Publications + Presentations

Summary

• Rule Update: Starting in 2027, the City of Columbus will implement a new ordinance that requires all residential rental properties to be registered with the city.
• The annual fee to register a rental property is $15.00 per unit with a maximum of $1,500.00 per complex.
• Among other requirements, all residential property owners must identify at least one local operator, a contact responsible for responding to emergencies, and comply with a Preventative Education Inspection (“PEI”) every three (3) years.
• This ordinance reflects the City’s goals of promoting the health and safety of rental properties and their occupants.

This past April, the City of Columbus passed Ordinance 4515, creating a Registry of Residential Rental Properties. The ordinance establishes a formal system for tracking rental properties and monitoring their safety and habitability.

Previously, when a rental property was neglected, unsafe, or otherwise in need of attention, the city had limited tools for identifying the Owner or Local Operator responsible for addressing the issue. Improving renter safety was the primary motivation behind the ordinance.

With the ordinance now in place, rental property owners should understand whether their properties are covered, what information must be provided during registration, and how the new requirements differ from existing obligations under Franklin County's rental registration program.

Which Properties Must Be Registered?

The ordinance generally applies to all residential rental properties located within the City of Columbus. However, several categories of properties are exempt from the registration requirement.

• First, vacant properties are not required to be registered. A vacant property is a dwelling that is not occupied as a home, residence, or sleeping place under a lease or agreement [Columbus Code Chapter 4501.42].
• Hotels, motels, and short-term rentals reserved for fewer than 30 days are also exempt [Columbus Code Chapter 598].
• Dormitories are excluded from the registration requirement as well [Columbus Code Chapter 3303.04]
• Finally, rooming houses where occupants rent individual rooms and share common spaces such as kitchens and bathrooms are not required to register [Columbus Code Chapter 4561].

What Information Must Be Provided During Registration?

Residential rental properties must be registered annually. The registration process requires owners to confirm basic property details, identify who owns and manages the property, provide local operator and emergency contact information when applicable, and supply information related to the Preventive Education Inspection.

Who May Complete the Registration?

Registration may be completed either by the property Owner or, when applicable, a Local Operator responsible for managing the property.

For purposes of the ordinance, an Owner generally includes the owner of record listed by the county auditor, as well as certain individuals or entities that have a legal ownership interest in or control over the property.

A Local Operator is generally a person responsible for the management or operation of the property whose primary residence is located within 100 miles of Columbus. Property managers holding a valid Ohio real estate license may qualify as Local Operators regardless of where they reside.

Property Information Required

Owners must provide basic identifying information about the property, including:

• The property's address;
• Associated county parcel identification numbers; and
• The number of dwellings or dwelling units located on the property.

Ownership + Contact Information

The registration must also include contact information for the Owner, including a mailing address, telephone number, and email address.

If the property is owned by a trust, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, estate, or other business entity, the registration must include the entity's contact information as well.

Additional Requirements for Managed Properties

If an Owner uses a third-party manager or other Local Operator, additional information may be required.

In most cases, the registration must identify at least one Local Operator and provide that person's mailing address, telephone number, and email address. Any Local Operator who holds an Ohio real estate license must also provide the applicable license number.

Notably, Owners with fewer than ten total dwelling units are not required to designate a Local Operator.

The registration must also identify an emergency contact if that person is different from the Owner or Local Operator.

Inspection-Related Information

As part of the registration process, Owners will be asked to provide information related to the City's PEI program, including information about:

• Shared heating, hot water, fire alarm, and fire suppression systems;
• Interior hallways and egress corridors;
• Shared exterior balconies, decks, and stairways;
• Common interior spaces such as lobbies and basements; and
• Multi-unit residential ponds located on the property.

Owner Certification

Finally, the Owner or Local Operator must certify, to the best of their knowledge, that critical building systems – including heating, fire alarm, fire suppression, water, sewer, and hot water systems – are operational and comply with applicable housing, health, and fire codes. The Department may also require additional information during the registration process.

Understanding the Preventive Education Inspection Program

One of the most significant aspects of the ordinance is the City's Preventive Education Inspection program.

Under the PEI program, registered rental properties will be subject to an inspection by the Department of Building and Zoning Services once every three years.

What Is the Purpose of the PEI?

According to the City, the PEI program is intended as an educational and preventative tool rather than a punitive enforcement mechanism. The goal is to identify potential housing, zoning, building, fire, or health code concerns before they become more significant problems.

What Areas Will Be Inspected?

The PEI generally focuses on common and shared areas of a property, including:

• Exterior portions of the property;
• Common areas, including interior corridors, hallways, and lobbies; and
• Areas containing shared mechanical systems, such as boilers, central furnaces, shared hot water systems, electrical panels, fire alarm panels, and fire suppression equipment.

What Areas Will Not Be Inspected?

The PEI does not include inspections of individual dwelling units unless requested by the tenant, Owner, or Local Operator.

Key Dates, Registration Fees, and Penalties

The ordinance is scheduled to take effect in January 2027. Property owners will have an opportunity to pre-register rental properties between October 2026 and December 2026.

The registration fee is $15 per dwelling unit, annually, capped at $1,500 per complex, also annually.

Owners should also be aware that the ordinance includes penalties for failing to register covered properties.

An Owner or Local Operator may be charged a civil penalty of $2 per dwelling unit per day for each day a property remains unregistered. The ordinance caps those penalties at 10% of the registration fees when a property is up to 120 days late and 20% after 120 days.

If penalties remain unpaid, the City may pursue collection through the Environmental Division of the Franklin County Municipal Court.

While $2 per day per unit may appear modest, those penalties can accumulate quickly for owners with multiple properties or large multi-family developments.

How the Columbus Registry Differs from Franklin County's Registration Program

Many rental property owners are already familiar with Franklin County's rental registration requirements. The new City of Columbus program does not replace those obligations.

Although the two registration systems serve different purposes, owners of rental properties located in Columbus must comply with both.

Generally speaking, Franklin County's program is focused on ownership tracking and tax administration, while the City's new registration program is tied more closely to inspections, code compliance, and proactive monitoring of rental housing conditions.

The programs also differ in several important respects:

	City of Columbus	Franklin County
When to refile?	Annually	Once or when changes in required information
Registration Authority?	City of Columbus Department of Development (Code Enforcement / Rental Registration Program)	Franklin County Auditor (Rental Registration Program)
When to file updates to rental properties?	Thirty (30) calendar days to update registration with any new required materials	Sixty (60) calendar days to update registration with any new required materials
Fees?	$15.00 per unit, annually, with a maximum of $1,500.00 per complex, annually.	No fee.
Inspection Requirements?	Yes – Columbus program is tied to proactive or periodic inspections and code compliance	No uniform inspection requirement under § 5323 itself; primarily a registration database
Penalties?	$2.00 per dwelling unit per day for the rental property that the owner or local operator fails to register	Each property is subject to a fine between $50–$150 per tax year

If you have questions or concerns about how the city's registration program affects your business or properties, or how to prepare for it, contact Michael Schottenstein at mschottenstein@keglerbrown.com. 

*This article is co-authored by Summer Associate Madeleine Britto