Central Ohio Landlord Policy Update: Week of June 8, 2026

by | Jun 9, 2026 | Local Policy Update, Owner Education | 0 comments

Ohio City Council members reviewing a zoning update on a table: blueprint plans, rulers, pains Five municipalities with active policy movement, thirteen more in the quick-hits section, and one statewide ballot fight that just shifted timelines. Here is what Central Ohio landlords need to track this week.

TL;DR

Powell is taking up a comprehensive zoning code rewrite at its June 10 Council meeting, so there is still time to comment. Plain City is drafting a new Exterior Property Maintenance Code (no vote scheduled yet). Hilliard has recommended adopting a housing study that will shape future zoning. Worthington passed a resolution opposing the proposed elimination of Ohio property taxes, an amendment that, as of June 5, will not appear on the November 2026 ballot. Pickerington is reviewing zoning for data facilities. Thirteen more Central Ohio updates are tracked in the quick-hits section below.

Key Takeaways

  • Powell Council reviews a full zoning code rewrite on June 10; if you own property in Powell, read the draft and comment before the vote.
  • Plain City is enacting an Exterior Property Maintenance Code and recently created a Code Compliance Inspector position, so expect more inspections and enforceable upkeep standards.
  • The Ohio property tax elimination amendment will not be on the November 2026 ballot (the campaign is now targeting 2027), but Worthington, Dublin, and Canal Winchester all engaged the issue this week.
  • Hilliard’s housing study and Upper Arlington’s zoning text amendments are still in the recommendation and hearing stages, which is the window to weigh in.
  • Additional active items span Gahanna, Grove City, Granville, Sunbury, Worthington, Canal Winchester, and Dublin.

Powell: Comprehensive Zoning Code Rewrite Heads to Council June 10

Status: Upcoming meeting (scheduled for June 10). The meeting has not happened yet, so there is still a window to weigh in before Council acts.

Powell City Council is set to review a request to approve a comprehensive update of the Powell Zoning Code at its June 10 meeting. A full zoning code rewrite is among the most consequential actions a growing suburb can take for rental property owners. It can change what can be built in a given area, how density is treated, which uses are permitted outright and which require conditional approval, and how non-conforming structures are handled going forward.

Powell is not a large municipality by Columbus metro standards, but it is a high-income, high-growth suburb in Delaware County, and its property values reflect that. Rental properties here often attract long-term tenants and command rents at the upper end of the Central Ohio market. A rewrite that changes density allowances or imposes new use restrictions could affect the value of existing rental units, expansion plans, or the feasibility of future acquisitions in the area.

The June 10 meeting is a live comment opportunity. If you own rental property in Powell or are considering acquisitions there, the draft should be reviewed before Council acts. The full agenda is available through the City of Powell’s agenda viewer.

Separately, the Powell Planning Director recently outlined the formal process for the rewrite, including upcoming public hearings. That procedural front-end is tracked in the quick-hits section below.

Plain City: New Exterior Property Maintenance Code Under Discussion

Status: Under discussion (no vote scheduled). No vote is scheduled yet, so the standards are still being shaped, but landlords should expect new exterior upkeep requirements to take effect.

Plain City Council discussed an ordinance at its June 3 special meeting that would amend the village’s Codified Ordinances to enact an Exterior Property Maintenance Code. A maintenance code sets enforceable standards for the condition of building exteriors and surrounding premises. For rental operators, that translates directly into inspection visits, written notices, and compliance deadlines when a property falls short of the defined standard.

The practical significance here goes beyond the ordinance itself. Plain City recently established a Code Compliance Inspector position, signaling the village is building real enforcement infrastructure. The current code compliance approach is complaint-driven, covering issues like accumulated trash, tall grass, and inoperable vehicles. A formal Exterior Property Maintenance Code would standardize those standards, put them on clear legal footing, and give the new inspector a defined framework for citations and re-inspections.

A new inspector plus a new code is a combination that changes day-to-day operations for landlords in Plain City, not just the legal landscape.

