Cincinnati Council Members Anna Albi, Nolan and Owens are drafting legislation to regulate "junk fees" that apartment landlords tack onto rent, the three announced at a City Council meeting after tenants from a large east-side complex described mounting charges and chronic maintenance failures.
The proposed ordinance, developed in coordination with the Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, would target the opaque add-on fees that tenants at the Williamsburg of Cincinnati say appeared after GoldOllar Real Estate Investments bought the 700-plus-unit property for $60 million in October 2025. The complex, soon to be rebranded as The Hartwell, came out of receivership after a city lawsuit forced the previous owners out.
Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati attorney John Altman told council that GoldOllar changed how rent is charged after taking over, layering on a pest control fee, technology fee, admin fee, billing fee and internet fee that make monthly costs unpredictable for tenants on fixed incomes.
"We need some type of transparency in what rent is actually covering," Tenants Association President Krystyna Kamp said during public comment.
Tenants Melvin and Tonya Kidd, who have lived at the complex for a year and a half, told WCPO they have dealt with a rodent problem the entire time. Other residents described sewer backups, leaking roofs, flooding, loss of water service and heating and cooling failures.
The council appearance followed a contentious July 15 tenants coalition meeting where GoldOllar Regional Manager Tanisha Sievers and other company representatives walked out within minutes, telling tenants the company would not discuss issues with media present, according to WCPO. The tenants coalition then voted to bring their complaints directly to council.
What the legislation could mean locally
Ohio law prohibits rent control at both the state and local level, so the pending ordinance cannot cap what landlords charge. Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Deputy Director Rico Blackman said city-level junk fee regulation could instead force landlords to be more transparent about what tenants owe each month, even as rents continue to rise statewide.
Because the ordinance would apply citywide, renters in Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout would also be covered. The legislation has no ordinance number or introduction date yet.
Council Member Owens separately passed an ordinance in May 2026 amending the city's Administrative Code to improve renter information on the city website, a related but distinct measure from the pending junk fee bill.
What's next
The bill remains in the drafting stage. No committee hearing or vote has been scheduled. Blackman said he plans to meet with tenants at the Williamsburg property as part of the coalition's coordination with the three council offices.
WCPO reported it reached out to GoldOllar for comment but had not heard back as of Aug. 6. The city administration also did not respond to WCPO's inquiry about additional aid for tenants.
