A new ordinance Cincinnati City Council passed Wednesday spells out damages tenants could collect from landlords who try to evict them illegally.
The legislation by Council Member Meeka Owens reasserts state law prohibiting landlords from seeking to force renters out without going through eviction court by changing their locks, removing their belongings or shutting off their utilities.
In addition, the ordinance stipulates that tenants can claim a minimum of $1,000 in damages if a landlord violates the state law.
Owens says the measure is important in a city where more than 60% of residents are renters.
"This ordinance seeks to work in parallel with Ohio law that will hopefully help to deter bad actors in this space," Owens said.
Southwest Ohio Legal Aid Society Director John Schrider says attempts at eviction outside eviction court are common and devastating for tenants.
"It is a practice of some bad landlords in Cincinnati to threaten to shut off utilities or lock people out rather than going through eviction court," he said. "This ordinance will strengthen the enforcement of existing law and it's a very important piece I think to protect tenants in Cincinnati and deal with our housing crisis."
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Owens says the ordinance is just one piece of a larger effort by council and the mayor to put together a raft of legislation called the "Tenants' Bill of Rights." Those measures include efforts to ensure legal representation for renters facing eviction and other protections.