How to Sell a House by Owner in Ohio

Who runs the closing in Ohio?

Ohio is a title and escrow state. A title agency usually handles the closing: it runs the title search, issues title insurance, holds the funds, prepares the settlement statement, and takes the deed to the county auditor and recorder. No Ohio statute requires a lawyer to conduct a residential closing, and most Ohio closings happen without one. When title insurance is ordered, the title insurer or its agent must offer closing protection that covers the buyer, the seller and the lender against theft or misuse of the closing funds (Ohio Rev. Code 3953.32).

You can hire an Ohio real estate attorney to draft or review your purchase agreement, and some sellers do for an unusual deal, but it is a choice rather than a requirement. Whoever drafts it, get it in writing: Ohio Rev. Code 1335.05 bars a lawsuit to enforce a contract to sell land unless the contract is written and signed. Your signature on the deed must be acknowledged before a notary public (Ohio Rev. Code 5301.01), and the recorder will not accept a deed that does not name the person who prepared it (Ohio Rev. Code 317.111).

What must you disclose when selling a house in Ohio?

Ohio takes disclosure seriously. Under Ohio Rev. Code 5302.30, a seller of residential property with one to four dwelling units must fill out the state Residential Property Disclosure Form and give each prospective buyer a signed, dated copy as soon as is practicable. The Ohio Department of Commerce prescribes the form in Ohio Adm. Code 1301:5-6-10, and the current version took effect June 1, 2022. It asks what you actually know about the home, including water leaks or moisture in the basement or crawl space, whether the property is in a designated flood plain, and hazards such as lead-based paint and radon gas.

Timing matters. If the buyer receives the form only after signing the purchase agreement, the buyer may cancel in writing within 3 business days of receiving it, and no later than closing or 30 days after you accepted the offer, whichever comes first. Give the form before any offer and that right does not arise, so hand it over early. A few transfers are exempt, such as sales between co-owners, transfers to a spouse, child or other direct relative, newly built homes no one has lived in, and inherited homes the seller has not lived in during the past year. Answer in good faith from what you actually know.

What transfer taxes do you pay in Ohio?

Ohio calls its transfer tax a real property conveyance fee, and the seller pays it. The statewide part is $1 per $1,000 of the sale price (10 cents per $100 or part of $100) under Ohio Rev. Code 319.54. On top of that, Ohio Rev. Code 322.02 lets each county add a real property transfer tax of up to $3 per $1,000. All 88 counties levied one in the 2024 data published by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio: 62 at $3, 2 at $2.50, 21 at $2 and 3 at $1. So your combined rate is $2 to $4 per $1,000; on a $250,000 sale in a county at the $3 rate, the total is $1,000.

Ohio Rev. Code 319.202 makes the seller responsible for both parts. They are paid to the county auditor with the DTE 100 statement of value before the deed can go to the recorder. Confirm your county’s current rate with the county auditor before you estimate your net proceeds.

How is the deed recorded in Ohio?

The county recorder will not record a deed until the county auditor has stamped it as transferred and confirmed the conveyance fee filing (Ohio Rev. Code 317.22). The base recording fee is $34 for the first two pages and $8 for each added page, and each county may add a preservation surcharge of up to $5 per document, so check your county recorder’s fee schedule.

Can you sell without an agent in Ohio? The bottom line

Selling without an agent in Ohio is manageable. The title agency carries much of the procedure for both sides, so your real work is pricing the home, filling out the disclosure form honestly and early, and checking your county’s conveyance fee. This is general information, not legal advice. If a term in your contract worries you, one hour with an Ohio attorney is cheap insurance.

Every state's disclosure rule sits side by side, with a CSV, in seller disclosure requirements by state.

What is your home in Ohio worth? Get a free estimate from your ZIP code, with the agent fee on that price. No email, no account.

Where can you list a home for sale by owner in Ohio? See how the US for-sale-by-owner sites compare on cost and MLS access.

Selling by owner in a neighbouring state: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia.