The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio SB 83 establishes legal housing defense fund, suppresses unadjudicated eviction records, and permits third-party building inspections
Last action · February 12, 2025: Referred to JudiciarySponsors: Michele Reynolds and 4 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio Senate Bill 83 creates a housing defense legal services fund for low-income residents, requires eviction court records to be suppressed initially until a landlord wins, and permits project owners to hire certified s if local building departments fail to review plans or conduct inspections within thirty days.
The measure alters municipal building timelines and tenant screening by mandating that eviction filings remain private unless the landlord wins possession or both parties agree, while establishing financial assistance options for renters facing displacement.
- The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature responsible for enacting and amending the Ohio Revised Code. context
- The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation works to enhance access to justice for low-income Ohioans through civil legal aid funding. 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.
Low-income Ohioans
Eligible low-income households may receive civil legal services to stabilize and preserve housing through the newly created housing defense fund.
Landlords
Landlords must comply with new conveyance disclosure rules, 3-day notice requirements for specific lease violations, and revised eviction summons language.
General contractors and property owners
General contractors and owners gain the ability to hire independent third-party private inspectors if municipal building departments fail to complete reviews within 30 days.
Building departments
Local building departments must complete plan reviews and inspections within 30 days or face independent third-party reviews.
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
What happens to eviction court records when a case is filed?
Who is eligible for housing defense legal services funded by the new state fund?
What can a property owner do if a local building department fails to review building plans within 30 days?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 12, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Judiciary
- Feb 4, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced
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 →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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Eviction Record Privacy Transformation
The legislation shifts from immediately public eviction filings to a mandatory pre-judgment suppression model, opening records only if landlords prevail or parties agree.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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