By Charlotte Caldwell
[email protected]

SIDNEY – The Rental Registration Ad Hoc Committee – started in response to a rental registration program ordinance introduced to City Council on Nov. 28, 2022 – reviewed a modified version of the program at a meeting on June 22.

At the beginning of the meeting, City Manager Andrew Bowsher shared that city staff has been actively following Ohio House Bill 33 – the bill establishing operating appropriations for fiscal years 2024-2025 which also includes limitations on how municipalities may create and/or maintain rental registration programs.

In cooperation with the bill, the new program included the following. The earliest the legislation would take effect would be January 2024:

• Registration of all residential rental property units within municipal limits;

• Naming of a local contact if the property owner resides more than 75 miles from the city;

• Requiring distribution of city and state legislation to occupants annually and to each new occupant;

• Change in registration information must be updated within 30 days of the owner’s actual knowledge of the change;

• Penalties for failure to register, including a fine of up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail for the first offense; a fine of up to $750 and/or 90 days in jail for the second offense; and a fine of up to $1,000 and/or 180 days in jail for the third offense;

• Appeals can be made to the Board of Building Code Appeals within 30 days of the receipt of the decision of the administrator.

The city is also working to create online software to streamline the registration process.

As mentioned and discussed in previous meetings, the new version of the program no longer includes fees for registration, mandatory inspections, or a city-certified rental list. However, inspections will be provided free of charge upon request.

The landlords on the committee discussed issues with the enforcement and posting of information sections of the program. They felt the penalties were too harsh and annual distribution of information would be cumbersome. The conversation led to a consensus to lower penalties – a $100 fine for the first offense; $250 for the second offense; and $1,000 for the third offense. The only offense level including potential jail time would be the third offense.

In the end, the landlords present were appreciative of the constructive discussions and the work put in toward an equitable solution. They felt the voices of the community were heard in the new program draft.