Local –
ADVOCACY WIN! Columbus City Council Revisits Rental Registry, Accepts Amendment
- This past Monday, Columbus City Council unanimously passed legislation that would put a 3-year freeze on any increases in fees to the residential rental property registry.
- The rental registry passed in April with REALTORS® removing point-of-sale inspection language. In our discussions we stated that there should not be any fees; however, council agreed to an amendment that would halt any fee increases for three years.
- The registry will go into effect January of 2027, with initial outreach to property owners of the law change and requirements beginning in October of this year.
State –
Mid-Year at the Statehouse: What REALTORS® Need Should Know
- As lawmakers head into summer recess, the first half of 2026 has already brought significant activity at the Ohio Statehouse.
- The 136th Ohio General Assembly is now entering its final stretch, with lawmakers scheduled to return after the November election.
- More than 1,500 bills have been introduced so far this session. Ohio REALTORS® is monitoring more than 150 of them with a familiar but urgent set of priorities in mind: expanding homeownership, protecting private property rights, strengthening consumer protections, and making sure the voice of real estate professionals is heard by their elected officials.
National –
House Passes Seven-Year Terrorism Insurance Extension
- The U.S. House of Representatives voted 373–15 this week to pass the TRIA Program Reauthorization Act of 2026, which would extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) for seven years, through 2034.
- TRIA was created in 2002, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, to ensure the availability of terrorism insurance coverage, which is often required for commercial real estate loans and other large-scale investments.
- With House passage secured, attention now shifts to the Senate, where lawmakers are considering separate legislation that would also extend the program.
