 1978, federal law requires your landlord to disclose any known lead-based paint hazards, provide available records, and give you the EPA pamphlet "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home" before you sign. You have the right to a 10-day inspection period.
Penalties for non-disclosure. Landlords who fail to comply face civil penalties up to $16,773 per violation and can be held liable for triple damages in a private lawsuit.
Federal law: Servicemembers Civil Relief Act 50 U.S.C. 3955

Source: U.S. Code Title 50, Chapter 50. Verified at uscode.house.gov. Applies to active duty military members only.

Active duty servicemembers can terminate a lease early. Under 50 U.S.C. 3955, a servicemember may terminate a residential lease at any time after entering active military service, or after receiving orders for a permanent change of station or deployment of 90 days or more.
How to terminate. Deliver written notice of termination plus a copy of military orders to the landlord by hand, private carrier, or certified mail. For monthly leases, termination is effective 30 days after the next rent payment date following delivery of the notice.
Termination also releases dependents. Per 50 U.S.C. 3955, a servicemember's termination of a lease terminates any obligation a dependent of the servicemember may have under the same lease.
Get help OSU Student Legal Services: student-legal.osu.edu, (614) 247-5853
Ohio Legal Help: ohiolegalhelp.org · Columbus Tenant Hotline: (614) 645-6966
Community Legal Aid: clslaw.org · HUD Fair Housing: hud.gov or 1-800-669-9777
Full ORC Chapter 5321: codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-5321
Federal Fair Housing Act: uscode.house.gov (Title 42, Chapter 45)

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Submit your move-out experience

What actually happened?

Your move-out experience is information no other student has access to. Did your deposit come back in 30 days? What got deducted? Was it justified? Six anonymous questions. The next student signing with your landlord will know what to expect.

01
Which landlord?
Select the property management company on your lease.
02
Was your security deposit returned within 30 days?
Ohio law (ORC 5321.16) requires return within 30 days of lease end with itemized deductions.
03
If deductions were taken, how much?
Approximate range. Skip if no deductions.
04
Were the deductions itemized in writing?
Ohio law requires written itemization of every deduction.
05
Did you dispute any deductions? What happened?
06
Anything else worth knowing?
Optional. Specific incidents, things you wish you'd known, or what you'd tell the next tenant. Kept anonymous.
No account · No email · Aggregated into landlord profiles
About

Why this exists.

Signing a lease is one of the first big contracts most students ever sign. The terms are dense, the stakes are real, and landlords have read these documents a hundred times more than you have. KnowYourLease helps you understand what you're agreeing to before you put your name on it.

Built by an OSU student who watched too many friends get burned by Columbus landlords. Most of the time, the issues weren't a surprise. They were buried in the lease the whole time. Most students just didn't know what to look for, and nobody made it easy to find out.

Every lease analyzed sharpens our landlord profiles. Every move-out experience shared makes the picture clearer for the next student. The whole point is that you shouldn't have to learn this stuff the hard way.

FAQ
Is this legal advice?
No. This is informational. For real legal advice, contact OSU Student Legal Services at (614) 247-5853, they review leases for free.
How accurate is the AI analysis?
The AI applies Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321 to your specific lease text. It's accurate on well-established legal standards but can miss nuance. Always verify flagged clauses independently before acting on them.
Where does landlord data come from?
OSU student government Renter's Guide surveys (2018 to 2024), actual sample lease documents, The Lantern investigative reporting, Birdeye reviews, BBB complaint records, and Columbus city code enforcement data.
Is my lease data stored?
Anonymous aggregated metadata is stored locally in your browser. Your actual lease PDF is never stored or transmitted beyond the analysis itself.
My landlord isn't listed. What do I do?
Upload your lease anyway, the AI analysis works for any Columbus lease regardless of landlord. If your landlord appears frequently in submissions, they'll be added to the database.
Built for
OSU students signing Columbus leases.
Cost
Free to use.
Affiliation
None. Independent and student-built.
Legal advice?
No. Always verify with OSU Student Legal Services.
Contact

Concerns or complaints?

