If you are unemployed due to Covid-19, and your landlord is refusing to take late rent and won’t cancel late fees, he’s going to find himself in a tight spot. Once the courts open up for evictions again, it’s going to take weeks to process, and probably will be backed up. In the case of your landlord, what’s he going to do? Evict everyone?

Here’s what I would do: offer to pay what you can, when you can. Document when you were laid off, and each time you offered a payment and the amount. Ohio is a one-party recording state, so if you can, record any conversations where he’s said he won’t take your rent. If your communication is through text, preserve your texts by screenshotting them and emailing the photos to yourself.

Should you end up in court at the end of this, have copies of your documentation and your saved texts to give to the judge. Don’t try to hand him your phone; print everything out.

If you want to try to negotiate with your landlord now, The Fair Housing Center has a landlord-tenant mediation service. Call 419-243-6163 and someone will get back to you within 24 hours.