Senior Living Apartments in Columbus, OH

Columbus residents can combine several private and public assistance options to help pay for senior living. An assessment of your own unique financial situation will help to determine the best way for you to pay for a senior apartment and any additional personal services you may need through in-home care.

Medicaid and Medicare won’t cover rent in a senior apartment, but they may help you offset costs in other areas. If you have a disability, chronic health condition, or another need for personal care services, public assistance may help cover the cost of these care services in your apartment.

Ohio senior apartments typically have an age minimum of 55, 62, or 65, depending on the individual apartment community. Age minimums generally don’t apply to every tenant; rather, one person in each apartment household must meet the age requirement.

Senior apartments are subject to the same regulations as any other Ohio apartment, with tenants and landlords each having their own obligations and rights.

Ohio apartment regulations

Landlords of apartments in Ohio are required to maintain standards of maintenance, safety, and cleanliness for their tenants. Landlords are required to do the following:

• Ensure that all electrical, plumbing, sanitation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, elevators, and other facilities are in good and safe working order
• Organize waste removal services (if the landlord is overseeing four or more dwelling spaces within one building)
• Supply running water and heat
• Make necessary repairs to keep the building safe and usable
• Maintain compliance with building codes for health and safety purposes
• Keep shared/common areas clean, sanitary, and safe

Tenants are required to do the following:

• Avoid disturbing other residents with excessive noise
• Keep the premises clean and safe
• Use plumbing and electrical equipment appropriately
• Dispose of waste properly
• Comply with state and municipal drug laws on the premises
• Comply with health and safety codes for housing

ADA compliance

Senior apartment communities must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by making reasonable accommodations and modifications for individuals with disabilities. Owners of housing facilities are prohibited by federal law from denying residency to individuals who have disabilities.

Reasonable accommodations are defined as adjustments to rules or policies so that residents with disabilities are able to access the same activities and benefits offered to the rest of the tenants. Some examples of accommodations may be the following:

• Provide convenient parking
• Provide equal access to the complex’s shared spaces or activities for those with disabilities
• Adjust rent payment due date to correspond with tenant’s disability payments

Modifications can mean making construction changes to the apartment complex and unit in order to make the space more accessible to individuals with disabilities. This could mean adding a wheelchair ramp, a hands-free entrance, or handrails in bathrooms. The costs of these modifications are the responsibility of the property owner, rather than of the tenant with the disability. You can find more information on related Ohio tenant-landlord laws below:

• View the Ohio Tenant and Landlord Guide
• View the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging Housing Guide for Seniors and Individuals Who Have a Disability

Ohio Department of Health contact information

Ohio Department of Health
246 N. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-466-3543

COVID-19 regulations for Columbus senior apartment communities

As most COVID-19 restrictions in Ohio have been lifted, there are no COVID-19 regulations in place for Ohio senior apartments at this time.

Residents of Columbus senior apartments can enjoy worry-free retirement, where they can shed the responsibilities of home ownership like lawn care and maintenance. Senior apartments’ amenities are often more basic than those of an independent living or assisted living communities, in order to offer convenience while keeping costs comparatively low.

Columbus senior apartment private amenities

Amenities of individual senior apartment units in Columbus generally include the following:

• Private balcony or patio
• High-speed internet
• Wheelchair accessibility
• Fully equipped kitchens

Columbus senior apartment community-wide amenities

Our partnered Columbus senior apartment communities generally feature communal leisure areas and on-site conveniences like the following:

• Planned social activities
• Storage units
• Maintenance
• Management staff
• Community swimming pool
• Fitness center
• Recreational areas
• On-site salon services

Social opportunities in and around Columbus senior apartments

This type of senior living also provides many social opportunities, as residents live among other retirees. Many Columbus senior apartments are centrally located in the downtown area, giving residents access to the city’s best dining and entertainment. Downtown Columbus is easy to traverse on foot or through public transportation. Dubbed “everybody’s neighborhood” for its inclusivity and its variety, downtown Columbus offers events at the Columbus Commons, beautiful views at popular rooftop restaurants, and lovely riverside parks on the Scioto Mile.

Health care for seniors in Columbus

Columbus is home to two state-of-the-art teaching and general medical hospitals.

Transportation for seniors in Columbus

Of A Place for Mom’s partnered senior apartments, 42% offer at-cost or complimentary transportation for residents. For residents in communities without transportation, Columbus is highly walkable and bikeable, and it has great public transportation options.

Columbus features an award-winning public transportation system. The Central Ohio Transit Authority, or COTA, received the American Public Transportation Association’s Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award in 2018 and 2020. With buses serving an area of over 1.2 million people, COTA has innovative trip planning tools, multiple services like Bike and Ride or Park and Ride, and a free Emergency Ride Home system to make sure Columbus residents don’t get stranded.

The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA) also has a comprehensive transportation guide where you can find information on free and low-cost transportation specifically for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Most errands in the downtown Columbus area can be accomplished on foot. The city has a bike share system called CoGo in addition to other public transportation options. Further outside of downtown, however, Columbus residents are more likely to need a car to get around easily.

Downtown Columbus has been ranked as “very walkable” by Walkscore.com, which gives it the following transportation ratings out of 100: