Frequently Asked Questions

Rental property registration allows for better communication between the City and rental property owners. It requires a designated local person to be responsible for activities that occur on the property. The City’s goal is to have a direct contact or responsible party that can address any issues quickly, which in turn helps protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community.

Gahanna 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.

Applications are to be completed and submitted biennially (every two years). If the rental contact information changes, the new contact shall be registered with the City of Gahanna within 30 days of the change. Approved rental permits are valid for two years and expire on December 31 of the second year. 

The registration includes providing the rental contact, processing the application, inspecting the property, and issuing a rental permit for properties in compliance with City Code. Any violations from the inspection must be addressed and brought into compliance before a permit can be issued.

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.

An owner or representative of a residential rental property must file with the City of Gahanna by March 15th on a biennial basis (every two years). If the property contact or ownership changes, then the new owner must apply within 30 days of the change or transfer of ownership.

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 for the property.

If the property is not owned by an individual or group of individuals, then one of the following persons must file as the contact agent:

• 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.

Please reference the table below. 

Single-family dwellings that are owner-occupied for more than 50 percent of the year are exempt from the registration requirement. Exemptions must be requested on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed to be approved. Please contact Code Enforcement for further information.

Yes, 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.

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. Exemptions must be requested on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed to be approved. Please contact Code Enforcement for further information.

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 considerations. Making repairs or updates to the property in place of rent payment is an “other consideration,” so the property must be registered.

Yes, a property used for Airbnb or similar hosting services is considered a Short-Term Rental, whether that is a whole-home 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 receives 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.

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

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

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. Please note that this checklist is not an all-inclusive list and that other violations may be found that are not on the list.

No, a representative is not required to be present during the inspection. The property owner may contact Code Enforcement before 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 in the rental application along with instructions for a follow-up inspection if applicable.

You will receive an inspection report showing any violation(s) 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.