Columbus Eviction Court Steps 2026–27: Franklin County Municipal Court, Hour by Hour
In Columbus, the most important part of an eviction case often happens on the 11th floor of the Franklin County Municipal Court, in the hour before your hearing. That's where free lawyers screen tenants, where county caseworkers check for rent money, and where mediators try to settle cases. Tenants who skip court, or show up late, miss all of it.
This guide follows a Columbus eviction from the notice to the red tag. The court-day section is written hour by hour.
Last checked October 2026. Facts come from Ohio Revised Code 1923.04 and 5321.15, the Franklin County Municipal Court's Eviction Court and Self Help Center pages, the court's continuance guide, Ohio Legal Help, and Columbus City Council legislation (File 3510-2024). This is general information, not legal advice.
Before Court: The 3-Day Notice
Under Ohio Revised Code 1923.04, a landlord must give you a notice to leave three or more days before filing an eviction case. The notice can be:
sent by certified mail, return receipt requested;
handed to you in person;
left at your home or at the rental unit.
The notice must include this sentence, printed 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."
What the notice is not: It's not a court order. You don't have to be out in three days. The landlord still has to file a case and win it.
What to do now:
Check for the required sentence and the date. Write down how and when you got the notice.
Find out if you qualify for a free lawyer (see Right to Counsel below), and call before you get a court date.
Gather proof: your lease, rent receipts, money order stubs, bank records, texts, and photos of any repair problems.
What Your Landlord Can't Do
Ohio Revised Code 5321.15 says a landlord can't try to force you out outside the court process. That includes:
shutting off utilities or services;
locking you out;
threatening an unlawful act;
taking your belongings to collect rent without a court order.
A landlord who violates this is liable for all damages it causes, plus reasonable attorney fees.
Right to Counsel in Columbus
Columbus has a Right to Counsel program for certain tenants facing eviction. Ohio Legal Help says you qualify if you:
are a Columbus resident;
are facing eviction;
have income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level;
have a child living in the home.
To request help: Contact Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (LASCO). Apply online or call (888) 246-4420. Ohio Legal Help says phone lines are open Monday through Friday, with most availability in the mornings.
Columbus City Council created this program through legislation that defines a covered proceeding as an eviction (forcible entry and detainer) case in a Franklin County court. Don't qualify? You can still talk with the Legal Aid lawyers at court (see below).
Court Day, Hour by Hour
The Franklin County Municipal Court is at 375 S. High St., Columbus. Eviction court is on the 11th floor. The court's continuance guide says court starts at 9 a.m.
Arrive early: check in twice
The court says:
Bring a copy of your summons.
On the 11th floor, Court Navigators greet you, give you information, and help you check in.
Check in with the bailiff in the eviction courtroom. Present your summons.
Before your case is called: get help
Once you've checked in, the court says several kinds of help are available on site:
Legal Aid Society of Columbus attorneys, through a Tenant Advocacy Program, talk with tenants before the hearing to see if they qualify for free representation.
Franklin County Job and Family Services staff screen tenants to see if they qualify for financial help with past-due rent.
Community Mediation Services offers free mediation. The court encourages both sides to try to settle before the hearing.
Use all three. A rent assistance screening or a mediated payment plan can end the case.
If you need more time to get a lawyer: ask first
The court's continuance guide says magistrates generally give a tenant one one-week continuance to find an attorney. They don't have to, but usually do. Usually only one is granted.
How to ask, per the guide:
When your case is called, the magistrate may show you a notice and ask whether you got it.
Before you answer any questions about the case, say: "Your honor, I am asking for a one-week continuance so that I can try to get an attorney to help me with this case."
If you answer questions first and then ask, the request will probably be denied because the court has already taken evidence.
If it's granted, the case is usually set for the same day the next week. The magistrate will usually confirm the date with you.
At the hearing
If the case isn't settled, the court says the magistrate hears both sides and decides. Each side must bring documents that support its case. That's your responsibility. Bring printed copies of:
your lease;
rent receipts and payment records;
the 3-day notice you received;
texts and emails with the landlord;
photos of repair problems and your written repair requests.
If the Eviction Is Granted: The Red Tag
The court says that when an eviction is granted, you'll get a red tag on your door. It means you have five days to leave.
If you haven't left after five days, the landlord can file for a set out. That's the removal of your belongings from the unit, supervised by a special court bailiff.
During those five days:
Move important things first: IDs, birth certificates, medications, school records, and work items.
Photograph the unit when you leave.
Give your landlord a forwarding address in writing.
Ask the Self Help Resource Center what options you have after a judgment.
The Self Help Resource Center
The court's Self Help Center is a free walk-in service for people going to court without a lawyer. Staff can't give legal advice. They can give legal information, court forms, and tools to fill them out, and answer general procedure questions.
Location: 375 S. High St., 16th floor
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. The last walk-in is accepted at 2:30 p.m.
Phone: (614) 645-7381. The court says no legal help is given by phone. It also warns that because of a budget shortfall, the center may close on short notice. Call ahead.
For general tenant rights information, the court also points tenants to the Columbus Urban League.
Your Checklist
[ ] Note how and when you got the 3-day notice.
[ ] Call LASCO at (888) 246-4420 if you're a Columbus resident with a child at home and low income.
[ ] Print your evidence. Bring your summons.
[ ] Arrive before 9 a.m. and check in with the Court Navigators and the bailiff.
[ ] Talk to Legal Aid, Job and Family Services, and the mediators before your case is called.
[ ] Need a lawyer? Ask for the one-week continuance before answering questions.
[ ] If you get a red tag, plan to be out within five days.
FAQ
Do I have to move out after a 3-day notice in Ohio? No. The notice lets the landlord file a court case. Only a court can order you out.
Where is eviction court in Columbus? Franklin County Municipal Court, 375 S. High St., on the 11th floor. Court starts at 9 a.m.
Can I get a free lawyer? Columbus residents at or below 100% of the federal poverty level with a child at home qualify for Right to Counsel through LASCO at (888) 246-4420. Legal Aid attorneys also screen tenants at court before hearings.
Can I get more time? Magistrates generally grant one one-week continuance to find a lawyer if you ask before answering questions about the case.
How long do I have after losing? The red tag gives you five days. After that, the landlord can request a set out supervised by a court bailiff.
Can my landlord change the locks or cut off utilities? No. Ohio Revised Code 5321.15 prohibits it.
Related Guides
Sources
Ohio Revised Code 1923.04: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1923.04
Ohio Revised Code 5321.15: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-5321.15
Franklin County Municipal Court, Eviction Court: https://www.franklincountymunicourt.org/Courts/Eviction-Court
Franklin County Municipal Court, One-Week Continuance guide: https://www.franklincountymunicourt.org/files/sharedassets/municourt/v/1/documents/eviction-court/eviction-continuance-one-week.pdf
Franklin County Municipal Court, Self Help Center: https://www.franklincountymunicourt.org/Self-Help-Center
Ohio Legal Help, Right to Counsel Columbus: https://www.ohiolegalhelp.org/resource/right-counsel-columbus-free-eviction-help
Columbus City Council, File 3510-2024: https://columbus.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=1451A8B9-34D4-4FFC-8036-79635F917C32&ID=7045421
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