Cleveland, OH Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Cleveland's Zoning Code treats chickens, ducks, rabbits and similar small farm animals as a permitted accessory residential use, not a prohibited one, but caps how many you can keep and where the coop can sit. , density is capped at one animal per 800 square feet of lot area, which works out to six birds or rabbits on a typical 4,800-square-foot Cleveland lot. Coops and cages can't sit in the front yard or side-street yard, must clear five feet from any side yard line, and eighteen inches from the rear yard line (five feet where the rear line abuts a neighbor's front or side yard).

Roosters, geese and turkeys are banned in Residential Districts outright unless the parcel is at least one acre and the coop sits at least 100 feet from every property line; on lots over an acre, one extra bird is allowed for each 24,000 additional square feet. Every coop must be predator-proof, ventilated, and no larger than 32 square feet combined for up to six animals, capped at 15 feet in height, and any outdoor run needs at least 10 square feet per bird with fencing that keeps out dogs and other predators.

A Building Permit is required only if the coop is permanently attached to the ground or a structure, or exceeds 32 square feet or 8 feet in height: most backyard coops fall under that threshold and need no permit. 02(j)). 02(h)).