Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Ohio

In Ohio, there is no law that requires the landlord to give the tenant a copy of the lease agreement. However, if the landlord's failure to give the tenant a copy of the lease agreement affects the tenant in a negative way (for instance, I have heard of some cases where utility companies won't allow service to be initiated without a signed lease or where a municipality won't issue a parking permit without a signed lease) then it can be argued by the tenant that the landlord's failure to provide a copy of the lease agreement would be treated the same as a violation of the landlord's duties under Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.04.