Landscaping Rules in Cleveland, OH (2026)

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 509.19 (Property Owner's Responsibility to Trim or Remove Trees)

The owner or agent of any lot or parcel of land fronting on any street, avenue or public ground in the City, in which shade trees are planted and growing, shall trim or cause to be trimmed, the branches from the trees ... and shall trim all branches overhanging any sidewalk or roadway, so as to have a clear height of eight (8) feet above the surface of the sidewalk, and a clear height of ten (1...

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 509.01 (Climbing, Breaking, Injuring Trees Prohibited; Exceptions; Permit)

No person, firm or corporation without a written permit from the Director of Public Properties shall cut, break, climb or injure any tree or portion of tree planted or growing in any public highway within the City ... or injure, misuse or remove ... any device set for the protection of any tree or plant in any public highway of the City.

Ohio Rev. Code § 715.261 - Recovering total cost of abatement, control, or removal activities

Removing, repairing, or securing insecure, unsafe, structurally defective, abandoned, deserted, or open and vacant buildings or other structures; (b) Making emergency corrections of hazardous conditions; (c) Abatement of any nuisance by a municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section. (B) A municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section...

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 535.45 (Water Use Emergency)

During a water use emergency, the Director may order water use curtailment by prohibiting unnecessary use or consumption of water during all or specified hours of the day and/or may order that specified premises curtail necessary use or consumption of water on specified days only as the Director shall determine to be necessary... “Unnecessary use or consumption” of water includes but is not lim...

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 352.05(c)

Non-living landscaping materials such as sand, stones, rocks, or barks may be substituted for living cover over a maximum of thirty percent (30%) of the landscaped area. No artificial plants or turf shall be used.