Use this form to flag inaccurate landlord information, raise privacy concerns, or share feedback. Messages are reviewed regularly and acted on in good faith.

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02
Your name (optional)
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Only needed if you want a response.
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Your message
If reporting an inaccuracy, include the specific landlord, the specific statement you believe is wrong, and the basis for your claim.
Stored privately. Reviewed regularly.
Privacy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 26, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how KnowYourLease handles information when you use know-your-lease.com. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described here.

What we collect

Lease documents you upload. When you upload a PDF, the file is processed in your browser using PDF.js to extract its text. The extracted text is sent to Anthropic, Inc. through their API for analysis. We do not store your original PDF on our servers. We do not retain a copy of the extracted text after the analysis is returned to you.

Anonymous metadata. When analysis completes, we may store the following in your browser's localStorage: the matched landlord, the number and type of red flags found, the overall fairness score, and a timestamp. This data lives only in your browser and is not transmitted to a server we control.

Move-out submissions. If you use the Submit Experience feature, your responses are stored in your browser's localStorage. We do not collect names, emails, or other identifying information through this feature.

Server logs. Our hosting provider, Vercel, logs basic request information. These logs are subject to Vercel's privacy practices.

Third parties we use

Anthropic, Inc. We use Anthropic's Claude API to analyze lease text. Lease text you upload is transmitted to Anthropic's servers for processing. Anthropic's handling of this data is governed by their privacy policy at anthropic.com/legal/privacy. By uploading a lease, you consent to this transmission.

Vercel. Our hosting provider.

We do not use advertising trackers, Google Analytics, or any third-party marketing tools.

What we do not do

We do not sell your data. We do not share your data with landlords, property management companies, or marketing partners. We do not use your data to train AI models. We do not require an account or email address.

Contact

For questions, submit a message through our contact form.

Terms

Terms of Service

Last updated: April 26, 2026

These Terms govern your use of know-your-lease.com. By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

Not legal advice

The Site provides automated, AI-generated, informational analysis of lease documents. It does not provide legal advice. We are not a law firm. No attorney-client relationship is created by your use of the Site. OSU students may obtain free lease review from OSU Student Legal Services at (614) 247-5853.

No warranties

The Site is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. AI-generated analysis can produce mistakes, omissions, hallucinations, and incorrect interpretations of legal text.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, KnowYourLease and its operators shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Site. Our total aggregate liability shall not exceed USD $100.

Third-party content and trademarks

The Site references named Columbus landlords and property management companies. The Site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any landlord, property management company, or The Ohio State University. If you believe any information about a specific landlord is factually inaccurate, contact us through our contact form.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio. Any dispute shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Franklin County, Ohio. Class action waiver: any dispute will be brought in an individual capacity only, not as a class action.

Contact

For questions, submit a message through our contact form.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Last updated: April 26, 2026

Not legal advice

KnowYourLease is an informational tool. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. The lease analysis is generated by artificial intelligence and may contain errors. OSU students can access free lease review through OSU Student Legal Services at (614) 247-5853.

No affiliation

KnowYourLease is independently operated. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The Ohio State University, OSU Student Legal Services, OSU Undergraduate Student Government, or any landlord or property management company referenced on the Site.

Landlord information accuracy

Information about specific Columbus landlords is compiled from publicly available sources including the OSU Undergraduate Student Government Renter's Guide, The Lantern investigative reporting, Better Business Bureau records, Birdeye and Yelp aggregated reviews, Columbus city code enforcement records, and sample lease documents. Ratings represent informed summaries of these sources, not independent claims of fact. If you believe specific information is inaccurate, submit a message through our contact form.

AI accuracy limitations

The lease analysis tool uses Anthropic's Claude AI. AI systems can produce confident-sounding output that is incorrect. Always verify any flagged clause independently before taking action based on it.