Columbus City Council Hears Third Round of Rental Registry Changes, Legal Challenge Threatened

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus City Council held its third public hearing Thursday on a proposed rental registry, with city departments presenting revised details including a reduced fee and a new preventative education inspection, while landlord representatives threatened a legal challenge.

The proposal, which has been in development for months, would require landlords to register rental units with the city. The Department of Building and Zoning and the Department of Development presented a third round of changes based on feedback from residents and stakeholders.

Director Scott Messer of the Department of Building and Zoning outlined the revisions, which include a reduced fee of $15 per unit, down from $20, with a maximum of $1,500 per complex. The proposal also adds a preventative education inspection every three years at no additional cost to registrants. The inspection focuses on exterior and common areas, with interior inspections only under consent, emergency, or warrant.

“We have made a few changes in this latest round,” Messer said. “We added a category of information linked to the inspection component.”

The council heard public testimony from both supporters and opponents. Landlord representatives argued the registry would duplicate existing state requirements and said the fee amounts to an unconstitutional tax. They threatened legal action, citing state preemption laws.

Tenant advocates pushed back, arguing the current complaint-based system is inadequate to address unsafe housing conditions. One advocate described seeing “mushrooms growing in somebody’s living room, sewage up to somebody’s knees, holes in the ceiling” and said proactive inspections are necessary to protect renters.

“A complaint-based system will not catch all the bad actors,” the advocate testified. “Focusing on what we currently have will not catch all of the bad actors.”

Council member Rob Dorans, who led the hearing, acknowledged the debate over whether the registry should target all landlords or focus only on the worst actors, which he described as about 0.5% of landlords with multiple violations.

No vote was taken Thursday. Dorans said his office will continue to refine the legislation, with official consideration expected by March. The proposal will require first and second readings before a final vote.

“This isn’t the end of a conversation,” Dorans said. “Continue to please reach out to my office because we want to continue to be engaged.”

Key moments

Significant

Legal basis for inspections explained

You cannot pass a registry that requires interior inspections of everyone's home. Hard stop.

Contentious

Landlord association threatens lawsuit

I'm here today to tell you that we will legally challenge this legislation as it currently stands.

Public interest

Tenant shares personal story of code violations

Quickly my illusion of living in a nicer neighborhood and it being safer became a nightmare because of this landlord.

Significant

Fee reduction and inspection addition announced

The fees that we're proposing right now are $15 per unit down from $20 per unit prior to this with a maximum of $1,500 per complex.

Significant

Conditional registration triggers clarified

Properties with 100 units, up to, so less than 100 units, if they have five code orders, but code orders that are related to things like no heat, no water, no electric, means of egress, serious safety violations.

Full analysis

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Meeting Analysis

City of Columbus — 2026-02-20

Meeting Information

Title: Columbus City Council Public Hearing: Rental Registry #3

Parish: City of Columbus

Date: 2026-02-20

Video: Recording

Transcript segments: 2111

Item	Description	Action	Vote Status
Rental Registry Proposal - Third Hearing	Third public hearing on the proposed creation of a city rental registry. Departments presented third round of changes including reduced fees, added preventative education inspections, and clarifications on enforcement.	Public testimony heard; council will continue to refine legislation with official consideration expected by March.	No vote taken; further hearings planned.

Fee reduced to $15 per unit (down from $20) with a maximum of $1,500 per complex.
All fees collected will be used only for registry purposes, not general fund.
Preventative education inspection every three years at no extra charge to registrants.

Duplicate registration with state auditor's system.
Fee as an unconstitutional tax without clear budget.
Burden on good landlords while bad actors may not comply.
Need for proactive inspections to protect tenants from retaliation and unsafe conditions.
Potential increase in rents due to added costs.

Landlord representatives threatened legal challenge, citing state preemption, duplicate registration, and fee as an unconstitutional tax.
Tenant advocates argued complaint-based system is inadequate and supported proactive inspections.
Debate over whether registry should target all landlords or focus only on the worst actors (0.5% with multiple violations).

Department of Building and Zoning

Presented third round of changes: fee reduced to $15/unit, max $1,500; added preventative education inspection every three years at no extra charge; clarified civil enforcement only.
Inspection focuses on critical systems, exterior areas, common areas; interior inspections only with consent, emergency, or warrant.
Conditional registration triggers: 5 code orders (critical safety) in 12 months for <100 units, 10 for >100 units, with 30-day non-compliance; less than 0.5% of properties historically affected.

Department of Development

Division of Housing Stability to assist with education component for property owners and tenants.
Sees registry as opportunity for proactive engagement and communication.

City attorney's office to review language on public nuisance declarations by environmental court.
Council to continue refining legislation; official consideration expected by March with first and second readings.
Departments to publish draft code language for public review after hearing.