The Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 92 on Mar. 19, a measure aimed at changing how unpaid water and sewer bills are handled for properties with tenants. The bill was introduced by State Representatives Mark Johnson and Riordan McClain.
The legislation seeks to address concerns from landlords who have been held responsible for utility debts incurred by their tenants. Under current law, municipal authorities can place a property lien against landlords for unpaid water and sewer bills, even if the landlord did not contract for or use the service.
House Bill 92 would prohibit this practice, requiring municipal utilities to collect overdue payments directly from the tenant if the landlord is not the service contract holder or occupant. The bill also prevents municipal service providers—including water, sewage, and natural gas companies—from denying or discontinuing service to a landlord or new tenant because of nonpayment by a previous tenant, provided certain conditions are met.
“At the end of the day, this is simple contract law,” said Johnson. “Responsibility should follow the individual who agreed to the service. House Bill 92 ensures that landlords and new tenants are not stuck covering costs they didn’t sign up for, restoring fairness to Ohio’s utility system.”
McClain said, “House Bill 92 is simple in principle. If you contract for a service and receive that service, you should be responsible for the payment, and any unpaid balance should not be transferred to a third party out of convenience. Implementing best practices in operating a system that holds the responsible payer accountable rather than a convenient third party is what both right and achievable.”
The bill will now move forward for consideration in the Ohio Senate.
