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Rental Registration

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1. What is the purpose of the Rental Registration requirement?

Rental property registration allows for enhanced communication between the City and rental property owners. It requires a designated local person to be responsible for activities which occur on the premises. Having a designated local person available will facilitate communication between city staff and owners or their responsible agents. The City’s goal is to be able to contact a property owner or responsible party as soon as we become aware of an issue so it can be addressed quickly, which in turn helps protect the health, safety and welfare of the community and helps preserve an attractive and desirable community.

2. How often must the property be registered?

Applications are to be completed and submitted biennially. In addition, if the rental contact information changes, the contact information shall be registered with the City of Gahanna within 30 days of the change. 

3. When must the information be filed?

An owner or representative of a residential rental property must file the required information with the City of Gahanna by March 15th on a biennial basis of the calendar year in which they first registered and/or within 30 days of any changes in owner/rental contact information or transfer of ownership. 

4. What is the registration process?

The registration application and permit fees include the rental contact registration, application processing, property inspection and issuance of a rental permit if the property is in compliance with City Code. Any and all violations from the inspection must be rectified and brought into compliance. Once the property is confirmed to be in compliance with city maintenance code, a Rental Permit will be issued.

5. Where will the required information be maintained?

The City of Gahanna will record the required information in the Planning Department located at 200 S. Hamilton Rd., Gahanna, Ohio 43230.

6. What constitutes a residential rental property?

Code section 780.02(m) defines a Rental Dwelling Unit as any structure or part thereof rented or leased by a person or persons other than the owner for residential purposes. Rental dwelling units may also be known as a rental dwelling, rental unit, dwelling unit, or housekeeping unit and may be a mobile home, manufactured home, or industrialized unit.

7. Do I have to register a property if it is a single-family dwelling and I (the owner) live at the property?

Single-family dwellings that are occupied by the owner for more than 50 percent of the year are exempt from the registration requirement, even if a renter or lessee also occupies the property. Exemptions must be requested on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed to be approved. Please contact Code Enforcement for further information. If the single-family dwelling is occupied by a renter or lessee and is occupied by the owner for 50 percent or less of the year, the property must be registered.

8. Do I have to register a property if it is a duplex or multi-unit and I (the owner) occupy one of the units?

Yes, any and all Rental Dwelling Units at the property must be registered even if the owner also occupies one unit on the property. The exemption for owner-occupied single-family dwellings (detailed above) does not apply to duplexes or multi-unit complexes

9. Do I have to register a property I own that I rent to my family or friends?

Yes, a Rental Dwelling Unit is any structure or part thereof rented or leased by a person or persons other than the owner for residential purposes. This includes friends and family. However, an exemption from the registration requirement may be requested if the property is occupied by a family member of the owner AND that person is occupying the property rent-free. Exemptions must be requested on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed to be approved. Please contact Code Enforcement for further informati

10. Do I have to register my property if a resident is living in the home rent-free and making repairs or updates to the property?

Yes, rent means the offering, holding out or actual leasing of rental property to an occupant other than the owner and generally involves the payment of money or other consideration. Making repairs or updates to the property in lieu of rent payment constitutes an “other consideration,” so the property would need to be registered.

11. Do I have to register my Airbnb?

Yes, a property used for Airbnb or similar hosting services is considered a Short-Term Rental, whether that is a wholehome rental or a room rental. Short-Term Rental means any dwelling that is rented wholly or partly for a fee for less than thirty (30) consecutive days by persons other than the permanent occupant or owner from which the permanent occupant or owner receive monetary compensation. However, an exemption from the registration requirement may be requested if the short-term rental property is a single-family dwelling AND is occupied by the owner for more than 50 percent of the year. Exemptions must be requested on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed to be approved. Please contact Code Enforcement for further information.

12. Can I use a P.O. Box as an address?

No, you must provide an actual personal or business physical address. You may provide the P.O. Box as additional/supplemental information.

13. Who must file?

If a property has multiple individual owners (John, Jane, and Joe Doe), only one individual is required to file as the contact agent. If a property has only one owner but is used as a rental property, the owner must register as the rental contact liaison for the property. If the property is owned by a trust, business trust, estate, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company (LLC), association, corporation, or any other business entity, then one of the following persons, as indicated below, must file as the contact agent. If the property is owned by: 

• a trust - a trustee must file 
• an estate - the executor or administrator must file 
• a partnership or a limited partnership - a general partner must file 
• a limited liability company - a member, manager, or officer of the company must file 
• an association - an associate representative must file 
• a corporation – a member, manager or officer must file 
• any other business entity - a member, manager, or office.

14. ?What if I sell the property?

The new owner/landlord must register the property within 30 days of the transfer of ownership if the property will be used as a rental investment

15. What will the inspector be looking for?

The inspector will be performing an EXTERIOR inspection only. For your convenience, you can find a sample inspection sheet to use as a guideline on the Rental Registration website. The inspector will be using this same checklist for the inspection. Please note that this checklist is not an all-inclusive list and that other violations may be found that are not on the list.

16. Do I have to be present at the time of the inspection?

No, a representative is not required to be present during the inspection but may do so if desired. The property owner must contact Code Enforcement prior to the inspection to schedule if they wish to be present. The inspector will perform an exterior inspection and send the results to the address listed on the rental application along with instructions for a follow-up inspection if another inspection is required.

17. What happens if violations are found during the inspection?

You will receive an inspection results report showing any violations found. The property representative will be given ample time to correct the violations and a follow-up inspection will be scheduled to verify the violation(s) are resolved.

18. What happens if I don’t respond to the Registration Requirement Notices I received?

Failure to respond to the Rental Registration Requirement Notices may result in the Owner, Agent, or Business receiving citation(s) and Court Summons with a mandatory court hearing for Failure to Register a Residential Rental Property within the City of Gahanna. 

19. Can I appeal the rental registration requirement?

Yes, The Property Appeals Board (the Board) shall have jurisdiction to hear and decide appeals when it is alleged that there is an error in any requirement, decision, or determination made by the Designated City Official in the enforcement or administration of Chapter 780 - Rental Property Registration and Inspection.

20. How much is the registration and permit fee?

Please reference the table below. 

	Single Family\Duplex	Multifamily
Registration Fee	$50	$50
Permit Fee:  Based on # of units	$100	$200 less than 10 units  $400 10 - 59 units  $600 60 - 99 units  $800 100 or more