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Toledo landlords can't discriminate based if renters use vouchers, council says

In an 8-4 vote, Toledo City Council has changed the municipal code so landlords can't discriminate against people for using vouchers to pay rent.

TOLEDO, Ohio — Four months from Tuesday, Toledo will no longer allow landlords to deny people's housing applications if they use a voucher program. 

This applies to vouchers provided to veterans, people with disabilities and Section 8 housing. Reem Subei, an attorney with ABLE, a nonprofit that provides legal help to those living in poverty in the Toledo area, said she sees how these current restrictions impact her clients.

"I have a client who has been searching for safe housing for several months. She is a voucher holder, she is an African American mother with a child with disabilities," Subei said.

The language will be put into the municipal code in the same place where the city prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. Subei highlights that there are still other reasons landlords are able to deny a tenant.

"If there's a voucher holder that has a bad recommendation from all the previous landlords or bad tenancy record, they can still treat them as they do everyone else," Subei said.

There was a hearing on this last week, and while no one came to speak against the change, council members say they have been hearing from local landlord and real estate groups. 

Councilman Rob Ludeman voted against it because he said he believes the new policy will hurt landlords.

"Section 8 is handed out by LMHA and for the landlord, it can be very expensive in the inspection process that is required," Ludeman said.

With about half of Toledo's housing being rentals, Ludeman said more landlords need to be included in the conversation.

"If you're going to constantly tread on landlords, especially the good landlords, then it's going to be difficult to keep up the housing stock in the city of Toledo," Ludeman said.

In the next 120 days before the new rules are in place, city council plans on having educational events for both tenants and landlords on the changes. 

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