No vote is on the calendar yet, which means the current discussion period is the right moment to review what is being proposed and, if warranted, engage with the village before standards are locked in. The June 3 Council special meeting packet is available through Plain City’s government website. Plain City’s existing code compliance framework is documented on their Code Compliance page.

Hilliard: Housing Study Recommended for Council Adoption

Status: Recommended for approval (awaiting Council vote). It has been recommended but not yet adopted, so there is still a window to shape how the findings turn into policy.

At its June 4 meeting, Hilliard Council members discussed a recommendation to adopt a Housing Study assessing the city’s current and projected housing needs. Studies of this kind carry more weight than their name implies. They become the foundational document that zoning changes, density decisions, and incentive programs get argued from for years after adoption. Whatever assumptions are baked into the study now will drive the policy conversation through the next planning cycle.

The study is expected to project Hilliard growing from roughly 37,000 residents today to approximately 54,000 by 2050, and it is anticipated to include recommendations for zoning adjustments and housing incentive programs. Hilliard has already demonstrated it intends to act on housing commitments: the city recently partnered with the Central Ohio Community Land Trust on an affordable housing project, a concrete signal that study recommendations are likely to translate into action rather than sit on a shelf.

Hilliard is one of the higher rental-density suburbs in Franklin County, with a mix of single-family rentals, small multifamily buildings, and newer apartment development. For landlords holding property there, understanding what the study recommends on density, permitted uses, and affordability incentives is worth the read before Council votes. The study’s development context was reported by CommunityScale, the firm engaged for the planning work. Meeting information is available through Hilliard’s civic web portal.

Worthington and Dublin: Councils Push Back on Property Tax Elimination

Status: Recently passed (Worthington). The resolution is adopted, but it is a political position statement, not a change to what you currently owe.

Worthington City Council passed a resolution on June 1 opposing a proposed constitutional amendment that would eliminate property taxes in Ohio. The resolution joins similar positions taken by other Central Ohio councils, including Dublin, which engaged the issue this week as well. The common argument: eliminating property taxes would strip billions in voter-approved funding from school districts, fire and police services, and local infrastructure, with no clear replacement mechanism identified.

For landlords, the more immediately relevant development is what happened on June 5 at the statewide level. The campaign to put a property tax elimination amendment on the November 2026 ballot confirmed it will not make the fall ballot, falling short of the approximately 620,000 signatures needed. According to Signal Ohio, the group is now targeting the 2027 election cycle.

Property taxes are a core operating cost, and the statewide fight over eliminating them is now a 2027 story, not a 2026 story.

Ballotpedia’s overview of the initiative details what it would have prohibited: all taxes on real property including land and permanently attached buildings. That scope would have had significant and unresolved implications for how local governments fund services that directly affect property values and rental market conditions. Canal Winchester also engaged property tax policy discussion this week, tracked in the quick-hits section.

The Worthington resolution is available through the Worthington archive.

Pickerington: Zoning Review Targets Data Centers and High-Density Computing

Status: Under discussion (no vote scheduled). This is early-stage deliberation, so the practical effect on residential rentals is indirect for now.

Pickerington Council reviewed zoning codes and land use policies related to high-density computing facilities at its June 2 meeting. Data centers have become one of the fastest-moving land use stories in Central Ohio, with major investments from technology companies reshaping how municipalities approach large-facility zoning across the region.

When a city carves out new rules for industrial or high-density technology uses, it rarely stops at the facility boundary. Adjacent residential and mixed-use zones often get revisited at the same time, particularly on questions of compatibility, buffers, utility infrastructure, and long-term development trajectory. For residential landlords in Pickerington, the direct regulatory impact is limited at this stage. The indirect effects, particularly how the city’s development priorities shift as it accommodates or restricts these facilities, are worth watching.

The National Association of Counties has published a primer on the zoning, tax, and infrastructure tradeoffs local governments weigh when siting data centers, which provides useful context for how these decisions typically unfold. The full agenda packet from Pickerington’s June 2 meeting is available through Pickerington’s document host.

