Ohio lawmakers continue push to ban HOAs from prohibiting political yard signs

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio lawmakers are once again attempting to ban homeowners associations from prohibiting political yard signs. 

House Bill 16, sponsored by Reps. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), was introduced at the Statehouse last week. The legislation would make it illegal for HOAs, or any other neighborhood or civic group, to disallow political yard signs.

HOAs are private organizations that govern housing communities, collect fees from residents and create rules they must abide by, with the purpose of maintaining shared areas and protecting property values. The associations may fine an individual or bar them from using amenities if they break their rules. About 27% of Americans live within an HOA community as of 2023, according to Urban Institute.

“A lot of people will buy into communities where they want to have a certain aesthetic and what not, but when we're regulating content and free speech, that's kind of when we cross the line,” Lorenz said.

Lorenz introduced a similar bill in September after citing numerous complaints from constituents regarding the issue, but it ultimately did not pass the Statehouse before the legislative session ended. While only one introductory public hearing was held on the previous bill, it did not have any known opponents. 

The recently introduced legislation does allow HOAs to "reasonably restrict” the size, location and number of political yard signs on an individual's property. It also permits restrictions on how long a sign is displayed.

The legislation does, however, say HOAs cannot prohibit the display of political yard signs in the 30 days preceding an election or limit the size of a sign to less than 12 inches in height and 18 inches in width.

The political signs would also still have to adhere to municipal and state laws, which ban signage that threatens harm to another or that aims to intimidate people of a specific race or religion.

“HOAs -- some prohibit [political signs], some do not, and it's exclusionary for these property owners to not be able to display yard signs, whereas other community members within other neighborhoods within a certain jurisdiction may be able to,” Lorenz said.

House Bill 16’s cosponsors consist of six Republicans and one Democrat. Lorenz said while the legislature “ran out of time” to get the previous bill signed into law, he believes the new bill has a better chance of passing this general assembly.