Cleveland became the fourth US city to guarantee a Right to Counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction, providing free Legal Aid representation in Cleveland Housing Court for households at or below 100% of federal poverty.
Adopted in 2019 and operational by mid-2020, Cleveland's Right to Counsel ordinance funds the United Way and Legal Aid Society of Cleveland to staff Cleveland Housing Court with attorneys representing tenants below 100% of the federal poverty line who have a child in the household. The program covers eviction defense, judgment-set-asides, and post-judgment negotiation. Federal pandemic-era moratoria layered on top from 2020 through 2021, but Right to Counsel persisted afterward and is credited with cutting default judgments and producing measurable reductions in Cleveland eviction rates.
Tenants who qualify but are not screened for counsel can request continuance from Cleveland Housing Court; landlords cannot waive the right through lease language or settlement coercion.
Cleveland, OH
Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.15 prohibits Cleveland landlords from using lockouts, utility shutoffs, or other self-help measures to force tenants out, with...
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland does not have a just-cause eviction ordinance. Ohio landlord-tenant law (ORC 5321) allows landlords to decline to renew leases or terminate month-t...
See how Cleveland's eviction moratorium history rules stack up against other locations.
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