Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Columbus council adopts rental‑registry ordinance to track landlords, require inspections
Summary
The City Council voted to create a mandatory rental registry requiring annual registration, local operator contact information, and periodic preventive exterior inspections; properties with repeated violations face conditional registration, inspections and penalties. Supporters said it improves tenant safety; critics warned of burdens on small landlords.
Columbus City Council on Wednesday adopted Ordinance 0923‑2026, creating a city rental registry that will require every residential rental property to register annually and provide a named local operator and contact for emergencies.
Proponents said the registry will give the city data to identify problem properties earlier and protect tenants. “This ordinance begins to fix that by requiring clear ownership information and creating a structured registration system,” Michael Edwards of Legal Aid told the council, describing tenant cases where only an LLC could be found on county records and repairs were delayed until rent escrow revealed the true owner.
The registry requires property owners to report unit counts, shared systems and common areas. The Department of Building and Zoning Services will provide a free, preventive exterior inspection every three years for common areas; properties that accumulate repeated code violations, unresolved safety orders or public nuisance designations will receive conditional registration status, triggering common‑area inspections of up to 10% of units, required remediation plans and daily civil penalties until violations are addressed.
Council Member Bankston, sponsor of the ordinance, said the fee was reduced during stakeholder engagement from $40 per unit to $15 per unit, capped at $1,500 per property. Director Messer told the council the fee will pay for technology to make registration online, staffing for administration and enforcement, and the inspection program. Messer also said the city has a letter of intent with the Franklin County auditor to share data and reduce duplicate reporting.
Opponents and some council members warned the registry could impose administrative burdens on small landlords. “It places too much administrative burden on the overwhelming majority of responsible property owners who are doing the right thing,” Council Member Reie said during debate. Chair Bankston said the ordinance includes exemptions and a planned review period and that the fee could be frozen for the pilot to provide predictability.
Public testimony included landlords who supported the measure and community advocates who described hazardous living conditions faced by immigrant and low‑income tenants. The council recorded the final vote with 8 in favor and 1 opposed (Council Member Remy). The ordinance includes implementation details to follow in administrative rulemaking and additional legislation for the fee schedule.
Next steps: the departments will stand up the online registration system, coordinate data sharing with the county auditor as described by administration staff, and implement the preventive inspection program. Council members also signaled a review window to evaluate the program’s enforcement impacts and small‑owner protections.
Quote: “This ordinance is a major step in the right direction,” Michael Edwards said. “It shifts the system from reactive enforcement to proactive engagement.”
The city clerk recorded Ordinance 0923‑2026 as adopted; the administration will publish implementation dates and registration guidance.
