Ohio tax credit for landlords allowing pets

Ohio tax credit for landlords allowing pets
Ohio tax credit for landlords allowing pets. Image: MikeB

RELATED: Information about landlords and pets in the USA and UK (2022)

The bill provides a $750 nonrefundable tax credit per dwelling for landlords that agree not to charge additional rent or fees for tenants with companion animals.

Ohio Legislature website.

At the time of writing this the Ohio legislature website is down 😹🐶 but Google Gemini found the following for me on this important topic:

The Ohio bill referred to is, I believe, House Bill 277, also known as the Pet Friendly Rental Act. Here’s what I know about it:

  • Purpose: The bill aims to increase the availability of pet-friendly housing by incentivizing landlords to allow companion animals (dogs and cats) in their rental units.
  • Tax Credit: Landlords who meet the criteria can claim a non-refundable tax credit of $750 per dwelling unit that allows companion animals. There’s a maximum credit of $7,500 per landlord.
  • Criteria for Landlords:
    • No breed or size restrictions on companion animals (except for dangerous or vicious dogs).
    • No non-refundable pet fees or additional rent charged for pets.
    • Landlords must allow companion animals for the entire taxable year the credit is claimed.
  • Benefits:
    • Potentially increases availability of pet-friendly housing for renters.
    • Might encourage responsible pet ownership by requiring pets to be allowed for the full year.
  • Current Status:
    • As of June 16, 2024, House Bill 277 has not yet been passed into law.
    • You can find the latest information and track its progress on the Ohio Legislature website: Ohio Bill H.B. 277 [invalid URL removed]

Additional Points:

  • The bill has received mixed reactions. Some see it as a positive step for pet owners, while others worry it could lead to higher rents.
  • There are concerns about the potential administrative burden on landlords claiming the credit.

Ohio lawmakers are debating a market-based approach to increasing pet-friendly rental housing. The Ohio bill creates a tax credit for landlords who allow ‘companion animals in their rental properties. Notably, landlords receiving the credit cannot enforce restrictions based on the breed or size of the pets, nor can they impose nonrefundable fees or additional rent related to pet ownership.’

Nathan Winograd in an email to me

Comment: there has been a long debate on encouraging American landlords to allow tenants with pets to rent their properties. In general, there is a dearth of properties which is bad for pet welfare. For instance, it appears to often lead to pets being abandoned when owners go from property ownership to a rental property. These animals often end up in pounds where they can be euthanised. In short landlords attitudes can kill pets but that’s putting it too dramatically/unfairly and landlords do have good economic arguments for barring tenants with pets.

There are ways around the problem though such as taking a larger deposit to cover potential repairs. Noise is also an issue as leaseholds have clauses against noise. This places the pet owning tenant in a position where they can be in breach of the lease leading to a range of undesirably outcomes. And as a pet owning tenant, you do not want your immediate neighbours complaining to you and the landlord about your barking dog.

This area of the landlord-tenant relationship is problematic. Ohio’s administrators see the problem and want to do something about pet welfare it seems to me which is good to see for animal advocates.

RELATED: UK’s private landlords threaten to increase rents if they can’t ban pet owners

2 thoughts on “Ohio tax credit for landlords allowing pets”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. Ohio is the only state to the best of my knowledge that is debating giving tax breaks to landlords to encourage them to let properties to pet owners. Here is what Google Gemini says:

    As of today, June 17, 2 there are currently no US states that offer tax breaks to landlords specifically for renting to cat and dog owners.

    While there’s a growing movement towards pet-friendly housing, the focus is often on removing pet restrictions, not offering financial incentives to landlords.

    Here’s some additional information:

    * Some states or cities might have laws restricting pet bans in housing, but these typically don’t involve tax breaks.
    * There are organizations advocating for pet-friendly housing policies, which you can find through searches like “[state name] pet-friendly housing laws”.

    Would you like to explore some alternative solutions for finding pet-friendly rentals?

    Reply
  3. I have lived in a flat where the neighbour two floors above had a small, yapping dog. It disturbed the peace and reduced the enjoyment of living there. There are two sides to this argument.

    Reply

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