Business meeting:
Approve the November minutes: 1st Roger, 2nd Jamie
Treasurer’s report
- The current balance in our account is $599.27.
- We have paid for the Elks through our May meeting, so we will owe $300 for the Sept-Nov meetings later this year.
- We owe $400 to the Ohio Apartment Association, which Katie will pay soon.
- Please pay your 2026 dues! Just $35. Mail a check (PO Box 221, Findlay, OH 45839), bring cash/check to a meeting, or use PayPal.
Some discussion was had about our annual operating budget. Here are some general numbers:
- $400 for the Ohio Apartment Association
- $100 per meeting for the Elks (8 per year)
- $800-900 for the picnic
- $192 per year for the PO Box
- Around $50 per year for the website expenses
Notify those who have been inactive for 4 years that they’ll be taken off our email list. Make the cutoff at the end of February.
Old Business
None.
New Business
FAAA sometimes goes to the senior class at Findlay High School to present on contracts, leases, renting, landlords, tenants, etc. Tom Miller will head the education committee to initiate this. Mary Ann Gerdeman and Roger Domke have previously helped with this. Jamie Cunningham will bring it up to the Van Buren school board to present there also. Katie Erickson will also help with this.
Legislative Update (Tom Miller):
We’re in the 2nd year of the general assembly, so these bills have to pass before Thanksgiving this year in order to become law.
There’s a citizen-driven initiative to do away with the property tax. The terminology is complex to understand. In 2026, there were 13 bills in the House relating to property taxes, but hardly any in the Senate. They need to go through both to go anywhere. Some of them limit levies and school systems from large increases. This may be on the ballot in November if they get enough signatures. This is not likely to pass, but there has been discussion about what would replace this income. It could be income tax, sales tax, or just calling it something else.
HB 420: Eliminate property taxes by 2030.
One of the bills simplifies it into a realistic percentage rather than “mills,” so people can understand the numbers better.
There is a bill moving forward in Florida so that once you own your property free and clear, they can’t increase your taxes.
HB 309 passed. It allows local government to reduce the tax rate and millage if collections exceed what’s needed.
Property Protection Act: This is to address foreign entities that buy property within a certain radius of various infrastructure. They got it down to a smaller area now. This is still moving forward.
There’s legislation regarding political signs, so they can’t be restricted by HOAs. The thin blue line flag legislation has come up again.
HB 92, Municipal Recovery: This would limit how much a municipality can collect from a property owner for unpaid water bills. It would still be a lien on the property, but it would be limited to a “typical” shutoff amount. Deshler has an ordinance that the tenant can’t have water in their name until they pay that bill.
Sex Offender Residency Limit: They’re prohibited from residing within 200 ft of the residence of the victim. That passed the house 89-2.
Another bill would require lodging platforms like Airbnb to collect taxes.
HB 118: A lead testing certification tax credit has been proposed.
Prohibit rental discrimination on lawful income: This would prevent landlords from asking tenants how much money they make and basing a decision on that. This is not expected to go anywhere.
HB 295: Enable expedited removal of unauthorized property occupants (squatters). It would authorize the sheriff to get them out in one day. The sheriff would also stay there while you get their stuff out and change the locks, and you’d pay them an hourly rate to be present during that process. This was referred to the judiciary committee in May. There is also a Senate bill for this.
Our group has had some situations with squatters.
SB 70 Ohio Fairness Act: Prevents us from various discrimination.
SB 255: Assist with housing utility bills. They haven’t shared how they’re going to pay for this.
There is a House and Senate bill proposing to suppress eviction records after only 3 years.
Tom Miller has a handout with additional information on bills.
Motion to adjourn: 1st Beth, 2nd Mary Ann
Members Open Forum
Q: Does anybody else have empty properties that people don’t want to look at?
Some landlords are getting ghosted. Perhaps the market is softening. The problem is that nearly all the potential tenants have pets, and many landlords don’t accept them. It appears to be a lower-quality tenant base. There are a lot of luxury apartments going up in the northwest part of town. Most people want a place below $1000.
Immigrants: Some of the Haitians have disappeared. Many have gone back to Florida or to Haiti. There’s still a decent-sized immigrant population here. They often bring multiple other people with them.
Some jobs are coming in, but it appears to be the lower-income financial bracket.
Comment: Bought a house in November 2024, and the gas had been turned off for a while before. Around September, I started getting the gas service turned on, and it took until mid-November. So if you have a house without gas service, be warned that it’ll take a while!
Comment: There are often cheaper rates for gas and electric suppliers, so you may want to look into that. But the part of your bill that you can change is a small portion of your bill, so it may not be worth it.
Q: How many in the group accept pets?
Many of us do, but we charge extra. Many don’t leave damage, but occasionally they do.
ESA dogs: This is a difficult situation, and they do often cause significant damage. So many tenants call their pet an ESA just to have a pet and pay less. It’s wise to terminate the lease for other reasons rather than (or in addition to) an ESA. But it’s smart to have it in the lease that all animals must be approved.
Landlords charge different amounts per pet, and most include listing pets on the lease. Some also charge a one-time nonrefundable pet cleaning fee in addition to monthly fees.
Insurance:
Some insurance companies won’t cover properties where there are pets, due to the liability of dog bites. This should be covered by a tenant’s rental insurance, but it needs to have a specific policy to cover dog bites.
The landlord can be a secondary on a rental insurance policy, so you’re notified if the tenants stop paying it.
It’s common practice to have an umbrella liability policy.
Paying rent:
You can give tenants your company name and the last 4 digits of your account number, and your tenants can deposit their rent there. Or if you don’t have a lot of properties, set up individual free checking accounts for each property that the tenants can deposit into. Watch out for bank fees, especially for depositing large amounts of cash. Many banks also use Zelle.
Q: Has anyone had a tenant request a W9 for residential?
Generally, no. It’s just to give them an EIN. They have a right to request a W9 if they want to for over $600. It’s probably someone who works from home trying to expense it. You don’t have to send 1099s to corporations. Ask your accountant. It won’t be an issue as long as your tax return is accurate.