Okla. Stat. tit. 15, §§ 777.1–777.5 § 777.2
Definitions
Operative Text
As used in the Emergency Price Stabilization Act: 1. "Dwelling unit" means any structure or part of a structure which is used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one or more persons and includes, but is not limited to, lodging establishments, hotels, motels, boarding houses, inns, single-family residences, duplexes, and apartments; 2. "Emergency" means any occasion or instance including, but not limited to, any natural disaster such as a tornado, storm, high water, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought, and regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, determined by the Governor of this state or by the President of the United States to require extraordinary measures to save lives, to protect property, or to promote public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe. "Emergency" includes a civil defense or disaster emergency as defined by the Oklahoma Civil Defense and Emergency Resources Management Act of 1967 and any emergency or major disaster as defined by any federal disaster relief act; 3. "Emergency area" means the county or counties affected by an emergency, any county or part of a county specifically identified in a declaration of emergency issued by the Governor of this state or by the President of the United States, and all counties contiguous with the affected county; 4. "Goods" means all things which are movable at the time of sale, rental, or lease other than the money with which the price is to be paid and includes any services which are incidental to the sale of the goods; and 5. "Services" means any duty or labor to be rendered by one person to another and includes any goods which are incidental to the performance of the service. "Services" also includes, but is not limited to: a. the sale of utilities including, but not limited to, electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, and cable television, b. the sale, rental, or lease of transportation, freight, carriage, moving, and storage, and c. the rental or lease of vehicles, trailers, and other equipment.
Section 15 O.S. § 777.2 establishes the foundational definitions for Oklahoma's Emergency Price Stabilization Act, the law that governs pricing during declared emergencies. The term 'dwelling unit' is defined broadly to cover virtually any place where people live or sleep, from single-family homes and apartments to hotels and boarding houses. An 'emergency' under this section is triggered by a gubernatorial or presidential declaration and can arise from natural disasters, fires, floods, explosions, or other catastrophic events requiring extraordinary protective measures.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under 15 O.S. § 777.2, rental property owners should understand that the Emergency Price Stabilization Act applies to an exceptionally wide range of housing types — any structure used as a home, residence, or sleeping place qualifies as a 'dwelling unit.' This means that landlords operating hotels, motels, boarding houses, and short-term rentals are covered alongside traditional apartment and single-family home operators. Compliant operators familiarize themselves with these definitions so they can recognize when an emergency declaration triggers the Act's pricing restrictions in their county or a contiguous county.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
15 O.S. § 777.2 defines the scope of who and what is protected under Oklahoma's Emergency Price Stabilization Act, and the definitions are intentionally broad. Renters in apartments, single-family homes, hotels, motels, and boarding houses all fall within the definition of 'dwelling unit,' meaning the Act's protections can extend to a wide variety of living situations during a declared emergency. Tenants who believe a landlord is acting outside these definitions during an emergency period may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or review the full Act to understand what remedies may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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