Ohio law requires all owners of residential rental property to...

[Jonah Wilson]

Many #landlords are unaware that Ohio law requires all owners of residential rental property to register with the county auditor. If the property owner is located out of state, the landlord must also designate an in-state agent to accept service of process.

In Franklin County, Auditor Clarence Mingo recently announced that he would triple the penalty for non-compliance to the maximum allowed by law.

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Tired of absentee and other landlords not registering their properties, as required by law, Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo will be raising the fine for not registering to its maximum level.

“We are trying to induce greater compliance among rental property owners and wanting them to understand they have to register,” Mingo said Thursday.

The fine for not registering rental properties is $50, but Mingo is raising that to $150 — the most the law allows — beginning in December 2018 when property tax bills due in 2019 are mailed.