Meredith Supe, a single mother renting at The Highlands of West Chester on Fountains Boulevard, said she went weeks without working air conditioning during a summer heat wave, even though AC is included in her lease.

Supe first submitted a maintenance request on June 21 after her unit's air conditioning stopped working. By June 28, the heat forced her to leave her apartment and stay with her brother in Hamilton. Neighbor camera footage from June 30 showed a maintenance worker entered her unit for only a few minutes. She received notice the issue was fixed, but her apartment remained between 80 and 91 degrees, she told WKRC on Tuesday, July 15.

"My daughter, everything has to be pushed up to make time to get here," Supe told WKRC. "Whereas, it wouldn't have to be that way if I were here where I'm supposed to be."

The apartment complex directed questions to its corporate office. Calls and emails to that office were not returned as of the July 15 report.

What Ohio law says about AC in rentals

Ohio does not require landlords to provide air conditioning. But if a working AC unit is included in a rental contract, the landlord must maintain it under Ohio Revised Code § 5321.04, according to the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio.

That law requires landlords to maintain all HVAC fixtures and appliances they supply.

Steps tenants can take

West Chester attorney Grant Wenstrup of Godbey Law LLC outlined the process for tenants in a similar situation.

• Document everything in writing. Wenstrup said tenants should send a certified letter to their landlord describing the problem. Under Ohio Revised Code § 5321.07, tenants must give landlords 30 days to make repairs after written notice before pursuing escrow. In emergencies such as a broken furnace in winter, a court may consider a shorter timeframe reasonable.
  
• Consider rent escrow. If the landlord doesn't fix the problem within 30 days, tenants who are current on rent can deposit their monthly payment with the Butler County Area Courts clerk instead of paying the landlord. The court holds the money until repairs are made. Wenstrup said magistrates can deduct a proportional share of rent based on how much of the unit was unusable.
  
• File in small claims court. Butler County's small claims division handles claims up to $6,000. "The clerks are always very helpful," Wenstrup told WKRC, noting the lower filing fee makes it practical for tenants to represent themselves.
  
• Know your retaliation protections. Ohio law prohibits landlords from raising rent, cutting services, or threatening eviction in response to a tenant exercising legal rights. Landlords found retaliating can be held liable for actual damages plus attorney's fees, Wenstrup said.
  

Where to get help

Tenants in Butler County facing repair disputes can contact:

• Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio: (513) 241-9400 or lascinti.org
• Godbey Law LLC (West Chester office): 8050 Beckett Center Dr., Suite 322, West Chester, OH 45069; (513) 241-6650
• Butler County Area Courts: areacourts.bcohio.gov for rent escrow filings and small claims

Supe said she has sent a certified letter to the apartment office and plans to seek money back for rent paid during the time she could not stay in her unit. As of the July 15 WKRC report, her AC repair had not been verified.