Ohio’s home-buying process runs through a title company rather than an attorney by default, and its transfer tax is really two separate charges layered together — one fixed statewide, one set locally. On top of the state-level rules, it’s worth knowing that a meaningful number of Ohio cities add their own pre-sale inspection requirement that has nothing to do with anything in this guide’s state-law sections. Here’s where Ohio’s process actually diverges from the generic version.
Closings run through title companies, not attorneys
Ohio doesn’t require an attorney to be present at a residential closing — title companies and escrow agents handle the process directly, similar to Florida or North Dakota. Ohio law does require deeds, powers of attorney, and certain other documents to be prepared by an attorney, but in practice that’s handled by counsel working for the title company or lender rather than something the buyer personally has to arrange. An attorney is still worth hiring directly for an estate sale, an investment purchase, or anything with real contract negotiation or a dispute involved.
The title search and Ohio’s recording office
Ohio splits property valuation and recording into two genuinely separate elected offices: the County Auditor values property for tax purposes, and the County Recorder handles deed recording. (A third office, the County Clerk of Courts, handles case records rather than either of these functions.) RefPages’ County Records directory links to your specific county’s Auditor and Recorder.
The conveyance fee: a small mandatory piece plus a variable local piece
Ohio’s transfer tax, formally the real property conveyance fee, has two layers:
- A mandatory state fee of $1 per $1,000 of the sale price (0.1%), charged in all 88 counties.
- A permissive county fee, which most counties choose to levy, capped by state law at $3 per $1,000 (0.3%). Rates vary county to county — commonly $2 or $3 per $1,000 depending on the county — and a small number of counties don’t levy the permissive portion at all.
Combined, the total can run as high as $4 per $1,000 (0.4%) of the sale price in a county charging the maximum permissive rate. Because the permissive rate is set locally and can change by county commissioner resolution, confirm the current combined rate with your county auditor or closing agent rather than assuming a statewide figure. By custom, this fee is typically paid by the seller, though that’s a matter of local practice and contract terms rather than a fixed rule.
What sellers have to disclose
Ohio Revised Code § 5302.30 requires the seller of residential property with one to four dwelling units to complete a state-prescribed Residential Property Disclosure Form and deliver a signed copy to the buyer, covering known conditions of the water and sewer systems, structural components, mechanical systems, and known hazards such as lead-based paint. Ohio law requires delivery before or as soon as practicable after the buyer makes an offer; if the buyer instead receives it after already entering a purchase agreement, the buyer gets a statutory right to rescind — without needing to prove damages — within three business days of receiving it, capped at 30 days after the offer was accepted or at closing, whichever comes first. A range of transfers are exempt, including foreclosures, transfers between family members, and court-ordered sales.
A layer on top: municipal point-of-sale inspections
This is the piece that catches people off guard, and it has nothing to do with the state disclosure form above. A number of Ohio cities and villages — exercising home-rule authority under the Ohio Constitution — require their own point-of-sale inspection before a residential property can legally change hands, checking things like basic housing-code compliance, working smoke detectors, and structural or mechanical items specific to that municipality’s code. This is a patchwork of local ordinances, not a statewide program, and whether it applies (and what it covers) depends entirely on the specific city or township where the property sits — some inner-ring suburbs in the Cleveland area have long-standing programs of this kind, but requirements and enforcement vary widely across the state. Check directly with the relevant city or village building department before you assume a state disclosure form alone covers everything the sale needs.
Help with the down payment
If you’re a first-time or income-qualifying buyer, it’s worth checking the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) before you shop: it offers below-market mortgage rates along with down-payment and closing-cost assistance, plus programs targeted at recent graduates, military members, and first responders.
If the property needs permitted work
If an inspection turns up something that needs a permit to fix, RefPages’ Building Permit Departments directory links to the relevant city or county permitting office — worth checking alongside, not instead of, any point-of-sale inspection requirement above.