Legislative Research Commission
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 23, 2024) — The Kentucky House of Representatives voted in favor of legislation to protect the rights of landlords on Tuesday.
House Bill 18 would prohibit local governments from requiring landlords to accept tenants who use federal housing assistance, like Section 8 vouchers.
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester. He said HB 18 would “stop the blatant overreach” of local governments who have already adopted ordinances to that effect or are considering it.
“Property ownership is a basic tenet of capitalism, and protecting those rights are vital to every one of us,” Dotson said. “I’m all about local control. My voting record reflects that … This is where we, as a body, should draw a line in the sand, because this is not truly a local control issue. It is a property rights issue.”
Another provision of HB 18 would prohibit local governments from requiring property owners to pay fees that result from a first responder being called to a property, regardless of who made the call.