 

Also On the Radar This Week

Thirteen additional items across Central Ohio municipalities are in active legislative motion. None reached a final vote with direct landlord impact this week, but several are one step from adoption or have open public hearing windows.

  • Powell, OH [Introduced, public hearings pending]. The Planning Director outlined the procedural roadmap for updating Powell’s zoning code, including scheduled public hearings. This is the formal front-end of the larger rewrite covered above. Expect posted notice of hearing dates soon. Source.
  • Powell, OH [Recently passed]. Council approved Ordinance 2026-10. The available summary is light on specifics. Review the ordinance text directly for any provisions affecting property use, fees, or operational requirements. Source.
  • Gahanna, OH [Under discussion (no vote scheduled)]. Gahanna Council reviewed current zoning codes and development regulations. Gahanna is a high rental-density suburb, so changes here carry meaningful weight for residential operators. Early-stage review, but worth monitoring. Source.
  • Granville, OH [Introduced, public hearings pending]. Council introduced several ordinances for adoption that will be discussed at upcoming meetings. Check for any rental or property maintenance provisions before the hearings close. Source.
  • Sunbury, OH [Third reading completed (final adoption imminent)]. Council completed a third reading of Ordinance No. 2026.10. Adoption is imminent. Confirm whether the ordinance touches property management practices before it takes effect. Source.
  • Grove City, OH [Introduced, public hearings pending]. Grove City Council scheduled a public hearing on several ordinances, including items affecting property regulations. The hearing is an open comment window. Source.
  • Worthington, OH [Introduced, public hearings pending]. Council introduced Ordinance 2026-07, set to take effect July 1, 2026. Review now for any provisions that change operating requirements before the effective date arrives. Source.
  • Canal Winchester, OH [Third reading completed (final adoption imminent)]. Canal Winchester Council completed a third reading on a Codified Ordinances update. Final adoption is close. Check the full package for rental-relevant provisions. Source.
  • Canal Winchester, OH [Under discussion (no vote scheduled)]. Council discussed upcoming property tax policy changes. No vote is scheduled, but the discussion signals where local tax policy is heading in the context of the statewide property tax debate. Source.
  • Upper Arlington, OH [Introduced, public hearings pending]. Council discussed scheduling a public hearing on zoning code text amendments. Text amendments can quietly alter permitted uses or setback requirements. Track the posted hearing date. Source.
  • Dublin, OH [Introduced, public hearings pending]. Ordinance 30-26 (Supplement S-57 to the Code of Ordinances) received first reading. A second reading and public hearing are scheduled for June 8. Routine codification, but worth a review. Source.
  • Hilliard, OH [Recently adopted (now in effect)]. A Hilliard ordinance was noted as in effect from the earliest time provided by law. The entry is thin on detail. Confirm the underlying ordinance text if properties in Hilliard could be affected. Source.
  • Upper Arlington, OH [Under discussion (no vote scheduled)]. Councilmembers gave feedback on a sidewalk ordinance and the Homestead exemption credit. Neither is directly property-management related, but both can affect costs and property values in a high-income suburb where compliance standards tend to be enforced. Source.

What to Do With This Information

The most time-sensitive item this week is Powell. The June 10 Council meeting has not happened yet, which means property owners in Powell still have a window to review the zoning rewrite draft and submit comment before Council acts. That window closes Tuesday.

For Plain City and Hilliard, neither item has a vote scheduled yet. That is not a reason to ignore them. It is the reason to engage now, while standards and study recommendations are still being shaped rather than already codified. Landlords who track these items early are in a different position from those who read about the final ordinance after the vote.

The Ohio property tax elimination fight is now a 2027 story. The ballot campaign missed its 2026 signature target. That does not mean the issue is resolved, but it does mean the immediate urgency is reduced. Worthington, Dublin, and Canal Winchester all signaled this week where they stand.

If tracking 15-plus active municipal items across Central Ohio’s ordinance calendars is more than your operation has bandwidth for, that is exactly what this update is for. For questions about how any of these changes could affect properties managed through RL Property Management, schedule a consultation or reach the team at 614.725.3059.

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