A new law, effective September 28, now requires all owners of residential rental property in Ohio to register their properties with the county auditor. The law is part of House Bill 294, also known as the Expedited Foreclosure Bill.

This new rental registration program requires rental property owners to provide the auditor with contact information including a telephone number, making it easier to get in touch with the owner in the event of a problem with their property.

The new requirement will streamline and centralize information pertaining to rental properties. In the past, different municipalities had different requirements and different forms, now there will be one county-wide, uniform standard. Forms are now available in the Montgomery County Auditor’s office and to make it even easier to file, the registration form is also available online at www.mcauditor.org, through the Rental Registration link.

Karl Keith and his staff plan to work with local cities, townships, villages, rental and apartment associations to help spread the word about this new registration requirement and its potential benefits. Communication will be important in order to reach out and collect information on the 26,866 residential rental properties in this county.

Once the information has been collected, Keith plans to make it available online so that it is accessible to the public and to our local cities, townships and villages. This rental registration information will be a useful tool for our communities.

Keith said, “We are committed to ensuring the highest possible compliance with this program, streamlining the filing process and making it accessible to our community.”

There is now one, uniform standard for the entire county. And, Karl Keith and his staff are working with local city and township officials to make the filing process as simple and quick as possible.

Residential rental registration forms are now available in the Montgomery County Auditor’s office and the Washington Township government buildings on McEwen Road. You may also visit www.mcauditor.org to download a form. Please call 225-4314 with any questions.