Property Owner Welcome Guide '26 -'27

Welcome to the Network!

We’re excited to welcome you to The Ohio State University Off-Campus Housing Network (OCHN) for the 2026–2027 network year. Whether you're a returning property owner or new to the network, this guide will walk you through everything you need to get started and make the most of your membership.

Primary Contact

Each property company is assigned to a Senior Relationship Manager who will serve as your main point of contact for support, resources, and guidance throughout the year. Please refer to your welcome email for your assigned Senior Relationship Manager.

• Jennifer Kephas: Click here to email Jennifer Kephas at kephas.1@osu.edu.
• Lindsey Shaw: Click here to email Lindsey Shaw at shaw.1264@osu.edu.
• Lauren Stazen: Click here to email Lauren Stazen at stazen.5@osu.edu. 

Key Dates & Milestones 

Click here for quick reference of the 2026-27 Academic Calendar.

• August 1, 2026: Network year officially begins 

• August 2026: Tabling events throughout campus and with Network members to welcome back students 

• September 2026 – May 2027: Safety inspection window opens 

• September 2026 – June 2027: Monthly Community Roundtables are held September through June (no July/August meetings). Click here to view upcoming roundtable dates. Please note, this calendar is subject to change. 

• Fall (October 20) & Spring (March 23): Off-Campus Living Expos 

• June 2027: Renewal information sent 

• July 31, 2027: End of network year 

Network Member Commitments

As a member of the Off-Campus Housing Network, you agree to: 

• Have leases that abide with city, state, federal law including following the new renter’s choice legislation 

• Lease all properties that meet applicable local municipal housing codes. 

• Register all properties with Franklin County and any applicable local municipality (including the City of Columbus) when required 

• Provide an after-hours contact phone number (to tenants and OSU) to ensure late night/weekend issues can be reported by University and/or safety entities in a timely fashion

• Respond to all reports on the property of noise, hazards, trash, unsafe behaviors, etc. 

• Provide tenant names and addresses in emergency situations 

• Complete an Annual Life Safety Inspection of up to 5% of your portfolio 

• Provide and maintain exterior lighting at the rear and front of all properties 

• Provide carbon monoxide detectors for all applicable properties – every home with at least one fuel-burning appliance/heater, attached garage or fireplace 

• Attend at least two 1:1 meetings with your assigned Relationship Manager (Jennifer, Lauren or Lindsey) 

• Participate in at least 50% of Community Roundtables (2 in-person meeting attendance required) 

Network Member Best Practices

1. Attend 2-3 Community Roundtable meetings and complete one one-on-one meeting during the first half of the Network year (August-January).
2. Attend 2-3 Community Roundtable meetings and complete one one-on-one meeting during the second half of the Network year (February-July).
3. Utilize your two required one-on-one meetings strategically. We recommend using one meeting as an individual check-in with a primary property contact (such as a leasing manager or property manager) and the second meeting as a collaborative conversation with a broader team, when applicable. This may include property managers, leasing professionals, maintenance staff, regional leadership, marketing teams, or other team members who support your student-facing operations. These conversations help ensure everyone is aligned on Network resources, student trends, University updates, and opportunities to strengthen your engagement with the Off-Campus Housing Network.
4. Plan and execute your annual safety inspection during your assigned Safety Inspection Window.
5. Encourage residents to be present during safety inspections to learn about apartment safety features and available campus and community resources.
6. Keep your Senior Relationship Manager informed of any staffing or primary point-of-contact changes throughout the year.
7. Communicate with your Senior Relationship Manager about any challenges your team is experiencing or resources that would be helpful to support your success.
8. Keep your property listings up to date so they accurately reflect current availability for students searching for housing

Safety Inspections

Safety inspection scheduling will occur in a more concise window in the coming year, beginning in September and concluding in May. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement will coordinate inspections for properties within the City of Columbus. 

All inspections will be performed within this window. Your relationship manager will assist with any questions or challenges regarding scheduling. 

Properties outside of Columbus: You are responsible for arranging and submitting documentation for an approved inspection with your local municipality or a third-party inspector. 

Inspections will not be conducted during the following periods: autumn break, winter break, spring break and final exams/commencement week. To review dates of these periods, click here to view the Academic Calendar.

Questions? Contact your Senior Relationship Manager. 

Managing Your Profile and Listings

You can update your property listings, photos, amenities, and contact details via the vendor portal. Click here to login to your vendor portal.

Ensure your listings are up to date to help students find your property listings! 

• How to renew your property listings:  

  • The expiration function on the vendor dashboard will automatically expire all properties every two weeks. To keep your properties, live and visible to students, you’ll need to log in and update their expiration dates regularly. 

  • Here’s how to extend a property listing:

    • Log in to your vendor dashboard

    • Check the boxes next to the properties you'd like to extend.

    • Use the dropdown above the property list and select "Extend deadline 2 weeks"

    • Click "Go" to apply the change 

You will receive email reminders about upcoming expirations, so it’s important to make sure you also keep contact information accurate on the website. Additionally, the vendor dashboard now features a “Live?” column to help you quickly see which properties are active in the housing search. You can even monitor how many views your property is receiving within a 28-day and year-to-date period.  

Step-by-step images of these steps can be found at the bottom of the page.

Community Roundtables 

Community roundtables continue to be a staple of the program and have proved to be successful and reinforce the community driven spirit of the Off-Campus Housing Network. It is crucial to have in-person, engaged attendees who are left informed and connected to best support our students. This year, the requirement for roundtables will include two (2) of five (5) roundtables to be attended in-person while the remaining three (3) may be attended in-person or virtually. 

To support this requirement and to provide a more dynamic benefit through roundtables, the event schedule will be modeled in a new format, offering a variety of days of the week and timeframe along with new exclusive opportunities.

Attendance at 50% or more is required to remain in good standing. Click here for up-to-date information regarding upcoming Community Roundtable meetings.  Dates are subject to change. 

The 2026-27 Community Roundtable schedule is now live!

Click here to view the calendar.

NEW downloadable calendar invites are now available via the vendor portal, under the Community Roundtable tab.

• Downloadable calendar invites will be entered into the vendor portal by semester for the network year. Just log in, go to the tab and click the link for the roundtable you wish to attend. 

An instructional image can be found at the bottom of the page.

What Students Are Told

It’s helpful to understand what your tenants learn from the Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement office about your participation in the Network: 

• They are informed that your property will receive a Life Safety & Fire Prevention Inspection coordinated by Columbus Code Enforcement and OCCSE. Click here to view the Life Safety & Fire Prevention Checklist.

• They are made aware that you’ve committed to specific criteria and best practices. 

• They are encouraged to contact OCCSE or submit concerns through the Off-Campus Housing Network Feedback Form. Click here to open the Off-Campus Housing Network Feedback Form. 

• Students are invited to visit OCCSE to pick up personal safety and home security tools. 

• Students are encouraged to use the business practices survey to make informed decisions about living off campus. 

Questions or Support?

We're here to help! For general questions:

• Click here to email offcampushousingnetwork@osu.edu.
• Call 614-292-0100
• Click here to visit offcampus.osu.edu
• Or contact your assigned Senior Relationship Manager directly. 

Thank you for being part of a community committed to safety, student success, and strong university partnerships. We’re glad you’re here!