How Housing Code Enforcement Works

 

The City of Cleveland implements a citywide code enforcement program to keep the housing stock from becoming deteriorated, protect your housing values, and keep our neighborhood looking great.

 

Below is a list of items that housing inspectors look for in the spring.  If you take care of these, you can most likely not attract the attention of your neighborhood inspector.

  • Cut your grass and clean your yard up.  (It is a violation to have grass that is 8 inches or higher )
  • Remove any/all junk cars from your property.  
  •  Paint the exterior of your house.
  • Replace missing gutters and downspouts.
  • Repair broken fencing.
  • Repair/replace deteriorated roofing.
  • Address leaning garages.
  • Fix broken steps and front porch issues.
  • Tuckpoint and replace broken bricks on your chimney.
  • There must be an address on your house and it must be visible from the street. (How else can Fire/EMS find you??)
 

There can be costly and serious consequences if you are sent a housing code violation notice and you do not make the needed repairs:

  • For most exterior violations, you will be given 30 days to comply (7 days for grass cutting). 
  • After the 30 day compliance period, a City housing inspector will go back to the property and do a re-inspection.  
  •  If the violations have not been corrected, you will be referred to the City Law Department for prosecution.
  • Violating the Housing Code is a criminal misdemeanor and you can be tried in criminal court.
  • If you do not go to Court when you are supposed to, a warrant will be issued for your arrest and you could spend a night or two in jail.
  •  If found guilty, the judge can sentence you up to 180 days in jail and/or fine you up to $1,000 a day per violation (so if you have 5 violations, you could pay $5,000 per day until the repairs are made!).
  •   It is usually more expensive to pay fines and court costs than it would have been to make the needed repairs in the first place.
 

If you have questions about Code Enforcement and you live in South Collinwood, contact the Ward 11 Code Enforcement Specialist at mct@cnvdc.org or call the Collinwood & Nottingham Villages Development Corporation at 216-383-9772.