Ohio Bans Local Rent Control (Statewide Preemption)

Ohio Rev. Code 5321.19, enacted by H.B. 430 and effective September 23, 2022, prohibits any political subdivision - a county, township, municipal corporation, or similar local body - from imposing or requiring rent control or rent stabilization on residential premises. The General Assembly declared that an adequate housing supply is "a matter of overriding statewide interest" requiring a uniform approach. The ban does not apply to residential property the political subdivision itself owns, nor to voluntary incentive programs such as tax abatements, tax-credit financing, bonds, or grants used to increase or improve housing supply. Ohio imposes no statewide cap on rent or rent increases, so for private rentals the rent and any increase are governed by the lease.

Any local rent-control or rent-stabilization ordinance is preempted by Ohio Rev. Code 5321.19 and is void and unenforceable against landlords. With no statewide rent cap, a landlord setting or raising rent on a private rental faces no rent-control penalty.