Ohio Rental Portfolio Guide
What you need to know before building or growing a rental portfolio in Ohio — property tax burden, state income tax, security-deposit rule, source-of-income law, and the metros that actually cash-flow after accounting for local taxes.
Tax burden on Ohio rentals
Property tax
1.59%
effective rate on median home value
At 1.59% effective, this is one of the highest property tax burdens in the country (rank 43 of 51). Every underwrite needs to account for the full carrying cost — even a strong rent-to-price ratio can go negative once property tax is properly modeled.
State income tax
3.50%
top marginal rate
A top marginal rate of 3.50% is low nationally. Rental income taxed at this level leaves more of each dollar of cash flow after federal tax, and 1031-deferred gains eventually pay this rate on recapture.
Security deposit rule
No statutory cap on security deposits. Landlords set the deposit at whatever the market accepts — typically one to two months' rent, sometimes more for higher-risk applicants or pets. Local ordinances may still apply.
Deposit rules change; verify current statute before drafting a lease.
Best cash-flow markets in Ohio
Modeled monthly cash flow on a median-priced single-family purchase at 20% down, 30-year fixed, using Ohio’s 1.59% effective property tax rate plus 25% of rent for insurance, maintenance, vacancy and management.
| Market | Median price | Median rent | Annual property tax | CF / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk, OH | $198,411 | $1,487 | $3,155 | $-188 |
| Marion, OH | $183,033 | $1,267 | $2,910 | $-251 |
| Marietta, OH | $187,264 | $1,250 | $2,977 | $-292 |
| Toledo, OH | $203,726 | $1,302 | $3,239 | $-362 |
| Youngstown, OH | $175,405 | $1,030 | $2,789 | $-379 |
| Lima, OH | $192,196 | $1,147 | $3,056 | $-402 |
State median across the metros: $216,844 home, $1,124 rent, $-608/mo modeled cash flow.
Track your Ohio rental portfolio
The Pro Portfolio Tracker rolls up every property in your portfolio, auto-revalues them monthly against local price data, and flags DSCR risk and equity milestones. Each Ohio property carries the state-specific tax burden shown above through to the cash flow calculation.
Property tax rate: Tax Foundation. Security deposit rule: state statute. Verify current law before making decisions — statutes change and this page is a planning reference, not legal or tax advice.