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Rental Registration Ordinance
The Cleveland Rental Registration Ordinance requires any owner who rents or offers to rent a dwelling or rooming unit (whether year-round, seasonal, weekly, or daily) to register annually with the Department of Building & Housing. The fee is $70 per year, per dwelling or unit.
The Rental Registration billing cycle is from March 1-March 31. Any payments received on or after April 1 are considered late and subject to a $100 late fee. The purpose of the ordinance is to help ensure that residential property owners maintain decent, safe, and sanitary units operated in ways that prevent them from becoming nuisances, influential in fostering blight or deterioration, or that negatively affect those reinvesting in Cleveland neighborhoods.
Registering Rental Property
Any person, firm, partnership, or corporation operating, maintaining, or offering rental property in the City of Cleveland can register and obtain a Certificate of Rental Registration. It is unlawful for a person to offer for rent or occupy a residential rental unit without a current certificate.
Once fees are paid, the City will issue the Certificate of Rental Registration.
Rental Registration fees can only be exempted for two reasons: (1) the property is vacant and not habitable, or (2) money or anything of value is not exchanged for rental occupancy. Please note: for either reason, the owner is subject to a consent inspection or other verification.
Inspections
Interior and exterior inspections are required. Exterior inspections are done throughout the year. Property owners are notified by mail to arrange interior inspections if deemed necessary.
During the inspection, the City Inspector will identify problems and concerns that threaten the health or safety of occupants. If any items are found to be deficient, the property owner will be required to bring the property into compliance with all applicable codes. A re-inspection will then be scheduled by the inspector.
Once the property is in compliance, the Rental Registration Certificate will be renewed. If a rental certificate has been issued prior to an inspection and violations and/or hazardous conditions are found, the Director of Building and Housing has the authority to revoke the rental certificate.
Permit for Repair Work
A permit must be obtained for most work. The Department of Building and Housing Permit Section can be contacted at 216.664.6424 for information on specific permit requirements.
Rental Registration Forms & Resources
Local Agent in Charge Overview
City of Cleveland employees may not provide legal advice to the public. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For questions regarding the application of a city ordinance or regulation, you should consult an attorney regarding your specific situation.
A Local Agent in Charge (LAIC) is important tool used by the City of Cleveland when it comes to rental properties. It helps ensure that owners of Cleveland properties who live outside of the area (or outside Ohio, or the United States) have someone available locally who can respond quickly to issues or emergencies, as well as facilitate compliance with our local laws.
The City of Cleveland’s definition of “Local Agent in Charge” is in Cleveland Codified Ordinance § 365.01(k). In summary, an LAIC is someone who can take responsibility for a rental property in the same way an owner would. If there are things that need fixed, it’s the LAIC’s responsibility to fix them, if the owner doesn’t. If there is paperwork that needs managed, it’s the LAIC’s responsibility to manage it, if the owner doesn’t. If there are fines to pay, it’s the LAIC’s responsibility to pay them, if the owner doesn’t.
An LAIC will be held responsible and liable for any issue at a property if the owner of the property refuses to fulfill their duties. However, the LAIC has the right to turn around and make sure that any costs paid by the LAIC that should have been handled by the property owner are reimbursed by the property owner—ultimately through the courts, if necessary.
If the property owner is a human being and not a corporation, and that human being lives in Cuyahoga County or any of the neighboring counties—then the owner themselves can be the LAIC, and this requirement won’t add any new requirements for them whatsoever. Otherwise, the owner needs to get a human being who lives in Cuyahoga County to take on this responsibility. And this responsibility can’t be forced on to anyone—the LAIC has to affirmatively agree to take it on.
City ordinances allow for an individual LAIC to withdraw from their role at any time, as described in § 365.02(g). This requires a written message addressed to the Cleveland Director of Building & Housing. A form is forthcoming, but an email to bhrental@clevelandohio.gov is sufficient. The LAIC will be still liable for any issues that occurred or fines that were levied during the time while they were LAIC and before they withdrew. But once they withdraw, any new issues or fines will not be associated with them. Please note that any private agreement between a property owner and an LAIC might be more complicated than the City’s ordinances.
City of Cleveland employees may not provide legal advice to the public. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For questions regarding the application of a city ordinance or regulation, you should consult an attorney regarding your specific situation.