Under Ohio law all leases that have a term of three (3) years or longer must be signed and notarized to be considered valid and in effect.  Failure to have a lease with a term of three (3) or more years notarized can potentially invalidate that lease.  In contrast, leases that are for a duration of less than three (3) years only need to be signed by the parties and notarization is not required.  It is important to note this distinction before signing.

Most commercial leases are for a longer duration than three (3) years and therefore must comply with the notary requirement in order to be effective, although many real estate professionals and lenders are not familiar with this requirement.  Failure to properly execute a lease with a notary when required can have negative ramifications for both landlord and tenant.

Our team of attorneys and paralegal support at Thomas Law Group is very experienced with commercial real estate transactions, including leases.  Please contact us if we may be of assistance.