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How to check a landlord near Ohio State University - Columbus (Columbus, Ohio)

Most leases near Ohio State University - Columbus get signed without anyone checking who owns the building. The record is public. This is how to read it in about ten minutes, using 10,695 licensed rental addresses in Columbus that LandLens has already matched to their records.

1. Find the owner of record

Columbus requires rental properties to be registered or licensed. LandLens carries 10,874 of those records for addresses near campus, each joined to the address it covers, so the property page shows the owner of record or the registered contact, and how many other properties that name holds.

Source: Franklin County Auditor — Registered Rental Properties (Columbus OH).

The largest names on the registry near Ohio State University - Columbus right now: ASHLEY MATHIESON (478), LISA WAITE (344), ISABEL MCCAFFREY (181), SAM RAPOPORT (140), CRAIG BOUSKA (119). See the full list →

2. Check inspections, violations, and court filings

LandLens matches 800 eviction filings to the address they were filed for (by street and landlord →). It also carries 9,634 code violations matched to addresses near campus (by street and owner →). A single old filing means little. A pattern across an owner's buildings is the thing to ask about.

Source: Franklin County Municipal Court eviction filings; City of Columbus BZS — Code Enforcement Cases (GIS Open Data Columbus).

Where the records cluster near Ohio State University - Columbus

Streets with the most records on file right now: Indianola Ave (611 across 123 buildings), E 15th Ave (542 across 76 buildings), E 12th Ave (289 across 63 buildings), Summit St (282 across 110 buildings), N 4th St (281 across 101 buildings). A busy street is not a bad street; it is where to read the individual address pages more carefully.

Owners of record with the most records attached to their buildings: LISA WAITE (585 on 157 properties), SAM RAPOPORT (218 on 78 properties), TOM HEILMAN (184 on 29 properties), CRAIG BOUSKA (146 on 44 properties), ISABEL MCCAFFREY (145 on 78 properties). Each owner page lists every address that name holds, so you can see whether a record is a one-off or a pattern.

Counts are records matched to addresses near campus as of today and change as the city and courts publish. Sources are named on every page.

3. Read what tenants said

Every review on LandLens comes from a tenant who verified a .edu email, one review per person per address, with no names shown. If the address has no reviews yet, that is normal; most don't. Ask the current tenants directly, and when you move out, leave the review the next person will need.

4. Ask before you sign

Get the answers in writing, in the lease or by email. If you already have the lease, LandLens will read it and list the red flags in plain English for $9.99; your campus legal office (below, where we have it) will do it for free, more slowly.

1. Who exactly is the landlord on the lease, and is it the same name as the owner of record?
2. When was the last city inspection, and can I see the report?
3. What is the total move-in cost: deposit, first and last month, fees?
4. Under what conditions is the deposit returned, and within how many days?
5. Who handles repairs, and what is the promised response time for heat, water, and locks?
6. Is every tenant jointly liable for the whole rent, or only their share?
7. Can I sublet over the summer, and what does that require?
8. What was the rent last year for this unit?

5. Red flags

• The name on the lease does not match the owner of record and nobody can explain why.
• Pressure to sign today, or a deposit requested before you have seen the unit in person.
• A lease that makes you responsible for repairs the law puts on the landlord.
• Several eviction filings or open violations across the owner's other buildings.
• No written answer to any of the questions above.

Local help near Ohio State University - Columbus

• Ohio State Student Legal Services — free lease review, 614-247-5853
• Off-Campus & Commuter Student Engagement
• Columbus Tenants' Union

Questions

How do I find out who owns a rental in Columbus?

Columbus publishes a rental registry (Franklin County Auditor — Registered Rental Properties (Columbus OH)). LandLens joins it to each address, so searching the address on getlandlens.com shows the owner of record or registered contact. You can also search the registry directly on the city's open data portal.

Are there eviction or inspection records for rentals near Ohio State University - Columbus?

Yes. LandLens shows 800 eviction filings (Franklin County Municipal Court eviction filings) and 9,634 code violations (City of Columbus BZS — Code Enforcement Cases (GIS Open Data Columbus)) matched to the address they were filed for.

Is LandLens free?

Yes. Looking up an address, reading records, and reading reviews is free and needs no account. The only paid product is an optional full report on a single address.

Can a landlord pay to remove a review or a record?

No. Landlords cannot pay to be listed, promoted, or removed. Reviews come from tenants who verified a .edu email, one per address, and public records come from the city or county source named on the page.

Read the 2026 State of Housing report for Ohio State University - Columbus → · Print the campus flyer (PDF) →