2026 State Legislative Trends in the Midwest: Combatting Junk Fees, Protecting Survivors of Abuse, and Prohibiting Naming Minors as Defendants in Evictions

By Mackenzie Pish, NLIHC Research Analyst  

NLIHC’s Research team follows developments in rental housing policies and programs at the state and local levels, including the introduction and passage of bills related to tenant protections in the legislatures of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Between October and November, through Memo to Members & Partners, NLIHC will highlight 2026 legislative trends across the Northeast, Southern, Western, and Midwest regions of the U.S. 

This article focuses on the Midwest region, which encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. While it uplifts a few key trends, the bills discussed here represent a small fraction of the scores of housing-related bills pursued this year across the region. 

States are Stepping Up to Protect Renters from Rental Housing Junk Fees 

On top of the already high cost of housing, tenants are increasingly hit with an array of unexpected “junk fees” from landlords, or fees charged for services beyond rent and utilities, sometimes even when renters do not utilize those services. For example, NLIHC’s 2025 National Renter Survey found that 35% of renters experienced a “convenience” or "pay-to-pay" fee for using a particular method to pay rent, such as checks or money orders. Nearly one in six renters were forced to pay for mandatory cable, internet, or phone services, and one in eleven were charged technology fees for things like smart locks, key fobs, and package lockers. These junk fees increase the true cost of rental housing and can impair renters’ ability to make informed decisions about the right home for their budget during a housing search. For many renters, particularly the lowest income renters who face high rates of cost burdens, extra fees can cut into budgets for food and other needs and lead to late fees, eviction, and displacement.  

In September, Michigan passed Senate Bill 373, amending the “Truth in Renting Act” to target pay-to-pay fees and immediately require that all landlords offer one fee-free method of paying rent. Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness CEO Eric Hufnagel shared how the organization “was proud to join housing advocates, tenant organizations, and community partners from across the state in supporting this legislation through testimony, education, and outreach. Together, we helped elevate the voices of renters who are disproportionately impacted by these fees and demonstrated why greater fairness in the rental market is essential to preventing homelessness." Similarly addressing pay-to-pay fees, Minnesota Senate Bill 4171 amended current law to require landlords to provide an alternate fee-free way to pay rent when an online payment platform malfunctions, and prohibits late fees or eviction in situations when rent is not paid because of malfunctioning payment methods. 

Illinois House Bill 3564, the “Rental Affordability and Fee Transparency Act,” goes even further to protect renters from junk fees. Passed in June 2026, the new law prohibits 11 types of junk fees, requires that all non-optional fees be explicitly disclosed on rental property listings and on the first page of lease agreements, and prohibits landlords from renaming fees to circumvent the law. Local jurisdictions operating under home rule can go further to regulate fees but cannot reduce the state law protections. NLIHC State Partner Housing Action Illinois joined over 35 other organizations in endorsing the bill and created a fact sheet to help renters understand their rights under the new law. Bob Palmer, policy director for Housing Action Illinois, noted that “this new state law will lower costs for many renters and make it easier for people to make an informed decision about whether to sign a lease or not.” 

Midwest States are Working to Ensure Renters Who are Survivors of Abuse are Safe in Their Homes 

While the federal “Violence Against Women Act” (VAWA) provides protections for survivors of abuse, including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, stalking, human trafficking, or other forms of harassment in federally subsidized housing, there are currently no federal protections for survivors who reside in other kinds of rental housing. In the Midwest, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Missouri joined several states in the Northeast this year to introduce protections for renters who are survivors of abuse.  

In Wisconsin, existing law provides a pathway for renters to terminate their lease if they or their children experienced acts or threats of harm at home, but requires renters to provide landlords with legal evidence of an abusive action and to demonstrate that continued tenancy would result in “an imminent threat of serious physical harm.” Passed in March 2026, Senate Bill 413 eliminated the requirement to demonstrate an imminent threat of serious harm when the underlying harm is sexual assault or stalking. Notably, the existing general provision requiring renters to prove an imminent threat still applies to renters who experience other forms of abuse, such as domestic violence or harassment. 

Introduced this May and referred to committee, the Ohio “Safe Homes Act” (House Bill 855) would provide protections to renters who are victims of abuse. The bill would permit renters who experienced one of several sex-related crimes to terminate a rental agreement or, at the renter’s expense, request new locks. The renter must provide the landlord with a certified copy of a qualifying protection order or a report signed by a “qualified advocate,” or a victim crisis and safety advocate who meets training credentials defined in the bill. Landlords whose tenants break their lease under the law would be eligible for a tax credit. The bill would also prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to an otherwise qualified renter based on their status as a victim of these crimes and prohibit calls to law enforcement about such crimes from being classified as a nuisance that could threaten tenancy.  

To protect renters from domestic violence specifically, Missouri Senate Bill 1741 would provide a pathway to remove or exclude offenders from rental homes when a tenant provides written notice and documentation of the offense to their landlord. If the offender vacates within the 5-day notice period, the landlord is required to install new locks. If the offender fails to vacate, the landlord must file for eviction against the offender only and change the locks after the eviction is ordered. The bill was referred to committee in May 2026. 

Midwest States Prohibiting Landlords from Listing Children as Defendants in Eviction Cases 

Beyond immediate housing instability, evictions cause severe and long-lasting harm to children’s development, health, and well-being. Nearly three million children are at risk of eviction each year in the United States. In fact, renters with children are twice as likely to experience eviction as renters without children. To make matters worse, children are sometimes included with their parents or guardians on the list of named defendants in an eviction case, which can result in minor children having eviction records before they are legally allowed to enter into a lease agreement. This year, states in the Midwest pursued protections that prohibit children from being named in eviction records, following similar laws that passed in Illinois and Ohio last year. 

This session, Minnesota unanimously passed Senate Bill 4171, effective August 2026, prohibiting landlords from listing minors as defendants in eviction cases unless the minor is the only renter on the lease. Landlords who violate the new law are liable for actual damages or $300, whichever is greater. Minnesota HOME Line led advocacy efforts around the provision. “What is achieved by saddling a minor with an eviction record because their parents or guardians, for example, experienced financial hardship and couldn't pay the rent on time? What purpose does that serve other than punishing a child for circumstances beyond their control?” Michael Dahl, HOME Line Public Policy Director, told NLIHC. “Minnesota legislators recognized this injustice and, in a bipartisan effort, passed legislation to ensure that children aren't held responsible for their parents' or guardians' rental situation.” 

Passing the House unanimously, Kentucky House Bill 338 would prohibit minors from being listed as defendants in evictions unless they are a leaseholder, require courts to remove minors as parties to an eviction, and permit courts to seal any eviction records necessary to protect minors. Minors, their parents or guardians, or other defendants could also petition the court at any time to expunge a minor’s name from an eviction record. NLIHC State Partner Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky (HHCK) and their partner Coalition for the Homeless in Louisville support the bill. Though there was not time in the 2026 session to move the bill over the finish line, Adrienne Bush, executive director of HHCK, expressed hope that it would pass next year: “HB 338's passage in the House and its inclusion in this year's omnibus housing bill are the result of working with key players in and around the legislature and among grassroots Kentuckians. About half of evictions filed in Kentucky over the last 5 years have been dismissed, and children should never have an eviction on their record, period. We look forward to seeing this become law in 2027.”  

Join NLIHC’s State and Local Tenant Protections Network Bimonthly Calls  

Are you pursuing tenant protection legislation in your own jurisdiction? NLIHC's Research team hosts a bimonthly State and Local Tenant Protections Network call that serves as an informal meeting space for housing advocates, tenant organizers and leaders, legal service providers, and academics to discuss efforts and challenges to advance tenant protections at the state and local levels. Register for the next State and Local Tenant Protections Network call on December 10 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET.   

Have questions about state and local housing research, or want to share updates from your community? Email [email protected]