As used in sections 5322.01 to 5322.05 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Self-service storage facility" means any real property that is designed and used only for the purpose of renting or leasing individual storage space in the facility under the following conditions:

(1) The occupants have access to the storage space only for the purpose of storing and removing personal property.

(2) The owner does not issue a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, or other document of title, as defined in section 1301.201 of the Revised Code, for the personal property stored in the storage space

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"Self-service storage facility" does not include any garage used principally for parking motor vehicles, any garage or storage area in a private residence, an establishment licensed pursuant to sections 915.14 to 915.24 of the Revised Code, or any property of a bank or savings and loan association that contains vaults, safe deposit boxes, or other receptacles for the uses, purposes, and benefits of the bank's or savings and loan association's customers.

(B) "Owner" means a person that is either the owner of a self-service storage facility or the lessor of an entire self-service storage facility and that receives rent from an occupant pursuant to a rental agreement that the person enters into with the occupant.

(C) "Occupant" means a person that rents storage space at a self-service storage facility pursuant to a rental agreement that the person enters into with the owner.

(D) "Rental agreement" means any written agreement that is entered into by the owner and the occupant and that establishes the terms and conditions of the occupant's use of storage space at a self-service storage facility.

(E) "Personal property" means money and every animate or inanimate tangible thing that is the subject of ownership, except anything forming part of a parcel of real estate, as defined in section 5701.02 of the Revised Code, and except anything that is an agricultural commodity, as defined in division (A) of section 926.01 of the Revised Code.

(F) "Late fee" means any fee or charge assessed for an occupant's failure to pay rent when due. "Late fee" does not include interest on a debt, reasonable expenses incurred in the collection of unpaid rent, or costs associated with the enforcement of any other remedy provided by statute or contract.

(G) "Last known address" means either of the following:

(1) The mailing address provided by the occupant in the most recent rental agreement or the mailing address provided by the occupant in a subsequent written notice of a change of address;

(2) The mailing address of any of the persons described in division (A) of section 5322.03 of the Revised Code that is provided by any of those persons to the owner of a self-service storage facility or that is discovered by the owner of a self-service storage facility.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.169, HB 247, §1, eff. 3/22/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 9, §1, eff. 6/29/2011.

Effective Date: 05-04-2004 .