State guide
Ohio
Ohio licenses lead inspectors, risk assessors, abatement contractors, and related professionals through the Ohio Department of Health, and state law creates a voluntary lead-safe residential rental unit registry. Unlike North Carolina and North Dakota, Ohio also has current city-level rental lead-safe certificate programs on official pages for Cleveland, Toledo, and Cleveland Heights.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- State lead program
- Ohio's lead program is run by the Ohio Department of Health, which licenses lead professionals and administers the state lead-safe residential rental unit registry.
- Rental lead-safe requirements
- Ohio has a state lead-safe residential rental unit registry, and official city rental lead-safe certificate pages were found for Cleveland, Toledo, and Cleveland Heights.
- Certified lead inspector and risk assessor lookup
- Official page →
- Renovation (RRP) program
- EPA
- Disclosure
- No statewide rental disclosure rule beyond the federal pre-1978 disclosure was found on the official state pages reviewed; Toledo's city page also requires landlords to provide a copy of the Lead-Safe Certificate before renting.
Official resources in Ohio
State lead law chapter covering licensing, investigations, hazard control, and the lead-safe residential rental unit registry.
Rules for Ohio's lead-safe residential rental unit registry.
Official ODH search URL for licensed lead professionals, cited in Ohio state documents.
Official Cleveland page for rental lead-safe certification requirements.
Official Toledo page for rental lead-safe certificate requirements and tenant notice items.
Key facts for Ohio
- Ohio law says the director of health shall maintain a list of licensed lead inspectors, risk assessors, contractors, workers, designers, and clearance technicians.
- Ohio's lead-safe residential rental unit registry allows owners to register qualifying rental units with the director.
- Cleveland requires rental owners to prove their dwelling units are safe from lead hazards.
- Toledo requires pre-1978 residential rental properties with 1-4 units to obtain a Lead-Safe Certificate.
- Cleveland Heights requires pre-1978 residential rental units to obtain Lead-Safe Certification.
- EPA, not Ohio, administers RRP in Ohio.
Local rental lead ordinances in Ohio
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program | Not published* | Not published* | Ohio program phone for guidance, listed in official Ohio state lead guidance. |
| City of Cleveland Lead Safe Certification Cuyahoga | Cleveland | 216-664-2274 | City contact for lead-safe certification questions and submissions. |
| City of Toledo Lead Safe Toledo Lucas | Toledo | 419-936-2020 | City contact number given for questions or concerns about Toledo's lead-safe ordinance. |
| City of Toledo Lead Inspectors and Contractors Lucas | Toledo | Not published* | Official city list of registered lead inspectors and contractors used for Toledo compliance. |
| City of Cleveland Heights Housing Programs Division Cuyahoga | Cleveland Heights | 216-291-4869 | City contact listed for lead abatement assistance, eligibility, or future application periods. |
| Lead Safe Columbus Program Franklin | Columbus | Not published* | City grant program with a lead-safe registry map; the page does not state a citywide rental lead-safe certificate mandate. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Search the ODH lead-license database before hiring an Ohio lead inspector or risk assessor, then verify any city-specific registration rules.
- If the property is in Cleveland, Toledo, or Cleveland Heights, check the city page first because local certification rules are separate from state licensing.
- For Toledo rentals, plan tenant notice documents early because the city page lists the pamphlet, known hazards, lease language, and certificate copy.
Not seeing your city or county?
Not every city publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Ohio's population center, for comparison only):
- Detroit Property Maintenance / Rental Property Questions, Michigan · about 135 miles
- Detroit Certificate of Compliance Program, Michigan · about 135 miles
- West Virginia Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Project, West Virginia · about 158 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3742
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Ohio page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.