Cleveland is cracking down on out-of-state and absent landlords after City Council on Monday passed a sweeping housing code overhaul.
It's a win for Mayor Justin Bibb's administration, which first proposed the legislation package, called "Residents First," in September.
"If you think of Building and Housing as a net, and there's a lot of holes in the net, and a lot of things are slipping through the holes," said Building and Housing Director Sally Martin O'Toole. "We believe we've created something that's going to close all those holes or as many of them as they can."
The legislation is designed to create more accountability for property owners and ultimately protect Cleveland's renters by closing loopholes and tightening the city's current rental registry process.
A majority — nearly 60% — of Cleveland residents are renters, Census figures show.
Among the suite of laws is the requirement for a local agent in charge who would be legally responsible for a rental property if the owner lives outside Cuyahoga County.
The legislation also establishes a vacant property registry for the city's estimated 10,000 vacant homes. A point-of-sale inspection will also be required for vacant residences to try to keep housing stock from falling into further disrepair when properties change hands.
Some council members worried about the city's ability to enforce the new housing codes, but O'Toole said she has "zero concerns" about being able to adequately staff her department.
"I have no question in my mind that we will be able to do this," she told members of council during a presentation Monday. "We need five people to do vacant building inspections. I believe we can hire those five people."
Cleveland City Council hashed out details and amendments over more than 10 hours of hearings in previous weeks before passing the legislative package Monday. The administration promised to create an impact study two years after passage.
