The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio Bill Prohibits Municipalities from Shutting Off Rental Utilities for Past-Due Tenant Bills
Last action · March 25, 2026: Referred to Local GovernmentSponsors: Mark Johnson and 24 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Municipal corporations in Ohio are prohibited from refusing or disconnecting utility services to landlords or new tenants based on unpaid bills left by former tenants. The legislation also bars cities and villages from placing unpaid tenant utility charges as tax liens on rental property and establishes rules for meter reading and security deposits.
- Under prior Ohio law, municipal utility providers could place unpaid utility bills from tenants as tax liens against rental properties, making property owners responsible for tenant debts. context
- HB 92 passed the Ohio House of Representatives and was referred to the Senate Local Government committee during the 136th General Assembly. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
landlords
Landlords are protected from inheriting former tenants' utility liens and service shutoffs, but may face new rules regarding security deposits and utility agreements.
municipal corporations
Municipal utility providers lose the authority to place tenant-incurred utility debts on property tax duplicates or deny service to subsequent occupants based on past tenant arrears.
tenants
Prospective and current tenants cannot be denied utility service due to a previous occupant's debts, and deposits may be used directly for unpaid municipal utility services.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a city cut off water or electricity to my rental property because the previous renter left an unpaid balance?
Can unpaid tenant utility bills become a tax lien on a landlord's property?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
6 actions- Mar 25, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Local Government
- Mar 19, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
- Mar 18, 2026HouseFloorPassed
- Mar 11, 2026HouseCommitteeReported - Substitute (Local Government)
- Feb 12, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Local Government
- Feb 11, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
Favorable Passage
Total
13
- Yes
- 13
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (13)
Show 1 earlier roll call
Favorable Passage
Total
13
- Yes
- 8
- No
- 5
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (13)
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 20 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift in Utility Debt Liability
The legislation shifts the financial risk of unpaid tenant utilities away from property owners and tax liens back to municipal utility operating funds or direct debtor collection.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools