Req. No. 2567 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 2nd Session of the 58th Legislature (2022) SENATE BILL 1752 By: Merrick AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to real estate; creating the Real Estate Owner's Rights Act; providin g short title; making certain matter of statewide concern; establishing certain rights of property owners; granting right for construction and repairs; requiring certain permits and inspections; construing requirement to hire licensed persons under certain condition; authorizing certain assistance to prop erty owner without licensure; granting right for management, rental, and leasing; authorizing delegation of certain functi ons without licensure; prohibiting disclosur e of certain agreements; allowing certain services by certain persons relating to property management; providing exception to real estate licensure; amending 59 O.S. 20 21, Sections 858-301, 1017, and 1692, which relate to real estate license exemption, plum bing and electrical licensures; providing exception to licensures of certain property own ers; providing an exception to mechanical licensure; providing for codification; and providing an effective date . BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codif ied in the Oklahoma Statu tes as Section 858-1000 of Title 59, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: Req. No. 2567 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 This act shall be known and may be cite d as the "Real Estate Owner's Rights Act". SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 858 -1001 of Title 59, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: As a matter of statewide concern, a n owner of real property in this state has the following rights: A. The right to construct, install, and repair. 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law or municipal ordinance to the contrary, an owner of residential real pro perty or farm property who resides in this state and whose real property is located in this state shall be aut horized to, and have the absolute right to, personally perform any construction, installation, work , or repairs to his or her property including, b ut not limited to, fencing, landscaping, telephone, plumbing, electrical, roofing, mechanical, carpentry, conc rete, masonry, or painting, without first obtaining licensure as may be required for such construction, installation, work or repair; provided, how ever, the owner shall be required to: a. obtain all applicable state and local perm its and inspections to satisfy the state and local building code requirements, if any, b. obtain the services of a qualified professional or obtain applicable authority when working directly Req. No. 2567 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 with, connecting to, or disconnecting from any public utility system, public service corporat ion system, or any utility metering device or equipment, and c. disclose the nature and extent of the construction, installation, work, or repairs performed by the owner for purposes of the sale of such property, if licensure would have been required for suc h work. 2. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to allow the owner of any residential real property or farm property to avoid the hiring of a qualified licensed profe ssional to perform any construction, installation, work, or repairs to his or her p roperty where a valid license is required by law or municipal ordinance should the work be performed by a person other than the actual owner of the property or by the owner 's family members, relatives, or employees without such persons being licensed. 3. For purposes of this subsection, an owner is authorized to, and shall have the absolute right to, be assisted by his or her family members, relat ives, or employees when perf orming construction, installation, work , or repairs to his or her residential real property or farm property. 4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow the owner of any residential real property or farm property to avoid or breach any Homeowner Association (HOA) agreements or neighborhood covenants governing the property. Req. No. 2567 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 B. The right to manage, rent, lease, and sell. 1. An owner of residential real property or farm property who resides in this state and whose prope rty is located in this sta te shall be authorized to, and have the absolute r ight to, personally manage, rent, and/or lease or sell his or her property without obtaining a real estate license or using a licensed real estate broker, sales associate, or property management company for such purposes, or paying any fee to or registerin g such property with a municipality. 2. Any owner of residential real property or farm property who resides in-state or out-of-state and whose property is located in this state may delegate, and shall have an absolute right to delegate, another qualified person to manage, rent, and/or lease his or her property without the owner or designated agent being required to obtain a real estate license or obtain the services of a licensed real estate broker, sales a ssociate, or property management company if exempt under paragraph 10 of Section 858 -301 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or pay any fee to or register such property with a municipality. 3. Notwithstanding any provision of law or municipal ordinance to the contrary, an owner of residential real prop erty or farm property, or the designated agent of such owner, shall not be required to disclose any rental, lease , or property management agreement to a municipality as a condition of property management, Req. No. 2567 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 rental, or leasing by the property owner or his or her designated agent. 4. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit an owner of residential real property or farm property from utilizing the services of a licensed rea l estate broker, sales associate, or property management company for any purpose or service relating to his or her property. SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 858-606 of Title 59, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follow s: Pursuant to this act, an owner of residential real property or farm property shall not be required to obtain or hold a valid real estate broker license, sal es associate license , or be in the business of real property management to manage, re nt, lease, or sell his or her real property , and an owner's qualified designated agent shall be exempt from licensure as provided in paragraph 10 of Section 858-301 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statut es. SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Sec tion 858-301, is amended to read as follows: Section 858-301. It shall be unlawful for any person to act as a real estate licensee, or to hol d himself or herself out as such, unless the person shall have b een licensed to do so under the The Oklahoma Real Estate License Code. For the purposes of this section, it shall be considered acting as a real estate licensee for Req. No. 2567 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 any person, partnership, trust , association or corporation, or the partners, officers or e mployees of any partnership, trust, association or corporation, to publ icly market for sale an equitable interest in a contract for the purchase of real property between a property owner and a pro spective purchaser. However, nothing in this section shall: 1. Prevent any person, partnership, trust, assoc iation or corporation, or the partners, officers or employees of any partnership, trustees or beneficiaries of any trust , association or corporation, from acquiring real estate for its own use, nor shall anything in this section prevent any person, partner ship, trust, association or corporation, or the partners, officers or employees of any partnership, trustees or benefici aries of any trust, association or corporation, as owner, lessor or lessee of real estate, from selling, renting, leasing, exchanging, o r offering to sell, rent, lease or exchange, any real estate so owned or leased, or from performing any acts with respec t to such real estate when such acts are performed in the regular course of, or as an incident to, the management, ownership or sales of such real estate and the investment therein; however, it shall be prohibited for any person, partnership, officers or e mployees of any partnershi p, trustees or beneficiaries of any trust, association or co rporation to publicly market for sale an equitable interest in a contra ct for the purchase Req. No. 2567 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 of real property between a property owner and a prospective purchaser without holding an active Oklahoma real estate license; 2. Apply to persons acting as the atto rney-in-fact for the owner of any real estate auth orizing the final con summation by performance of any contract for the sale, lease or exchange of such real estate; 3. In any way prohibit any att orney-at-law from performing the duties of the attorney as s uch, nor shall this Code prohibit a receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, ad ministrator, executor, or his or her attorney, from performing his or her duties, or any person fro m performing any acts unde r the order of any court, or acting as a trustee under the terms of any trust, will, agreement or deed of trust; 4. Apply to any person acting as the resident manager for the owner or an employee acting as the resident manager fo r a licensed real estate broker managing an apartment building, duplex, apartment complex or court, when such resident manager resides o n the premises and is engaged in the leasing of property in connection with the employment of the resident manager; 5. Apply to any person who en gages in such activity on behalf of a corporation or governm ental body, to acquire easements, rights- of-way, leases, permits and li censes, including any and all amendments thereto, and other similar interests in real estate, for the purpose of, or faciliti es related to, transportation, Req. No. 2567 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 communication services, cable lines, utilities, pipelines, or oil, gas, and petroleum products; 6. Apply to any person who engages in such activity in connection with the acquisition of real estate on behalf of an entity, public or private, which has the right to acquire the real estate by eminent domain; 7. Apply to any person who is a resident of an apartment building, duplex, or apartment complex or court, when the person receives a resident refe rral fee. As used in this paragraph, a "resident referral fee " means a nominal fee no t to exceed One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), offered to a resident for th e act of recommending the property for lease to a family member, friend, or coworker; 8. Apply to any person or entity manag ing a transient lodging facility. For purposes of this para graph, "transient lodging facility" means a furnished room or furnished suite of rooms which is rented to a person on a daily basis, not as a principal residence, for a period less than thirty (30 ) days; or 9. Apply to employees of a licensed real estate broker who lease residential housing units only to eligible persons who qualify through a state or federal housing subsidized program to lease the property in an affordab le housing development pro ject. "Affordable housing development project " means a housing development of four or more units constructed for lease to specific ally eligible persons as Req. No. 2567 Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 required by the particular federal or state housing program , including, but not limited to, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Depar tment of Agriculture Rural Development, the U.S. D epartment of Treasury In ternal Revenue Service, or the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency ; or 10. Apply to any person acting as the designated agent for an individual owner of residential real property or farm property who is a family member, relative, employee, or contractor of such owner and who is managing, renting, leasing, or offering to rent, lease , or exchange the real est ate so owned, or is perfor ming any acts with respect to such real estate when such acts are performed in the regular course of, or a s an incident to, the management or ownership of such real estate and the investment therein; provided, however, the designated agent must work exclus ively for owner-family members, owner-relatives, or an owner-employer to be eligible for the license exemption. SECTION 5. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 20 21, Section 1017, is amended to read as follows: Section 1017. The provisions of The Plumbing License Law of 1955 shall not apply to: 1. Minor repairs, consisting of repairing or replacing f aucets or minor working parts of plumbing fixtures; 2. Farm buildings located outside any city or town unless such buildings are connected to a public water or sewer system; Req. No. 2567 Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 3. Maintenance work for state in stitutions and school districts; 4. The installation, maintenance, repair, renovation of automatic sprinkler systems and related mechanical appurtenances beginning at a point where the pipe or piping system provides water used exclusively for these automa tic sprinklers and their related appurtenances and to standpipes connected to automatic sprinkler systems; 5. The construction, installation, maintenance, repair, renovation, and/or removal of pipe or piping systems and related mechanical appurtenances in cluding backflow preventers, appliances and/or equipment used in connection therewith, directly or indirectly within or without any building or structure, from a point or location in a source of potable water supply at which point or location there exists any backflow preventer, provided that said the pipe and/or piping systems are for: a. heating, except radiant -floor heating systems as defined in subparagraph d of paragraph 9 of Section 1003 of this title, b. cooling, c. air conditioning, d. refrigeration, or e. boilers and other pressure vessels of wh atsoever kind and character. Req. No. 2567 Page 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 A "backflow preventer," as used herein, means any permanent mechanical device, or combination of permanent mechanical devices, of whatever material, which, after installation acts to prevent a reversal of the normal directional flow of potable water within the piping system in which it is installed, and shall include, but not be limited to, metal checkvalves and airgaps, either naturally or artificially created. Provided, further, that the exclusionary provisions of this paragr aph shall apply only to and within governmental agencies, counties, cities and towns which now have or which hereafter may adopt separate laws relating to the licensing, registration and regulating of persons engaged, for business purposes, in any of the a reas of trade hereinbefore specified in this paragraph; the exemptions herein being provided to apply only to these items specifically regulated by any such local laws and ordinances; and 6. An individual wh o performs plumbing work on such individual's residential or farm property of residence owned by the individual or an owner who performs plumbing work on his or her property with the assistance of his or her family members, relatives or employees as author ized by this act. SECTION 6. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1692, is amended to read as follows: Section 1692. A. The provisions of the Electrical License Act shall not apply to: Req. No. 2567 Page 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1. Minor repairs, consisting of repairing or rep lacing outlets or minor working parts of electri cal fixtures; 2. Maintenance work for state and federal institutions; 3. The construction, installation, maintenance, repair , and renovation by a public utility regulated by the Corporation Commission; 4. Public service corporations, telephone and telegraph companies, rural electric associations or municipal utilities; 5. The construction, installation, maintenance, repair , and renovation of telephone equipment or computer systems by a person, firm, or corporation engaged in the telecommunications or information systems industry when such activities involve work exclusively for communication of data, voice , or for other signaling purposes; except fire alarm systems, security systems , and environmental control systems that are not an integral part of a telecommunications system; or 6. The installation, maintenance, repair or replacement of water supply pumps, provided such work is performed from the output side of a fused disconnect or breaker box. B. Nothing in the Electrical License Act shall be construed to require: 1. Employment of a licensed electrical contractor, journeyman electrician or electrical apprentice except as required by local ordinances and resolutions; Req. No. 2567 Page 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. Any regular employee of any firm or corporation to hold a license before doing a ny electrical work on the property of the firm or corporation whether or not the property is owned, leased or rented except as may be required by local ordinances and resolutions; or 3. An individual to hold a license before doing electrical work on his or her own property or residence except as may be required by local ordinances and resolutions or an owner who performs electrical work on his or her property or residence with the assistance of his or her family members, relatives, or employees as authorize d by this act. SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1850.7a of Title 59, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, read s as follows: The provisions of the Mechanical Li censing Act shall not apply to an individual who performs mechanical work on residential or farm property owned by the individual or an owner of property who performs mechanical work with the assistance of h is or her family members, relatives, or employees as authorized by this act. SECTION 8. This act shall become effective November 1, 2022. 58-2-2567 MR 1/20/2022 6:28:25 PM